mahashivratri vrat prativarsh bhutbhavan sadashiv mahakaleshvar bhagvan shankar ke prasannarth aur svalabharth falgun, krishn paksh chaturdashi ko kiya jata hai. isko prativarsh ‘nitya’ aur kamna se karne se yah ‘kamya’ hota hai. is din shiv ling ka pradurbhav hua tha. is karan yah mahashivratri mani jati hai.
is vrat ko varn aur varnetar sabhi saman rup se kar sakte hain. nahin karne vala dosh ka bhagidar hota hai. is varsh mahashivratri ka pavan parva 27 farvri 2014 ko nishchit hai. mahashivratri vrat nirnay shiv ling ke prakat hone ke samyanusar falgun krishn chaturdashi ki ratri mahashivratri ke nam se jani jati hai tatha anya mason ki krishn chaturdashi shivratri ke nam se. siddhant rup men suryoday se suryoday paryant rahne vali chaturdashi shuddha nishith (ardharatri) vyapini grahya hoti hai. yadi yah shivratri trisprisha (trayodshi-chaturdashi- amavasya ke sparsh ki) ho, to parmottam mani gayi hai. masik shivratri men, kuch vidvanon ke matanusar, trayodshi viddha bahut rat tak rahne vali chaturdashi li jati hai. ismen jaya trayodshi ka yog adhik faldayi hota hai.
smrityantre'pi pradoshavyapini grahya shivratriah chaturdashi. ratrau jagrnan yasmantasmantan samuposhyet.. atra pradosho ratriah . uttarardhe tasyan hetutvokteah. smrityantar men bhi kaha gaya hai, ki shivratri men chaturdashi pradoshavyapini grahan karen. ratri men jagaran karen. atah usmen upvas karen. yahan par pradosh shabd se matalab ratri ka grahan hai. uttarardh men uska karan bataya gaya hai: kamke'pi- adityastamaye kale asti chedya chaturdashi. tadratriah shivratriah syatsa bhavedantmottama.. kamik men bhi kaha gaya hai ki surya ke ast samay men yadi chaturdashi ho, to us ratri ko shivratri kahte hain. vah uttamottam hoti hai. adhi rat ke pahle aur adhi rat ke bad jahan chaturdashi yukt ho, usi tithi men hi vrati shivratri vrat karen. adhi rat ke pahle aur adhi rat ke bad yadi chaturdashi yukt n ho, to vrat ko n karen, kyonki vrat karne se ayu, aishvarya ki hani hoti hai.