On February 18th, Mahashivratri will be celebrated this year. In this post, we would like to shed some light on how to celebrate this occasion beyond the customary fasting and paying homage to Lord Shiva. We will delve into some technical aspects from the perspectives of neuroscience and Yoga Tantra. As this post may be lengthy, we kindly request that you read it through a few times with Shraddha Saburi in case it is difficult to comprehend in one reading.
Unfortunately, the connection between Sai Baba and Lord Shiva, as well as the significance of Shivratri, has not been extensively portrayed in Sai Satcharitra, with the exception of Megha’s devotion to Shiva. Through experiences granted to Megha, Baba instilled faith and helped him see no distinction between Sai Baba and Shiv Baba (Chapter 28 of Sai Satcharitra). While many stories are associated with Shivratri, such as it is the birth anniversary of Lord Shiva or the day of His marriage to Devi Parvati, there is much more to this occasion than these tales. In this special post for Mahashivratri, we will shed light on these lesser-known aspects.
Before getting into the spiritual insights of this subject, we would like to start the core concept of Mahashivratri from the neuroscience perspective first.
CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid), The Biological Element Behind “I Am”!
We would like to give a brief introduction (maybe some of you know this already), about Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), with the Shradha And Saburi that our Baba taught us, kindly go on reading the technical part of this post, we are pretty sure this will give you great insights into Mahashivratri from the modern science and yogic perspective. CSF, a fluid that is the essence of our basic existence as a sensual beings, CSF is a clear, colorless liquid that circulates in the brain and spinal cord, playing a crucial role in protecting and nourishing the nervous system.
CSF is secreted by structures in the brain called the choroid plexuses, which are located in the walls of the brain’s ventricles. The choroid plexuses are made up of specialized cells that produce CSF by filtering blood plasma and adding their own secretions.
The circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) begins in the ventricles of the brain, where it is produced by specialized cells in structures called the choroid plexuses. From there, CSF flows through the brain’s ventricles and into the central canal of the spinal cord.
Once it reaches the central canal, the CSF flows up and down the length of the spinal cord, providing cushioning and support to the nervous tissue. Some of the CSF also enters the surrounding tissues of the brain and spinal cord, where it helps to nourish and protect the neurons.
After circulating throughout the nervous system, the CSF is eventually reabsorbed into the bloodstream through structures called arachnoid granulations, which are located in the walls of the brain’s venous sinuses. From there, it is carried away from the brain and spinal cord and eventually filtered out of the body by the kidneys. The entire process of CSF circulation and turnover takes about 4-5 hours.
In a nutshell, CSF acts as a vital life-nourishing system from the biological perspective.
Now you know, this fluid originates from the brain and drips down through the central canal located in the middle of the spinal cord. Though the use of CSF is mostly for biological purposes, there are some researches going on to understand the role of CSF in an altered state of Consciousness.
“I Am” Consciousness And CSF
Though modern neuroscience is not throwing clear light on consciousness and the role of CSF. it is very evident, CSF directly influences “Pineal gland” also called the Seat Of The Soul (responsible for the wake-sleep cycle) which is also considered to have a significant role in an altered state of consciousness. From this, we can relate the important role of CSF in Wakefulness, Dream, And Deep Sleep States Of Consciousness through the pineal gland.
The “I am” consciousness or popularly known yogic term “Ahamkar”, is the seed (Beej) of existence from the gross world point of view, which lies sublime throughout the above said three states of Wakefulness (Jagrat), Dream (Swapna) and Deep Sleep (Sushupti).
Now let us see in detail the above from a Yoga Tantra perspective.
The Amrit Or Elixir As Per Yoga Tantra
In the context of Yoga Tantra, Amrit refers to divine nectar or ambrosia that is said to grant immortality and spiritual liberation. This concept is associated with the Hindu and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, and it is believed to be a powerful elixir that can purify the mind and body, removing all impurities and bestowing spiritual blessings.
In tantric yoga, the Amrit is often associated with the awakening of the kundalini energy and the release of the shakti, which is the divine feminine energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine. The awakening of this energy is seen as the key to attaining spiritual liberation, and the Amrit is said to help in this process.
