Mahashivratri is one of the most important festivals in Hindu dharma. It is believed that if any person keeps the fast on Mahashivratri and worships Lord Shiva, even unknowingly, he/she is granted great virtues, bliss and salvation. There is a story in Shiv Puran on the importance of Mahashivratri fast and worship which we will get to know today.
Once there was hunter named Gurudruh. He was very cruel. He never hesitated in killing any man or animal. If a need arose, he would steal or loot a house. He always thought only of his family and was ever ready to do anything for his family. He could not differentiate between a good and a bad deed. He knew nothing about Mahashivratri or the fast either.
One day around noon, Gurudruh’s parents said to him ‘Son, it is already noon and we have nothing to eat. Your wife and children must also be feeling hungry. There is nothing left in the house. Go and bring something to eat.’ As per his parent’s wishes, Gurudruh went to the forest to hunt. That day was Mahashivratri (which Gurudruh and his family did not know). He was not able to find any animal till evening. He kept wandering through the forest and finally saw a running stream. There was a ‘bilva’ tree at the bank of the stream. He climbed up the tree with his bow, arrow and a pot of water.
A doe reached the stream to drink water around sunset. There was a Shivlinga under the ‘bilva’ tree. Gurudruh saw the doe and he fixed an arrow in his bow to shoot. While doing this, some branches of the tree were shaken. As a result, a few ‘bilva’ leaves fell on the Shivlinga. Some water spilled from the hunter’s pot and fell on the Shivlinga too. Thus Gurudruh had performed the worship of Shiva unknowingly. The doe looked at the hunter and requested him to let her go home once and then she would come back.
Gurudruh was convinced that the doe was telling the truth. He let her go. After some time another doe came to the stream to drink water. Gurudruh again took aim with his bow and arrow to kill the doe. Once again the movement caused a few ‘bilva’ leaves to fall on the Shivlinga. Water again spilled out of the water pot and fell on the Shivlinga. The doe panicked on hearing the sound.
She looked above and saw the hunter. She realized what was going to happen. She said, ‘Don’t shoot. Please wait. I will go to bid my husband and children farewell and come back soon. I will not take much time. Then you are free to kill me. I am willing to die.’
The second doe was the sister of the first doe. Both were married to the same deer. Gurudruh was now confused. He could not decide what he should do. He thought, ‘This doe is saying exactly what the first one said. Maybe they are fooling me and playing a trick to save their lives. It is also possible that they meant to keep their word. It is natural that they love their family just like I love mine. I think I should trust them.’ In the end, he let the second doe go too.
After some time Gurudruh saw both the does coming to the tree along with their husband and children. Reaching the tree, the deer said to the hunter ‘O Hunter! Kill me. I am prepared to die for the sake of the promise given to you by my wives.’ Before the hunter could do anything, both the does said, ‘We are ready to be killed. Satisfy the hunger of your family by killing us. We have come here to keep our word.’ Hearing their parents, the children cried ‘No, don’t kill our parents. If someone has to die, we must die first. How can we live without our father or mother. You can kill us if you please.’
The hunter listened to the deer, does and their children. The two does had kept their word. He was surprised at their behaviour. He was moved and there was a change of heart. He started climbing down the ‘bilva’ tree. While he was climbing down, a few leaves fell on the Shivalinga alongwith some water from the water pot for the third time. By the time he reached down, his heart was full of pity. He decided to spare their lives.
At that moment, Shiva appeared before ‘Gurudruh’ and fulfilled all his desires. Even though the hunter worshipped Shiva unknowingly on the special day of Mahashivratri, Shiva blessed him and appeared before him. This indicates the significance of worshipping Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri. The Shivlinga under that ‘bilva’ tree came to be known as ‘Vyadeshwar Mahadev’.
