Opinion Sri Sri Ravi Shankar writes: Surrender to Shiva
The greatest power in this world is to surrender to the divine. It is like a drop that owns the ocean
Shivaratri is a night of transcendental, divine peace which brings solace to all layers of existence. 
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Some people believe that Shiva was a person or yogi who walked on this planet thousands of years ago. That is not correct. Shiva shouldn’t be limited to time. He is called Maha Kaal, the time of times, and the cause of all causes. Kailasa is again not some mountain where he lived. Kailasa means where there is only celebration, where there is only joy. And, when Shiva tattva dawns on you, life becomes only a celebration. Where there is celebration, that is where Shiva resides or has blossomed.
Albert Einstein proved that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only change from one form to another. That energy, which changes from one form to another, is Shiva. That which is always (nitya) and which is (shashwat), that is Shiva tattva.
Shiva is that blissful and innocent consciousness which permeates every atom of the universe. Celebrating the Shiva tattva in oneself is what Shivaratri is all about. “Ratri” is night, the time for rest and comfort. When all activities are on hold and it becomes quiet and peaceful, the body goes to sleep. Shivaratri is that deep rest not only for the body, but also for the mind, intellect and ego.
The way Shiva is described is very interesting. Shivam, Shantam, Advaitam: Shivam means your purest self; Shantam is quiet, peaceful, and innocent; and Advaita is non-dual, where there is only One. Shiva has these five modes: Srishti or creation, sthiti or maintenance, samhar or dissolution, anugraha that is blessing or grace and tirobhav that means staying behind a veil, or staying hidden.
The manifestation of this consciousness is the entire creation, the dance of Shiva. In other words, you can never separate the dancer from the dance. The dancer is the consciousness or the purusha and dance is the prakruti.
Shivaratri is a night of transcendental, divine peace which brings solace to all layers of existence. There are certain days and time-frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materialises. Shivaratri is one such precious day.
Feeling the presence of Shiva is the essence of Shivaratri. That is also the real sanyasa. In every form of worship, we offer something to the deity. Shiva is known to get happy with an offering of bel patra. That speaks of his simplicity. But in this simplicity lies a deep message. Offering bel patra represents the surrender of all three aspects of one’s nature — tamas, rajas and sattva. To surrender all the positive and negative qualities of your life to Shiva and become carefree is Shivaratri.
The greatest offering you can make is yourself. It is the key to happiness in life. After all, why do you get sad? What holds you back? It is because you are not able to achieve something in life. At such times, you simply surrender everything to the all-knowing Shiva. The greatest power in this world is to surrender to the divine. It is like a drop that owns the ocean. If a drop remains separate, it perishes. But when it becomes the ocean, it is eternal.
The writer is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
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