People know very little about Shivratri and the greatness of Shivratri. So I'll try to explain what is the significance of today's celebration.

Dear souls. This particular event is called Shivratri or Maha Shivratri. This is described in the Balkand of Ramayan in great detail. What happened... God Shiv and Parvati or Sati, They are both same, not separate. But in leela, They appear in different style. So, Goddess Sati means Shiv and Sati. They were in Kailash abode, and Daksh, father of Sati, was doing a big yagya (fire ceremony). Sati went to where the yagya was being held and She did not like something that was happening there. Daksh was very proud, and out of his great pride, he was disrespecting God Shiv. Sati could not tolerate it. "My father disrespected My beloved of My soul God Shiv?" So She jumped in the fire of yagya and finished Herself. This is the beginning...

God Shiv was now alone. Then Parvati again took birth in the family of god Himalaya. So, from very childhood She was desiring to meet God Shiv. She was doing austerity in the jungle--not drinking anything, not eating anything, just breathing fresh air, absorbed in love of God Shiv. She spent many many years like that. In the meantime, Saptarshi came and Naradji also came. They told Her, "You will find Your God Shiv." That's all described in Ramayan. And they also told the family of Parvati. So the day was fixed: marriage, on this particular day, the same day we are celebrating today. The marriage of God Shiv and Parvati.

So God Shiv was the bridegroom. Bhagwan Vishnu was there, Brahma was there, and all the important celestial gods and goddesses, all of them joined the procession. God Shiv called His people from Kailash abode and they also joined. It was a mile long procession. Bhagwan Vishnu, Brahma, God Shiv as bridegroom--they slowly moved towards the wedding place in the Himalayas. They were all rejoicing. It was a most happy mood. Once they had all assembled, God Shiv was married to Parvati. Then He again came back to His abode, Kailash. That is the story in gist. This is greatly described in Ramayan: the marriage of God Shiv; the meeting of God Shiv and Parvati. So we celebrate every year, Shivratri.

Are Shiv and Parvati separate? No. Then what was that meeting or marriage? Just a leela, Divine leela, Divine happening. Because when Sati was doing austerity, and God Shiv was in samadhi, He had forgotten everything. He was sitting in deep samadhi, deep trance, transcendence. It means He even forgot His own consort, He was so deep in samadhi. Then the gods and goddesses had to come to wake Him up, "Please, please, Sati is born as Parvati, go and get married." "Oh, oh, OK, OK, it's alright, I am coming." He was absorbed in samadhi? Forgot His consort? That was Krishn love, nothing else.

God Shiv has two forms. With one form He is supreme God of Vaikunth, like Maha Vishnu. In Vaikunth, Maha Vishnu, God Shiv and Durga, all those three are equally supreme God and Goddess in Vaikunth. Vaikunthaadi pati. From Them this whole universe evolves--such great personality!

The other form of God Shiv is in Golok where He is in the form of a Gopi--not like God Shiv wearing matted hair, and scorpions moving around. He is a Gopi. A very pretty, young, Gopi. He's called Gopeshwar. That's what we have here in our ashram, a temple of Gopeshwar. You can see, a Shiv ling is there, and on that Shiv ling there is an inscription in golden lines--the Gopi is there, Gopeshwar form is there. The form of Gopeshwar. So Shiv as a Gopi. In Braj, in Vrindaban, in Barsana, He cannot be in the form of Shiv. He has to be as a Gopi. His personal intimate form is Gopi. So He was absorbed in that love, Krishn love. He had forgotten everything. He remembered only Krishn... Radha... Krishn... Radha... So when gods and goddesses came and tried to wake Him up, "Please God, God Shiv, Parvati is now ready for marriage. Go and marry Her. She is Your own consort." "OK." Then He agreed and They both got married. That's the story.

But what is Parvati, what is Shiv? They are both Gopis! Both. You see when Bhagwan Krishn appeared, again God Shiv was in samadhi, thinking of Krishn and Radha, absorbed in Their love. But when Krishn appeared, the appearance of Krishn is a special happening--not just in this brahmand, but in the universe. Something happens. It is like a wave of Divine love excitement outbursts the whole of the atmosphere. But that could be felt only by the Divine personality. So when Krishn appeared, that wave of Divine love permeated the whole of the brahmand. It reached Kailash and Shiv opened His eyes, "Oh! In whose love I am drowned, the same Personality has appeared! in Braj!" He just got up and rushed immediately, without thinking. He comes to Gokul, there He saw all the Gopis dressed up nicely and they were dancing and singing...and He found Himself out of place. But He was so much in love with Krishn He couldn't think of decorating Himself. Anyway, Krishn Graced Him, and He had darshan of baby Krishn.

