Why Mahashivratri Is Celebrated: Shivling Meaning, Numerology & Maha Upay with Monica Kapoor on Manifest with Bijay
महाशिवरात्रि का महत्व, शिवलिंग का अर्थ और महा उपाय
By Monica Kapoor · Spiritual consultant, astrologer & numerologist
In this 66-minute Hindi conversation, host Bijay of Manifest with Bijay sits down with spiritual consultant, astrologer and numerologist Monica Kapoor to decode Mahashivratri beyond its rituals. Monica explains why Mahashivratri is celebrated as the divine union of Shiv and Parvati, why number 3 is Lord Shiva’s number (trishul, trinetra, tripundra, bel patra), and what the Shivling’s shunya shape means in numerology. She closes with practical Mahashivratri upay: remedies for wealth, marriage, students, enemies and evil eye, and a lock-and-key remedy for stuck luck.
- Show
- Manifest with Bijay
- Channel
- Sahoo Ji Podcast
- Host
- Bijay
- Guest
- Monica Kapoor – Psychic Expert, Astrologer, Numerologist & Tarot Reader
- Language
- Hindi
- Released
- 21 February 2025
- Duration
- About 1 hour 6 minutes
- Topics
- Mahashivratri significance, Shiv–Parvati union, number 3, Shivling numerology, Om Namah Shivaya, Shiv Puran, Mahashivratri upay
Key Takeaways
- Mahashivratri is the night of divine union. Monica describes it as the night Shiv left vairagya (renunciation) and entered grihastha (married) life with Parvati – the union of masculine and feminine energy.
- It falls on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi. A Shivratri comes every month, but only the Phalguna one is the “Maha” Shivratri.
- 3 is Lord Shiva’s number. The trinetra, the trishul, the three lines of the tripundra tilak and the three-leaf bel patra all point to it.
- The Shivling is shunya: zero and infinity. Everything begins and ends at zero, and Monica links the thumb to the Shivling as the body’s point of balance.
- Om holds the shape of both. Its oval form echoes the Shivling, and the turned “M” reads as a 3.
- The trishul is power, not just a weapon. It destroys negativity and ego, and the damru’s sound clears negative energy.
- 2025’s Mahashivratri was rare. It fell on 26 February 2025, the same day as the last snan (holy bath) of the Maha Kumbh.
- Rituals are about love, not rules. Offer what Shiv likes, as you would for a parent’s anniversary: water, milk, white sweets, bel patra and dhatura.
- Remedies are matched to the problem. Cardamom for communication, mustard oil for enemies, sugarcane juice for name and fame, and a new lock and key for stuck luck.
Episode Timestamps
Why Is Mahashivratri Celebrated?
Monica calls Mahashivratri “the great night of Shiva”. After Sati left her body, Shiv sat in deep meditation, and the devtas (gods) feared that creation would stop. Kamdev, the god of love, tried to break his tapasya (penance) and was burnt to ashes. When Shiv finally came out of meditation, he sensed Parvati far away, worshipping a Shivling she had made from clay with complete faith.
On this night, Shiv accepted Parvati and entered married life so that creation could go on. That is the heart of Mahashivratri’s significance: the union of Shiv and Shakti, of masculine and feminine energy. In Monica’s words, if one word sums up the night, it is “transformation of life”. She adds that the very idea of marriage and wedding anniversaries begins with this union, which is why she treats Mahashivratri as Shiv–Parvati’s wedding anniversary.
The Shiv Parvati Vivah and Kamdev’s Story
Monica walks through the Shiv Parvati vivah (marriage) story in the order the devotee needs to hear it: Parvati’s faith, Kamdev’s sacrifice and Shiv’s acceptance. Parvati didn’t have a grand temple; she had a lingam she shaped from earth with her own hands. For Monica, the lesson of the Mahashivratri story is that devotion, not display, is what reaches Mahadev.
Karpur Gauram Mantra Meaning: How the Episode Opens
Monica opens the conversation with Karpur Gauram Karunavataram, a mantra she says Lord Vishnu recited to please Shiv and Parvati. It is also the mantra sung at the end of almost every aarti in Hindu homes.
कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम्।
सदा वसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि॥Karpur Gauram Karunavataram, Sansara Saram Bhujagendra Haram.
