Basically we all know that in every month there is a shivaratri but Maha shivaratri is something different from it. As all north Indian people aware that the day when Parbati and Shiva got married , celebrated as Maha shivaratri.
But I want to share a different story basically belongs from southern part of our country.
In earlier times there was a hunter named Gurudruh. He raised his family by killing animals. He was a moneylender's debtor, but could not repay his loan on time.
The angry moneylender captived the hunter at Shivamath. Coincidentally it was Shivaratri that day. The hunter meditated and kept listening to religious things related to Shiva. He also heard the story of Shivaratri fast on Chaturdashi.
Just in the evening, the moneylender called him and talked about repaying the loan. The hunter left the bond on very next day, promising to return the loan. Like his daily routine he went out hunting in the forest. But due to being in captive all day long, he was disturbed by hunger and thirst. He went too far, searching for prey.
When it became dark, he thought that the night would be spent in the forest itself. The hunter climbed a vine tree by the side of a pond and waited for the night to pass.
Under the bilva tree there was a Shivling which was covered with bilvapatras. Hunter could not observed on this. The twigs he broke while making the halt coincidentally fell on the Shivling. In this way, fasting and thirsty hunters also fasted throughout the day and threw the leaflets on the Shivling. At the first quadrant of the night, a pregnant deer came to drink water at the pond.
As soon as the hunter ready an arrow on the bow to draw it, the lady deer said, 'I am pregnant & will deliver my baby soon. You will kill two creatures of God together, which is not right. I will give birth to the child and will be presented to you soon, then kill me. '
The hunter loosened the bow and the deer disappeared into the wild bushes. At the time of folding and loosening, some twigs spontaneously broke and fell on the Shivling. In this way, the worship of the first Prahar was also done inadvertently.
Shortly after, another lady deer emerged from there. The hunter was so happy. After coming close, he put the bow on the arrow. Then deer humbly pleaded, 'O hunter! Just now my menstrual cycle is over. I am lustful. I am wandering in search of my beloved I will meet my husband and come to you soon. '
The hunter let him go as well. He was perturbed over losing his prey twice. He was in all sort of thoughts. The second prahar of the night was passed. This time too, some bilva twigs fell on the Shivling with a bow and the worship of the other Prahar was also completed.
Then another lady deer came out from there with her children. It was a golden opportunity for hunters. He did not take long to shoot arrows at the bow. He was about to drop the arrow that deer said, 'O hunter!' I will return these children to their father. Do not kill me this time.I will come soon.'
The hunter laughed and said, leave the prey again in third quadrant of night, I am not such kind of fool. I have lost my prey twice before. My children must be getting hungry and thirsty. In reply lady deer again said, ' I am also like the affection of your children, just like me too. Hey hunter! Trust me, I promise to leave them to their father and return immediately.'
Hearing the humble voice of of mother deer, the hunter felt pity on him. He let her escape too. In the absence of prey and distraught with hunger and thirst, the hunter was unknowingly sitting on the vilva tree and throwing down the twigs on Shivling at the third prahar of the night.
When the dawn broke, a male deer came on the same path. The hunter thought that he would surely hunt it. Seeing the trunk of the hunter, the male deer said in polite voice, 'O hunter! If you have killed three lady deers and small children then do not delay in killing me too, so that I do not have to suffer even a single moment in their disconnection. But I am the husband of those deer. If you have given them life, please give me some time too. I will meet them and return back to you as promised.
As soon as he heard the deer, he narrated the whole story of that night to the deer. Then the deer said, 'The way my three wives have gone as promised, they will not be able to follow their words with my death. So, just as you have left them as a confidant, let me also go. I will appear infront of you soon with all of them. '
The hunter let him go as well. Thus fourth prahar worship completed . The worship of Shivaratri was completed inadvertently due to fasting, night-awakening and by throwing of bilvapatras on Shivling. The predator's violent heart became clean. Bhagavadashakti dwells in it.
Shortly afterwards, the antelope appeared with his family , infront of hunter , so that he could hunt them. But the hunter was very sorry to see such veracity and collective love of wild animals. He gave life to the antelope family.
Unknowingly following the fast of Shivaratri, the hunter attained salvation. When the Yamdoots came to take his creature in death, the Shivgans sent him back and took the hunter to Shivlok. It was only by the grace of Shiva that King Chitrabhanu(Hunter Gurudruh) was able to remember his previous life in this birth and after knowing the importance of Mahashivaratri, he could also follow it in his next life.
The most important thing in this story is that special emphasis is laid on 'Unknowingly worshiped'. This does not mean that Shiva accepts the worship performed in any way, or Bholenath cannot distinguish worship inadvertently.
Actually the hunter was not worshiping Shiva. It also means that he was not even wishing for any kind of fruit. He donated life to the deer family which is similar to Shiva worship. Shiva means welfare. It was due to the welfare of those innocent creatures that he came to know the Shiva element and was interconnected with Shiva.
Wish all of you a great Maha Shiva Ratri.Stay blessed. Bom Bhole.Jai Shiv Shambhu.
Image credit- Google.Com
