SHIVRATRI Special: The path leading to Shiv, is not easy

By YOGI ASHWINI

Mata Parvati was the daughter of a great king. When she chose to marry Lord Shiv, her parents objected and ridiculed her decision. They asked her why she would want to stay at Mount Kailash where there is nothing but snow instead of getting married to a man who has a palace and a big kingdom. She replied saying that all of these are temporary. When her parents didn’t believe her, she gave them a glimpse of their future. They were shocked to see that their lavish palace was nowhere to be seen, it didn’t exist. That is when they understood what their daughter was saying. That is when they got the gyan.

Everything that is a part of the physical world – the body, property, relatives, friends, and riches – is unreal and will leave us one day. It is only when you are able to access Shiv that this gyan flows and you get the darshan of what is real.

The path leading to Shiv, however, is not easy. Sadhaks who choose to tread this path need to possess traits like Shiv – tapasya, vairagya (detachment), and internal strength. That is why, if you see, all Shiv temples are situated in places that are very difficult to reach and have an inhospitable environment (vidarbha), places where very few people will choose to go, places which are ideal for dhyan.

In contrast, if you visit any Vishnu temple, you will see that they exude vaibhav and are full of devotees falling over each other to donate money. Some of the richest temples are of Vishnu, who is also the lord of “Maya”.

Treading Shiv’s path, therefore, requires tremendous amount of strength and determination. And it is the Shivganas (attendants of Lord Shiv) who ensure that only the deserving reach him. Shiv and Shakti both love their ganas; Nandi is the first and closest to Shiv. That is why any Sadhak who takes care of Nandi (cow, in the common language) becomes close to Shiv and travels up this path very quickly. This progress, however, is not without hindrances. Other gans – prêt, pisach, and bhoots – who are also very close to Shiv create disturbances for the sadhak to try and mislead him from his path. They actually want to make sure that the sadhak truly desires Lord Shiv. Only one who is able to overcome these disturbances is eligible to reach the final destination. These disturbances are meant to purify the sadhak and make him capable of accessing Shiv. Otherwise, if the progress is fast and unhindered and the sadhak hasn’t gone through this purification process, chances of failure are very high. That is why in Yog, disturbance is considered a good sign as it means that the sadhak is on the right path. But it is only the Guru who can help the sadhak overcome these disturbances and get purified. This means that it is impossible to access Shiv without the Guru, as it is he who knows the capacity of the shishya and exactly the nature and amount of purification needed by him.

Remember, only Shiv has Shakti. And to access Shakti of creation, one has to walk the path of Shiv or reality and permanency.