Sada Vasantam Hridayaravinde, Bhavam Bhavani Sahitam Namami.Line-by-line meaning of the Karpur Gauram mantra:
- Karpur Gauram – one who is pure white like karpur (camphor)
- Karunavataram – the embodiment of compassion
- Sansara Saram – the essence of the whole world
- Bhujagendra Haram – who wears the king of serpents as a garland
- Sada Vasantam Hridayaravinde – who always lives in the lotus of the heart
- Bhavam Bhavani Sahitam Namami – I bow to Shiv, together with Bhavani (Parvati)
Monica’s own explanation follows the same thread: Shiv, full of compassion and the essence of the world, wears the serpent as a garland and ash on his body, and is held in the devotee’s heart always. Note that the mantra ends with Shiv and Parvati, which is why it fits Mahashivratri so well.
Neelkanth, Nataraja and the Night of Tandav
Monica links three more stories to this night. During the samudra manthan (churning of the ocean), Shiv drank the halahal poison to save the world, and his throat turned blue – the Neelkanth story. It is also the night of his tandav, the cosmic dance of Nataraja. And it is the night Shiv first gave darshan in the form of the lingam, rewarding Parvati’s faith.
She calls him the god of love, dance, meditation and yoga – all four of which, she says, began with Shiv.
Mahashivratri Date and Timing: When Is It Celebrated?
Mahashivratri falls on the Chaturdashi (14th day) of Krishna Paksha in the month of Phalguna. Monica explains that the moon wanes for 15 days and waxes for 15, and this festival sits in the waning half. A Shivratri comes every month, but only the Phalguna one is the Maha Shivratri. It also opens the festive season: Holi follows, farming picks up and the weather turns.
The episode was released on 21 February 2025, just ahead of Mahashivratri 2025 (26 February 2025), which Monica calls a rare day because it coincided with the last snan (holy bath) of the Maha Kumbh. The next Mahashivratri falls on Saturday, 6 March 2027.
Lord Shiva’s Favourite Number: Why 3? (Mahashivratri Numerology)
Lord Shiva’s favourite number is 3. In numerology, Monica counts the threes around him:
- Trinetra: his three eyes
- Trishul: three points
- Tripundra: the three lines of the tilak on his forehead
- Bel patra: three leaves, offered unbroken and free of insect damage
- The Shivling: Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh in one
- Om: written with the “M” turned, it forms a 3
This is why Monica’s Mahashivratri upay so often come in threes: three kauris, three gomti chakras, three drops of oil.
The Tripurari Story
Tripurasura ruled three cities and troubled the devtas and rishis (sages). Shiv said he could destroy them only when all three cities aligned in one line. When they did, he destroyed them with a single arrow, and so he came to be called Tripurari – the enemy of the three cities. Once again, the number 3 sits at the centre of the story.
Shivling Meaning: Shunya, Zero and Infinity
For Monica, the Shivling’s meaning starts with its shape. The oval form is shunya: zero. “People say zero has no value,” she says, “but everything starts from zero and ends at zero.” No number can grow without it, and so the Shivling represents both nothing and everything.
She gives an example from the hand. Fold four fingers and show the thumb, and it takes the Shivling’s shape. The lines along the thumb are Shiv’s serpents. Without the thumb you can’t grip, write or lift, so it is the hand’s balance – just as the Shivling is life’s balance.
In the episode notes, Monica adds two details. The thumbnail stands for the moon that sits with the Shivling, and the three thick lines across the thumb are its natural tilak. And if you can’t reach a Shivling at a temple, she says, you can offer water on your own thumb as a jalabhishek and worship Shiv that way.
The Endless Pillar: Brahma and Vishnu’s Test
When Brahma and Vishnu argued over who was greater, Shiv appeared as a pillar of fire and asked them to find its beginning and its end. Neither could, because the Shivling has no beginning and no end. That is the second half of the Shivling’s meaning: zero and infinity. “Om is Shiv and Shiv is Om,” Monica says. Put together, the Shivling meaning she teaches is simple: zero and infinity, the start and the end, held in one form.
Trishul and Damru: Shiva’s Energy Tools
Monica explains that the trishul destroys negativity, ego and demons – not people. Shiv holds it even in meditation, because his energy flows through it. A trishul kept in a place of good work, she says, purifies that space. The damru’s sound works like meditation: play it at home to clear negative energy.
Om Namah Shivaya Benefits for Meditation
Om, she says, was made for meditation. Chanting Om Namah Shivaya awakens the senses, supports healing and activates the glands. Chanting mantras on Mahashivratri also heals the throat chakra and helps balance all the chakras. Even when you hit zero in life, she adds, that zero is where a new start begins.
