Mahashivratri: How lord Shiva got his third eye?

New Delhi : Lord Shiva, also known as Mahadev, is worshipped by everyone. Indra (The king of the devas), Hiranyakashyap (the king of Asuras), and Rawan (the King of rakshas), everyone worshipped him. There are many stories associated with Lord Shiva, especially the ones cited in Shiv Puran.

Lord Shiva is also known as Thrilochan because of his 3 eyes. There are many stories about Lord Shiva and also there are very interesting tales about how he got his third eye. In this article, we will talk about one of such tales to get a better idea on how his 3rd eye emerged on his forehead.

Lord Shiva's wife Parvati had the idea to play a game with him; one day while he was in deep meditation, she came from behind and closed his both eyes by using her hands. According to a popular belief, lord Shiva's left eye represents Moon, his right eye represents Sun. As she had covered his both eyes with hands, the world descended into confusion and darkness. Shiva immediately used his godly ability to produce fire to form the 3rd eye on his forehead. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati combined energies with the perspiration resulted in creation of their son Andhaka.

According to legends, Shiva used his 3rd eye to burn Kamdev (the Indian God of lust). One day when Lord Shiva was doing meditation, Kamdev crouched behind a tree and arrowed Shiva in the heart. Shiva became a little uneasy. And in order to burn the God of lust to ashes, he opened his 3rd flaming eye.

About Mahashivratri

Mahashivratri is a very auspicious occasion in Indian culture. Fasting is done on the day to worship the lord Shiva. For women, Mahashivratri faces also considered as highly beneficial. It is believed that on the day Lord Shiva had married goddess Parvati. Mahashivratri fasting is don’t by Single Ladies with hope to get married soon to a strong man. Meanwhile, married women in India observe Mahashivratri fast with hopes of ensuring husband’s happiness and good health.