It was a cool evening, and the sun had just set behind the clouds, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange. Ananya and Sid were sprawled on the living room floor, surrounded by their superhero action figures.

“My superhero is stronger!” Sid declared, holding up his figure of Hulk. “No one can beat him in strength.”

Ananya shook her head, waving her Wonder Woman doll. “Strength isn’t everything! She’s smarter and braver. She can save the world without smashing everything!”

Just then, Tatha chuckled from his armchair. His eyes twinkled as he set down his cup of tea. “You know you both are wrong,” he said with a playful grin. “The greatest superhero of all is from our very own mythology!”

Both kids looked up, confused. “Who, Tatha?” Ananya asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Lord Shiva,” Tatha said, leaning in closer. “The original superhero, who saved not just a city, but the entire universe from total annihilation!”

The Poison He Drank to Save the World

Their eyes grew even bigger as Tatha began his tale.

“Long, long ago, during the great churning of the cosmic ocean – Samudra Manthan- the Gods and demons worked together to obtain the nectar of immortality. But before the nectar could be found, a deadly poison called Halahala emerged from the depths. It was so powerful that just a drop could destroy everything – plants, animals, even time itself.”

Ananya gasped, “What happened then, Tatha? Who saved everyone?”

“The Gods feared that the universe is going to get destroyed. They ran to Lord Shiva for help. Instead of destroying it, He drank the poison Himself to protect the universe. Goddess Parvati, His loving wife, pressed His throat to stop the poison from spreading through His body, turning His neck blue. That’s why Lord Shiva is also called Neelkantha – the one with the blue throat.”

Sid’s jaw dropped. “That’s even cooler than Hulk! He drank poison and survived?”

“Yes and that too without breaking a single thing,” Tatha chuckled.

The Hunter’s Night Vigil

“Now, on Mahashivratri, we remember Lord Shiva’s greatness,” Tatha continued. “Do you know why people stay awake all night on this day?”

The kids shook their heads.

“There was once a hunter, poor and hungry. One day, as night fell, he found himself deep in the jungle, chased by a ferocious tiger. Scared for his life, he climbed a tall tree to escape. But the tiger didn’t leave, it waited below for the hunter to fall.

“To stay awake and avoid falling from the tree, the hunter began plucking leaves and dropping them down, one by one. He didn’t know it, but the tree was a Bilva tree, and below it stood a hidden Shivling. All night long, as he dropped those leaves, he unknowingly offered them to Lord Shiva. In the morning, the tiger was gone and the hunter realised his worst nightmare was over. Shiva had protected him.”

Ananya clapped her hands. “So that’s why Bilva leaves are offered to Lord Shiva!”

“Exactly,” tatha smiled. “It’s a reminder that even small acts, done with sincerity even unknowingly – are rewarded with grace and protection.”

—

The Endless Pillar of Light

“Tatha, you said Lord Shiva was the strongest of all Gods,” Sid said thoughtfully. “But what about Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma? Weren’t they powerful too?”

“Ah, that reminds me of another story,” Tatha said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Once, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma had an argument about who was the greatest. Suddenly, Lord Shiva appeared between them as a massive pillar of light, endless in both directions.

“Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar and went deep underground to find the base, while Lord Brahma became a swan and flew upwards to find the top. After searching for ages, Lord Vishnu humbly admitted defeat – he couldn’t find the bottom. But Lord Brahma lied saying he had seen the top.

“Lord Shiva, knowing the truth, punished Lord Brahma for His arrogance and declared that Lord Vishnu’s humility made Him worthy of worship. If you notice, there aren’t many temples of Lord Brahma, whereas you will see a lot of temples with various incarnations of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The pillar of light became the Shivling, a symbol of Lord Shiva’s infinite power.”

Ananya snuggled closer to Tatha and smiled thoughtfully. “So Tatha, every story of Lord Shiva is different and teaches us something important. The first story teaches us the power of sacrifice and selflessness.”

“Yeah and the hunter’s tale shows that devotion comes in many forms, even in moments of fear. And the endless light reminds us to be humble, no matter how powerful we become,” quipped Sid not to be left behind.

“So, Lord Shiva isn’t just strong and angry – He’s wise, kind and fair too,” said Ananya.

“Exactly,” Tatha said, patting their heads. “The greatest superhero isn’t just the one who fights the hardest but the one who protects everyone with love, patience and humility.”

The children looked at each other and with a sly smile placed their action figures aside.

“Can you tell us more about Lord Shiva tomorrow, Tatha?” Ananya asked.

“Of course,” Tatha said, smiling as the night deepened. “After all, Mahashivratri is not just one night – it’s a reminder of Lord Shiva’s lessons every day.”

And as the stars twinkled outside, Tatha, Tathi and the kids sat in the lawn and sang a few bhajans on Lord Shiva.

Ananya and Sid looked up at the starlit sky wondering if the greatest superhero of all – Lord Shiva is watching over them!