There came a time when the eternal consciousness — Shiva — forgot Himself. The Lord of time and dissolution, the source of both silence and chaos, entered a state of absolute void where even remembrance dissolved. That moment of divine forgetfulness wasn’t weakness — it was the supreme stillness before creation stirred again.
This tale of “Shiva’s divine forgetfulness” isn’t about losing memory as humans do; it’s a symbol of the cosmic rhythm — where awareness and oblivion alternate to sustain existence.
The Moment of Forgetfulness
At the dawn of an ancient age, Shiva sat in deep meditation. Ages passed. The gods grew restless — without Shiva’s motion, nothing moved in the cosmos.
Parvati, seeing the world wither in stillness, approached Him. She called, but Shiva neither heard nor recognized. His eyes were open, yet He saw no one. He had forgotten — not Her, not the world — but Himself.
He was pure being — no thought, no memory, no name.
That was the day Shiva lost His memory.
But paradoxically, it was also the day consciousness transcended itself. For when awareness dissolves, only truth remains.
The Meaning Behind the Forgetfulness
Shiva’s forgetfulness signifies the disappearance of ego — when the “I” ceases to exist.
- When there is no “I”, there is no “mine.”
- When there is no past, there is no bondage.
- When there is no memory, there is only being.
His loss of memory symbolizes the universe returning to its source. Forgetfulness here is not confusion — it is cosmic pause.
The Reawakening: Love as Memory
Parvati, representing Shakti — the active principle — performs deep tapas (austerity) to awaken Him. Her penance is not to remind Him of a relationship but to rekindle creation itself.
When Shiva opens His eyes again, He beholds Her — radiant, patient, loving — and remembers.
He whispers, “When I forgot, I was Brahman. Now that I remember, I am Shiva.”
Thus began the dance of duality — memory and forgetfulness, Shiva and Shakti, silence and sound.
Symbolism for Modern Life
This ancient myth holds lessons for today’s world:
- Forgetting is not failure — it’s preparation.
In moments of confusion or emptiness, new awareness is germinating. - Every silence hides creation.
When nothing seems to move, your inner Shiva is in meditation — waiting for awakening. - Love is remembrance.
Just as Parvati’s love brought back Shiva’s awareness, love reconnects us with who we truly are. - The cycle of memory and oblivion is eternal.
Forgetfulness lets us renew our consciousness; memory gives it meaning.
The story of the day Shiva forgot Himself isn’t about loss — it’s about return.
To forget is divine when it leads to rediscovery.
When you next chant “Om Namah Shivaya”, know that it means: I bow to the one who remembers by forgetting, who forgets by remembering.
For only when the divine forgets itself, does creation begin again.
Har Har Mahadev.