Wherever there is truth there is Shiva. Wherever there is beauty there is Shiva. Wherever there is benevolence there is Shiva. And there is not a place where the Shiva principle is not there. It is the omnipresent, omnipotent, most benevolent divinity, that is what Shiva is all about, and we are soaking in that.

We forget that this power is there with us! Shivaratri is to remind us that we are Shiva. That is why we say, "Shivoham, Shivoham", which means 'I am Shiva, I am that principle, I am the truth, eternity, beauty, and benevolence'. So Shivaratri is an occasion to remember this.

In the daily hustle and the bustle, we forget that from which we have come, in which we are and into which we go — that eternal principle is forgotten. This is the most puzzling thing! It is so puzzling how we can forget that from which we have come, in which we live and into which we dissolve. How can we forget that? This is a big puzzle! Remembering that, true celebration happens in life, all the worries disappear; everything that is bothering you simply disappears, doesn't it? And you are all so lucky to be in silence and meditation on this day.

Shivaratri is when the manifest and unmanifest celebrate their union. The One which is so unmanifest, intangible and abstract manifests in the manifestation, in the concrete.

Today, on this auspicious day of Mahashivaratri, there are just two things you should take away with you, which will instantly bring peace and happiness to your mind. 

1. Know that ‘God is with me at all times, and He will fulfil all my needs’. 

2.With this deep faith, relax and repose in the Self.

Coming to the state of deep rest, is what Mahashivaratri is all about. Mahashivaratri brings deep rest to the mind and the spirit. The mind is always running after something, or desiring one thing or another – whether it is a spiritual or a materialistic thing. So just remember that God is there to provide you both, and relax. Have this unshakeable faith that whatever you need will surely be given to you. The moment this faith dawns from within, the mind settles and comes to a state of rest.

You get the same kind of peace and deep rest when you do kirtana (Satsang). You know, just singing bhajans (devotional songs) in a superficial way is no good. When you listen to the songs and when you sing along, you should sing with all your heart and with a deep sense of devotion and love for the Divine. You should cry out for the Divine. When we sing whole heartedly and become one with the song, in absolutely no time you become one with God.

Lord Shiva is not outside; He is not sitting in a temple, or somewhere far away in the Himalayas; He is not at the Manasarovar Lake or at Mount Kailash. Lord Shiva is present within you, and He is present everywhere. Just know this and relax. Just remind yourself about this again and again and relax. You will see that in a short while, you will attain such a deep state of Samadhi (the ultimate non-dual state of Consciousness), and your mind will find so much happiness and peace. You blossom so totally from within, that nothing else remains. That is it.On Mahashivaratri, this is what you need to do – just relax and repose deep in your Self.