Among the great deities of Hinduism, Lord Shiva has been well-regarded as the one who mostly personifies the practice of yoga. Dubbed as Yogeshwar - the great lord of yoga, he was known to have ruled the over all aspects of yoga relative to body, mind and consciousness. Apart from being the master of yoga, Shiva has also been noted for being the source of all mantras, thus, he is also said to be considered as Omkara, the primordial cosmic sound, and from his drum all the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet reverberate.
Knowing Shiva
According to reports by the American Institute Of Vedic Studies, Shiva has been most notable as someone who has three eyes or the so-called Tryambakam. It is said that Shiva's third eye is the inner eye of unitary awareness and higher perception. Furthermore, the Ganga that flows down from Shiva's head represents the immortal stream of higher yogic awareness. The Shiva Linga, known as his upward focused energy, is believed to represent the ascending power of yoga, the silent mind of Samadhi as well as the yogic state of transcendence.
Yoga Traditions And The Maha Shivaratri 2017
On the other hand, in honor of the god Shiva, the Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival which is annually being celebrated. It was found that there is a Shivaratri in every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar, on the month's 13th night /14th day but once a year in late winter that usually takes place in February or March and before the arrival of spring. This year, Time and Date Online has revealed that the Maha Shivaratri will start on Friday, February 24, 2017.
Moreover, Shivaratri has also been considered as the most important day of the year to worship Lord Shiva. Enthusiasts have also explained that one stays up all night performing special rituals and mantras to Shiva as the supreme reality to awaken his power within us. Ultimately, it was also found that the Kumbha Mela, the world's largest religious gathering, provides a center stage to his worship extending to tens of millions of devotees.
