Acharya Prashant explains that the true meaning of Shiva is pure, unadulterated consciousness (Chidananda Rupa). He emphasizes that Shiva is not a person, a physical form, or a deity residing in a specific location like Mount Kailash. Drawing from Adi Shankaracharya's 'Nirvana Shatkam', he clarifies that Shiva is beyond the mind, intellect, ego, and memory. Shiva cannot be perceived by the senses or captured in stories and rituals. The speaker asserts that the common practices and myths associated with Mahashivratri are often misconceptions created by the human ego. To know Shiva is to realize that one's own pure consciousness, free from worldly attachments and mental impurities, is Shiva itself.