Churning Of The Milk Ocean And Amrit
There is a puranic story connected with Amrit. In Hindu mythology, the churning of the milk ocean is a story that symbolizes the process of spiritual transformation. In this story, the gods and demons used Mount Meru (or Meru Thanda) as a rod and Vasuki, the king of snakes, as a rope to churn the ocean. Vasuki wrapped himself around the mountain three and a half times, which is seen as an analogy for the seven chakras of the human body and the kundalini energy that travels through the spinal cord.
The churning of the ocean is interpreted as a yogi practicing pranayama to stir the cerebrospinal fluid, in order to find the nectar or Amrit in their brain and elevate their consciousness to a state of oneness. This story serves as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and the ultimate goal of spiritual liberation and union with the divine.
On the above, we have to note that while the story of churning the milk ocean is a symbolic representation, the attainment of Amrit represents the spiritual state that is achieved through spiritual practices like yoga and meditation.
Exclusive Decoding For The Shirdi Sai Baba Devotees For Their Ultimate Destination
Meru Thanda or Mount Meru is the representation of the Brain and its Spinal Cord, Vasuki, The snake represents, the Sushumana Nadi and Ida/Pingala Nadi which we use in “Pranayama”, to invoke the dormant energy “Kundalini”, that will rise upwards and push the CSF through the Sushumna (the central canal of the spinal cord) to reach the cerebral cavity around the pineal gland, where the gland is bathed by the more refined CSF and this process significantly takes an effect on altered consciousness. According to Yoga Tantra, this altered consciousness is the state of pure existence of consciousness without the influences of “Karma” (the residual memories) of both the past (Sanchita) and the current (Praraptha). In such a state, the buddhi (intellect) will cling to the ultimate intelligence, the Para Brahma or otherwise called GOD. For us, the state is none other than our beloved Shirdi Sai Baba. The Jeevatma (Shirdi Sai Devotee) will become one with Paramatma (Shirdi Sai!).
What The Above Message Delivers On The Significance Of Mahashivratri
As we all know, Mahashivratri is the longest night of the year, and it is been said that one (the devotee) should be awake throughout the night to progress on their spiritual journey. During Mahashivratri, the celestial objects and the ether creates an ambience, a natural phenomenon that will help the devotee, the yoga sadhaka to rise the life energy, the kundalini upwards easily, which is not easy during other days, the sadhaka should sit straight, spine erected, like padmasana or Ardha sidhasana this will greatly help to raise the lower consciousness (kundalini) to reach the upper consciousness, that is why our ancestors asked us to be awake during Mahashivaratri.
Dear readers, my beloved Sai devotees, hope the above helped to shed some light on the significance of Mahashivratri from the Yoga Tantra perspective and also from the neuroscience perspective. With the guidance of Yogacharya, practice the yoga sadhanas, and let us catch hold and surrender at our beloved Shirdi Sai Baba’s lotus feet, which is for us the Sagunaroop of the Parabrahma itself. Om Sai Jai Jai Sai!
Like our previous posts, we like to end this post with a relevant sloka from Bhagavad Gita.
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषत: | मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्तत: || 24 || शनै: शनैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया | आत्मसंस्थं मन: कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् || 25 ||
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verses 24 & 25
Transliteration:
sankalpa-prabhavan kamans tyaktva sarvan asheshatah
manasaivendriya-gramam viniyamya samantatah – 24
shanaih shanair uparamed buddhya dhriti-grihitaya
atma-sanstham manah kritva na kinchid api chintayet – 25
Translation word by word:
saṅkalpa—a resolve; prabhavān—born of; kāmān—desires; tyaktvā—having abandoned; sarvān— everything; aśheṣhataḥ—completely; manasā— with the mind; eva—certainly; indriya-grāmam— dwelling of senses; viniyamya—restraining; samantataḥ—from all angles; śhanaiḥ—gradually; śhanaiḥ—gradually; uparamet—attain shanti; buddhyā—by intellect; dhṛiti-gṛihītayā—achieved through determination of sankalpa that is in synch with scriptures; ātma-sanstham—fixed in pure existence of consciousness; manaḥ—mind; kṛitvā—having made; na—not; kiñchit—anything; api—even; chintayet—should think of
Our Interpretation: “Renouncing all gross existence (worldly matters), one must detach their senses and thoughts with a focused mind. Through consistent effort, the intellect (buddhi) will become entrenched in pure consciousness, disregarding all else.”
List of Devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi
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Jai Sai! Very beautiful and insightful article. Thanks so much!
Happy MahaShivratri