Samudr manthan , amrit kaa utpaadan karane ke lie nishchit thaa, lekin isake saath hee halaahal naamak viṣ bhee paidaa huaa thaa. Halaahal viṣ men brahmaaṇaḍa ko naṣṭ karane kee kṣamataa thee aur isalie keval bhagavaan shiv ise naṣṭ kar sakate the. Bhagavaan shiv ne halaahal naamak viṣ ko apane kaṇaṭh men rakh liyaa thaa. Jahar itanaa shaktishaalee thaa ki bhagavaan shiv atyadhik dard se peedit ho uṭhe the aur unakaa galaa neelaa ho gayaa thaa. Is kaaraṇa se bhagavaan shiv 'neelakaṇaṭh' ke naam se prasiddh hain. Upachaar ke lie, chikitsakon ne devataa_on ko bhagavaan shiv ko raat bhar jagaaye rahane kee salaah dee. Is prakaar, bhagavaan shiv ke chintan men ek satarkataa rakhee. Shiv ko aanndit karane aur jaagaaye rakhane ke lie, devataa_on ne alag-alag nrity aur sngeet bajaaye. Jaise subah huii, unakee bhakti se prasann bhagavaan shiv ne un sabhee ko aasheervaad diyaa. Shivaraatri is ghaṭanaa kaa utsav hai, jisase shiv ne duniyaa ko bachaayaa. Tab se is din, bhakt upavaas karate hai.