In plain words
“Śi-va-rā-tri”
Believe this whole world to be the form of the Paramātma. This is the greatness of Śivarātri. It is man's ten senses that lead him into all these kinds of ways. I have said it many times. Śi - va - rā - tri: four syllables. There are many connections between these letters and the letters that stand for numbers. “Śa” stands for the number 5. “Va” stands for the number 4. “…” stands for the number 2. These 5+4+2 make 11. The five organs of action, the five organs of knowing and the mind together make 11. These eleven are the eleven Rudras. What do these Rudras do? They push man… into the things of the senses, grow petty desires and throw him into physical life. There is another that is beyond these 11. That is “tri”. That is the Paramātma. Only when we take hold of this twelfth do we become masters of these senses. This twelfth we must keep with great care.
The vigil
Śivarātri, Śivarātri is an auspicious night. Why is it auspicious? This day is the fourteenth of the lunar fortnight. Of the 16 digits of the moon, 15 have vanished and only one digit is seen. This is a path very near. A path very close. At such a time, if for this one night at least we bring these ten senses and the mind under control, Divinity will surely come to us. If for this one night at least we give no room to any worldly feeling, take the mind in hand and remember as we should, the divine principle will surely spring up in it. This is what is called the ‘vigil’. The true vigil is to bring the senses under control and fix the mind on the Supreme. It is enough if one in a crore, one in a hundred, keeps such a vigil.
“Ke-śa-va”
Embodiments of the divine Ātma!
You are embodiments of the divine Ātma! But because your desires are worldly, you have taken shape as people of this kind. Enjoy these worldly things. But think of that enjoyment as God. Do not look on any name of God as different. “Rāma!” say, “Kṛṣṇa!” say, “Govinda!” say: whatever you say, all these are names of God. Some fools set up differences, “Śaivas and Vaiṣṇavas”, and will neither remember nor hear the “name of Śiva”. Just drive these differences away, give out the principle of no-difference, and rejoice.
They said that for the doctrine of māyā, for the doctrine of Advaita, for the doctrine of Sāṅkhya, for the Cārvāka, for all doctrines, the name Keśava is what matters most. They said this is the root support. What is the inner meaning in this name Keśava? Ka - īśa - va, thus Keśava: ka is Brahmā, īśa is Īśvara, va is Viṣṇu. For creation, preservation and dissolution, the name Keśava is the support of all. Even for the doctrine of the void, this name Keśava is the support. The man of today cannot recognise such inner meanings.