An Exceptional Maha-Sivaratri (Contd.)

An Exceptional Maha-Sivaratri (Contd.)

How to describe that midnight scene? Finally, I inched to the front of line. There, about six or eight feet ahead of me – there he was, on a platform with feet folded behind him in a sitting posture. I do not find his posture in yoga-asanas, certainly not in Iyengar’s book. Just one light was glowing to make him visible to the waiting masses. Like others, I too stood there with a sense of reverence and contemplation. There was nothing to say or express. Only silence. No thought either. No noise. A night in the company of a great yogi! Nobody, nobody taught him. He was just a shepherd or cowherd. Maybe, he went and saw a Hindu mythological play or movie. Soon he stopped eating, quit tending cows, and started sitting near a tree. Then those sporadic meditative events became more frequent and then longer. One day he had stopped coming home suddenly and dissolved into a very long stretch of silence. We needed him, but he was beyond all silly noises, of people, and world. Yet, his presence itself was a blessing to all, to everything around.

What could have I given him? What could I offer to this yogi? Nothing except myself, nothing but peace, if I had any. What can anyone offer to Siva really? Ashes? Only ashes, which are formed as a byproduct in a (sacred) fire can be given to Siva. At any other shrine or temple, I could have offered a flower garland, betel leaves, fruits, or specially prepared (clean) food (appalu, tamarind rice, or lemon rice). Here, really nothing. It appeared all noise, all arguments, all vocabulary, all logic – they all came to a full stop. Period. At one level, all language finally sublimes. Similar situation arises, when one comes face to face with the end. All silly argumentation, clever or stupid, must eventually cede to “pure silence”.

By any measure of physical traits, he was normal like anybody else. He had long (naturally formed) braided locks, curled up nails, and full beard. He had no shirt or upper garment. His brother too went into a similar state of ‘samadhi’.  Later in the morning, I went to see his brother. I kept his (elder Balayogi’s) photograph with me for many years. Everything in this world is not controlled by logic alone. Two plus two need not be four always (even a child can demonstrate this). The truly educated know this well: Even logicians go awry (ex: Russell). 

After brushing my teeth around 6:00 a.m., I went around the temple and had a light breakfast. There was very little else except the temple and a few coffee stalls. I felt very happy that I could spend Sivaratri night there, in the company of a saint. Earlier some years back, I had an exceptional fortune of visiting Pithapuram and Draksharamam temples on a Sivaratri day. How can one imagine Siva or His birth? It is not easy; if both Vishnu and Brahma had failed, how can we say we understand Siva’s beginning? [We seem to run into similar difficulties in science about cosmos and its origins. What was before the Big Bang? How big is the entire universe? Are there multiple universes beyond the reach of light, our telescopes, and our instruments?  Status of dark matter, etc. Of course, it is a different topic altogether.]

A while ago, Andhrabhoomi paper serialized Siva-purana. There are several stories. We fast on this night because Siva, on behalf of His countless beings, swallowed a deadly poison. When, in the quest of amrita, the milk ocean was churned, a hot burning poison erupted suddenly. With Parvati at His side looking on affectionately, He gulped the poison and held it in His neck. Down under, in His stomach, all the worlds exist with living beings, so He could not send the poison any deeper. Hence forth, Siva is called nila-kantha (the One who has a blue neck).

In another story, once, there was an argument about– who was superior? Vishnu or Brahma? Right in front of them, suddenly a vertical shining white pillar (of light) appeared. They deputed a cow and a kewra flower as witnesses for determining the winner (i.e., who returns first after touching the end, pole). Both went flying in search of the ends of the light pillar; Brahma on a white swan and Vishnu on garuda (reminds me of “brahminy kite” bird in my village, it used to sit on a coconut tree). Even after thousands of years, they could not locate the end points on the light beam. Interestingly, the witnesses lied saying each had reached the respective end. So, today, we do not use kewra flower for Siva worship. (There is another story due to Kanchi Swami). Similarly, we consider the backside of a cow as auspicious (a good omen), but not its face. Punishment for perjury! After this incident, everyone agreed that Siva is truly “Mahadeva”. He is the One without a beginning or end. At the end of a long time-cycle, Siva remains, standing alone without His creation. In the end, the entire universe dissolves and merges in Siva, or vice versa.

For Srinivasa’s wedding, Siva urged His assistant, Kubera, to lend lots of money to Venkateswara without any collateral. What collateral? The forest dwelling Srinivasa had no property or jewels for His own marriage! We often tend to think in simple crude terms about Siva, Vishnu, and Brahma. That, Siva stands for all destruction, Vishnu for sustenance, and Brahma just for creation. But the old mythologies give us a more complex, subtle, and gentle picture. Once, Uma (Parvati) was frolicking with Siva. She closed Siva’s eyes with her hands for fun. And, lo, the entire world was on the verge of darkness and death. Without delay, His third eye opened to save the world from extinction. But there was an ensuing cost – the Himalayan snow started melting due to the intense heat, generated by Siva’s third eye. Uma quickly understood the problem (Her parents’ home was getting washed away) and gently retracted her hands.

Sivaratri falls on new moon every month. Maha-Sivaratri is celebrated on the moonless night (or the lunar 13th) in magha of Indian (Telugu) calendar. March 11, 2011 is an auspicious day (actually night) for all Hindu devotees. Due to pure grace or elders' blessings, I got to see at least four saintly persons. They and their memories always protect me and guide through the dharmic path.