Why Read the Shiv Puran
Monica admits that no one understands the Shiv Puran in one reading; it takes two or three. It explains how Shiv changed himself for the sake of creation. Reading it, she says, removes doubts and ego, builds positivity and makes you pause before doing wrong. She ends the section on her motto: “Attitude is my gratitude.”
What Does Your Name or Number Say About You?
Get a personal numerology reading for your name, birth date and mobile number from Monica Kapoor.
How to Do Mahashivratri Rituals at Home and in the Temple
Monica’s advice is to treat the night like a parent’s wedding anniversary, and offer what Shiv loves. You don’t need a complicated Mahashivratri puja vidhi or a punishing Mahashivratri vrat; you need love and attention.
What to Offer on the Shivling (शिवलिंग पर क्या चढ़ाना चाहिए)
- Water with mantra jaap (chanting)
- Gangajal in a single, steady stream
- Milk – it cools the poison Shiv drank
- Curd – it sets and forms a base, which stands for balance
- Bel patra, dhatura and white sweets or kheer – Monica says Shiv especially likes white offerings
She recommends visiting a temple on Mahashivratri. Daily puja at home is fine, she says, but on this night you are going to Shiv’s wedding. If you’d like a ritual designed around your own chart, see rituals and spiritual alignment.
Mahashivratri Maha Upay: Remedies Shared by Monica
From the 32-minute mark, Monica shares her Mahashivratri upay (remedies), each matched to a specific problem. These reflect her spiritual practice and experience; follow them with faith, not fear.
Mahashivratri Upay for Money and Career Growth
Offer three kauris (cowrie shells, linked to Maa Lakshmi) and three gomti chakras on the Shivling, with a white sweet as bhog (offering). Monica believes this removes money-related hurdles. She also talks about the Lakshmi–Kuber and Panchmukhi Hanuman yantras; ask her about them in a spiritual consultation before using one.
Mahashivratri Upay for Marriage and Relationships
- For a delayed marriage: offer a pair of cardamoms and a pair of cloves.
- For sweetness in a relationship: do an abhishek with rose or jasmine ittar (perfume).
- For married couples: perform the puja together. Offer suhaag items (mehendi, bangles, sindoor, bindi) with kheer or a white sweet, and pray for a happy married life.
Mahashivratri Upay for Communication
Offer a pair of cloves and a pair of cardamoms with bel patra. Monica says cardamom is dear to Maa Lakshmi, Gauri and Parvati.
Mahashivratri Upay Against Enemies and Evil Eye
Offer three drops of mustard oil in the abhishek. In Monica’s experience, enemies slowly step away.
For Anxiety, Stress and Name, Fame and Success
Offer sugarcane juice. If you can’t find it, honey or ittar work too. For confusion and double-mindedness, offer black and white til (sesame) mixed together.
Mahashivratri Remedies for Students Before Exams
Mix black and white til, a little honey and a pair of cardamoms into cow’s milk. The student offers it on the Shivling in one unbroken stream, then chants Om Namah Shivaya 11 times and prays for what they want to become. Use only a little milk, so it doesn’t spill underfoot.
The Lock and Key Remedy (Taala Chabi Upay)
Monica calls this her most powerful remedy. Buy a new lock, put its key in it, and don’t open it. Leave it on the Shivling at a temple, not at home. Whoever needs it and takes it away will open the lock – and, she says, your luck opens with it. You do it only once.
Kheer Bhog on Mahashivratri Night
Make kheer with your own hands on Mahashivratri night, chant your mantra, keep it in the temple overnight and offer it as bhog the next morning.
Navgrah Mantra for Planetary Balance
Around the 50-minute mark, Monica shares a mantra to align all nine planets (navgrah). As listed in the episode description:
- Hari Om Som Somay Namah
- Hari Om Mangal Mangalay Namah
- Hari Om Budh Budhay Namah
- Hari Om Vrishpati Vrishpatay Namah
- Hari Om Sukar Sukray Namah
- Hari Om Sani Sancharay Namah
- Hari Om Rahu Da Vedma
- Hari Om Ketu Ketvay Namah
- Om Grhni Surya Devay Namah
She ends it with “Har Har Mahadev”.
For Health and Anxiety: The Seven Black Peppercorns
Circle seven black peppercorns anticlockwise over the head of the person who is unwell, then leave them at the base of the Shivling (not on the lingam itself). Monica says to repeat this every Monday for 43 days. This is a spiritual practice, not a treatment – keep following your doctor’s advice.