When He saw baby Krishn sitting in the cradle, Their eyes met--Krishn and God Shiv. Whatever He felt, He knows. But that feeling again excited His love for Krishn. In that excitement He began to dance...in total unconsciousness. Yet some ecstatic consciousness, to keep His body from falling. His eyes were closed, He was dancing in ecstasy. That was called taandava nritya. Taandava nritya means dancing in total ecstasy in love of Krishn is called taandava nritya. So, there's no classical rhythm in that taandava nritya. It's just nritya, just dance, in total ecstasy. He danced for hours. His Bhao slightly subsided, again He opens His eyes, and when He opens His eyes He sees Krishn everywhere, same baby Krishn smiling everywhere, wherever He sees, in Gopi, in Gwalbal, in atmosphere. In such a ecstatic state, He again was amazed. Just saying, "Krishn jai ho! Krishn jai ho! Krishn jai ho! Krishn jai ho!" He goes back to Kailash abode. That is Bhagwan Shiv.

After some time, just a few years afterwards, eight years afterwards, Krishn decided to do maharas. Maharas--the absolute culmination of Divine love. Beyond that, there is nothing. Nothing means it's the absolute limit of Divine love that Radha and Krishn reveal. So, They both were sitting, Shiv and Parvati. And when Krishn played on the flute, the sound went everywhere. It went to Kailash abode, Vishnu's abode, everywhere. And Parvati said, "Shiv, Radha is doing maharas." Shiv said, "Yes, We are going to join maharas." They both came. Parvati was like a Gopi--She directly entered, with no obstruction. But, a Gopi stopped God Shiv, "Please, wait for a few seconds. I have to take permission from Radha Rani, because this is maharas. Only Gopis can join." Anyway, Radha Rani permitted, and God Shiv immediately became a Gopi--instantly. From God Shiv's appearance, He became Gopi--a young, beautiful Gopi--and entered maharas.

So that Gopeshwar form is His real form in Braj, in Golok, and in Vrindaban. That's what we have here in Barsana Dham--Gopeshwar Mahadev. They both enjoyed the Bliss of maharas, Shiv and Parvati. They enjoyed so much, again, They could not describe what They enjoyed. But His other form is God Shiv as supreme God in Vaikunth.

With this example we must understand that God Shiv is giving us a message. This Shivratri is a message. "O souls! Whatever I have experienced, you can also experience! You can experience the same Bliss of maharas. Radha Rani is so Gracious." That is the message of Shivratri. Because both Shiv and Parvati entered into maharas and experienced and enjoyed the Bliss of maharas. That Bliss of maharas is the supreme Divine Bliss, supreme Divine love, which any soul could experience. Any soul, any of you.

What is the requirement? One single thing. Your sincere desire, nothing else. That's it. Desire. Wholehearted desire...and have it. No requisite. But desire sincerely, desire wholeheartedly, desire single-mindedly: "O Radhey! I want Your love. O Krishn! I want raas ras. O Radhey and Krishn I want to love you, that's all I want." That's all you have to do. A single-minded wholehearted desire to find Radha Krishn's love. That's the only requirement.

And desiring, that part every soul has. You keep on desiring every day--lots of things. You desire. You can't live without desire--impossible! Even an insane person also desires, even if he is insane. Desiring is there. It simply has to be diverted from wrong side to right side. Desiring the world; now desiring Krishn love. Desiring part is there.

In your family you have your friend, your father, your mother, your spouse, your children, your grandfather, your other people. Add one more person. Krishn is in your family. Radhey is one of your family members. Means you have to desire to find love of Radha and Krishn; that's all. Slowly. You can't do it abruptly, you can't do it overnight. Add. Addition is very possible, not impossible.

You see, you are alone, then you marry, then you have one child, two children, three children. It means you keep on multiplying your desires. You love everybody, equally. So you can also add Radha Krishn in your family. They are also part of your family. At least They have some space. In your heart and mind. And when They get some space, They Themselves...expand. Just like fire, a little fire, a match stick, it can burn the whole house, if you properly protect it. So the flame of desire when it's simple and honest, it becomes an earnest desire that itself takes the shape of pure love for Radha and Krishn. That's all you have to do.

So that message God Shiv and Parvati gave on Shivratri. "O souls! Whatever I am experiencing, and I have experienced, the same raas ras Bliss you all can experience. Just desire for Radha and Krishn."

Bolo Shyama Shyam ki, jai!

Barsana Dham ki, jai!

Gopeshwar Mahadev ki, jai!

Raseshwari Radha Rani ki, jai!

Jai Shree Radhey!