Sunshine and Moonlight: A 17-Year Journey

No matter which corner of the world we travel to, the sun and moon are always there. Moving from one country to another does not make them disappear. Likewise, wherever I go, I continue to share my worldly experiences with our readers, drawing inspiration from the sun’s scorching heat and the moon’s cool radiance. It has been precisely 17 years today since I began writing this column, Bisilu Beladingalu, continuously since February 27, 2008.

Though the sun and moon are always above us, we may fail to notice them in the busyness of daily life. But our discerning readers have always followed my column without fail. This is evident from the many unknown readers who, upon recognizing me by chance at airports or events, approach me with devotion, introduce themselves, and express their appreciation.

A similar incident occurred recently. At the end of December, while waiting to board a flight to Mumbai at the departure lounge of Bengaluru airport, an unknown copassener standing ahead of me turned around, rushed toward me, and bowed down with great respect. He was a senior official at Union Bank of India. Overwhelmed with emotion, he introduced himself: “My name is T.N. Narasimhamurthy. I have been regularly reading your column without fail for many years. My wife and children cannot read Kannada fluently, but they understand it. Every Thursday, when your column is published, I make it a point to read it aloud to them at the breakfast table, and we all rejoice in it.”

Such unknown readers are the source of inspiration and motivation for me to write this column for the last so many years. National poet G.S. Shivarudrappa, in his poem Ede Tumbi Haadidenu Andu Nanu, fondly remembers his Guru, T. S. Shamaraya, who encouraged him to write poetry, saying:

“I do not sing so that everyone listens,
I do not worry if any anyone turns his deaf ears.
But I know there are those who will listen—
And that is why I sing, with all my heart!”

Similarly, despite the heavy work pressure of managing our monastery and numerous schools and colleges, I continue to write this column because of such discerning readers who eagerly wait, read, rejoice, and appreciate it. I am indebted to these devoted readers who are the source of inspiration to me for writing these articles. I am also indebted to the newspaper Vijay Karnataka for publishing my column.

Reflections on Shivaratri: Beyond a Ritual

The title of the second column I wrote in 2008 was “May Shivaratri Not Become a Cinema Night!” Yesterday was Shivaratri, and today is a drowsy day for those who kept vigil overnight. But it is important to reflect on how that vigil was observed.

The essence of keeping vigil and fasting on Shivaratri is for a person to momentarily detach from worldly concerns, devote themselves to Shiva, and transcend bodily hunger and thirst to attain self-awareness and spiritual hunger. Similar fasting and vigils exist in all religions in various forms. Shivaratri should not remain just a once-a-year religious observance. Basavanna says, “Nitcha Nitcha Shivaratriya Maaduvudu”, meaning Shivaratri should be a continuous daily practice—not in the sense of staying awake every night, but by always being mindful in one’s actions and words.

“When a Sharana stays awake, that itself is a chant.
When a Sharana rises, that itself is Shivaratri.
When a Sharana walks, that itself is purification.
When a Sharana speaks, that itself is Shiva’s essence!
For the devotee of Kudala Sangama,
His very body is Kailasa, the Abode of Shiva!”

A person who is pure in thoughts and actions, even if he sleeps at night, is in a way meditating upon Shiva. When he rises in the morning and engage in his daily work with dedication, that itself is the true vigil of Shivaratri. Such an individual’s body itself becomes Kailasa, the abode of Shiva. “Kayakave Kailasa” (Work is Kailasa) refers to external purity in action, while “Kayaave Kailasa” (The body is Kailasa) refers to inner purity.

Observing Shivaratri mechanically is a mere disruption of sleep. The following day’s work also suffers due to drowsiness. If one spends the whole night watching movie after movie on TV, it turns into a Cinema Night, not Shivaratri.

Rethinking Public Holidays

In a secular country like India, the government should celebrate national festivals such as Independence Day and Republic Day, but it should not officially observe religious festivals or birth anniversaries. However, it should provide individuals the freedom to celebrate their respective religious events.

In my opinion, the government should cancel all the declared holidays for religious festivals. If holidays continue to be declared for every festival celebrated by different communities, even 365 days in a year would not suffice! Instead, a fixed number of leave days should be allotted to individuals, allowing them to take leave for their personal religious observances as per their choice.

What is the use of a holiday on Shivaratri, a festival meant for keeping vigil? Instead, granting a holiday the next day would help devotees who stayed awake all night avoid drowsiness at work. India has more public holidays than any other country. In contrast, England has only eight national holidays. However, government employees there are given a set number of leave days based on their roles, which they can use as needed.

The practice of declaring holidays upon the demise of prominent individuals should also be discontinued, especially for schools and colleges. Instead, on such occasions, schools should conduct a one-hour program introducing the achievements of the deceased through speeches, pictures, or videos, and then resume regular classes. This would educate children about great personalities and inspire them. Otherwise, if children coming home early and tell their parents, “Someone has died, so we have a holiday!”, it trivializes the contributions of great individuals.

At this moment, the words of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam are worth remembering:

“Do not declare a holiday on my death. Instead, work harder that day. That will be my best farewell!”

— Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru
Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, Sirigere

Vijay Karnataka – Bisilu Beladingalu
February 27, 2025