For Loans and Debt: The Hanuman Flag
Hoist a red Hanuman flag with “Ram” written on it atop a Shiv temple. Monica links this to 2025 being a Mars (Mangal) year and believes it brings name, fame and success.
Family-Planning Remedies
Monica also discusses remedies for couples hoping to conceive. We haven’t reproduced them here: for fertility concerns, please consult a qualified doctor first.
Audience Question: A Remedy to Avoid Accidents
Answering viewer Rashmi, Monica suggests a Tuesday offering at a Hanuman temple: a pomegranate, nine one-rupee coins, jasmine oil mixed with sindoor for the chola, and four small boondi laddoos, with the prasad given to children outside. She also suggests donating food or juice in the disability ward of a hospital. She is clear that this lowers the impact of an accident; it does not promise to prevent one. Drive carefully, wear a seatbelt or helmet, and for a reading of your own chart, book a kundli reading.
Closing Message
“Jo dhyaayenge wahi paayenge” – what you focus on is what you receive. Mahashivratri isn’t about going hungry for days, Monica says. Meditation, yoga and dance all began with Shiv, and giving his day more importance brings that importance into your own life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Mahashivratri celebrated?
Mahashivratri celebrates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Parvati. According to Monica Kapoor, on this night Shiv left renunciation and entered married life so that creation could continue.
When is Mahashivratri celebrated?
It falls on Chaturdashi in the Krishna Paksha of the Phalguna month. A Shivratri comes every month, but the Phalguna one is the Maha Shivratri. The next Mahashivratri is on Saturday, 6 March 2027.
What is Lord Shiva’s number in numerology?
The number 3. Shiv’s three eyes, the three points of the trishul, the three lines of the tripundra tilak and the three-leaf bel patra all reflect it.
What does the Shivling represent in numerology?
The Shivling’s oval form represents shunya, the zero from which everything begins and ends. Monica also links it to infinity, since the Shivling has no beginning and no end.
What should be offered on the Shivling on Mahashivratri?
Water with mantra jaap, Gangajal, milk, curd, bel patra, dhatura and white sweets or kheer. Monica says Shiv especially likes white offerings.
What are the Mahashivratri upay for money?
Monica suggests offering three kauris and three gomti chakras on the Shivling with a white sweet as bhog, to remove money-related hurdles.
What is the Mahashivratri upay for marriage?
For a delayed marriage, offer a pair of cardamoms and a pair of cloves on the Shivling. Married couples can do the abhishek together and offer suhaag items.
Which Mahashivratri remedy helps students before exams?
The student offers cow’s milk mixed with black and white til, honey and a pair of cardamoms in one unbroken stream, then chants Om Namah Shivaya 11 times.
What is the lock-and-key remedy on Mahashivratri?
Put the key in a new lock without opening it, and leave it on the Shivling at a temple. Monica says whoever takes it away and opens it opens your luck too.
What are the benefits of chanting Om Namah Shivaya?
Monica says chanting Om awakens the senses, supports healing and balances the chakras, especially the throat chakra, which is why it is used in meditation.
What is the meaning of the Karpur Gauram mantra?
It praises Shiv as pure white like camphor, the embodiment of compassion and the essence of the world, wearing the serpent king as a garland. Monica says Lord Vishnu recited it to please Shiv and Parvati.
Mahashivratri kyu manaya jata hai?
Mahashivratri Shiv aur Parvati ke milan ki raat hai. Monica Kapoor ke anusaar, is raat Shiv ne vairagya chhodkar grihastha jeevan apnaya, taaki srishti chalti rahe.
Mahashivratri 2027 kab hai?
Mahashivratri 2027 Shanivaar, 6 March 2027 ko hai – Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi ke din.
शिवलिंग पर क्या चढ़ाना चाहिए?
जल, गंगाजल, दूध, दही, बेलपत्र, धतूरा और सफेद मिठाई या खीर। मोनिका कपूर के अनुसार महादेव को सफेद चीजें विशेष रूप से प्रिय हैं।
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Explore More
- Numerology & destiny codes (name and mobile number correction)
- Kundli reading
- Tarot reading
- Rituals & spiritual alignment
- Karmic patterns & cord-cutting
- Chakra & energy healing
- Monica on The Knick Knack Show: karma, numerology & 2026 predictions
- All podcast appearances
This page summarises a podcast conversation and reflects the guest’s spiritual beliefs. It is not medical, legal, financial or psychological advice; for health, fertility, anxiety or debt concerns, consult a qualified professional. Video © Sahoo Ji Podcast (Manifest with Bijay), embedded via YouTube.