Significance of Diwali

[Guest guest]

Deepavali

 

Deepavali means "the array of lights". "Lead me from darkness to

light (thamasomaa jyotirgamaya)" is an Upanishadhic prayer: This

means that where there is darkness, light is needed. What is this

darkness? Sorrow is one form of darkness. Peacelessness is another.

Loss is another. Disappointment is one form of darkness. Misery is

yet another. Lack of enthusiasm is another. All these are different

forms of darkness. To get rid of the darkness of sorrow, you have to

light the lamp of happiness. To dispel the darkness of disease, you

have to install the light of health. To get over the darkness of

losses and failures, you have to usher in the light of prosperity.

Looking at the Deepavali festival from the scientific point of view,

it should be noted that at one time in the distant past, our

ancestors lived in the Arctic region (the polar region). In this

region, darkness prevailed for six months. The sun entering the

Aries sign of the Zodiac on Mesha Sankraanthi day . The sun sets in

this region when the sun enters Libra, on Tula Sankraanthi day) In

the movement between these two signs, there is an interval of six

months. After the sun sets in Libra, the dark half-year starts.

Today is the fourteenth day (Chathurdasi) in the month of Karthik. It

is New Moon day (Amavasya). The month is called Kaumudi. The people

in the polar region used to start lighting their lamps from this day.

The lighting of the lamp is not without other significance. Since

they would be in darkness for a long period, they described the lamp

that was lit as the perennial light (nithyajyothi).

Sri Rama's coronation took place Deepavali day, after his victorious

return to Ayodhya from Lanka, vanquishing Ravana and his demon

(rakshasa) brood. For a long period, Ayodhya had been plunged in

darkness when Rama was in exile in the forest. In the effulgent

Rama's absence, Ayodhya was a city of darkness. The forests were

filled with light. Rama's return was hailed by the people of Ayodhya

as the return of divine effulgence, so they celebrated the event by

ighting lamps everywhere.

Nor is that all. Today's festival is marked by other significant

features. This is the day on which the Lord in His Vamana incarnation

sent Emperor Bali to the nether world after He got the promise of

three feet of ground (measured by the Lord's foot) from Bali. Vamana,

as the incarnation of Vishnu, used the gift of three feet of land to

put down Bali's egotism (ahamkara).

The Deepavali festival is designed to celebrate the suppression of

the ego by the higher self. Man is plunged in the darkness of

ignorance and has lost the power of discrimination between the

permanent and the evanescent. When the darkness of ignorance caused

by the ego-feeling (ahamkara) is dispelled by the light of divine

knowledge, the effulgence of the Divine is experienced. Deepavali is

also the day on which Emperor Vikramaditya ascended the throne.

If the darkness of ignorance is to be dispelled, man needs a

container, oil, wick, and a matchbox corresponding to what an

external lamp needs. For man, the heart is the container. The mind is

the wick. love is the oil and sacrifice (vairagya) is the matchbox.

When you have these four, the divine flame of the Spirit (Aathma-

jyothi) shines effulgently. When the light of the Spirit is aflame,

the light of knowledge appears and dispels the darkness of ignorance.

The flame of a lamp has two qualities. One is to banish darkness. The

other is a continuous upward movement. Even when a lamp is kept in a

pit, the flame moves upward. Therefore, the sages have adored the

lamp of wisdom as the flame that leads men to higher states. Hence,

the effulgence of light should not be treated as a trivial

phenomenon. Along with lighting the external lamps, men should strive

to light the lamps within them. The human estate should be governed

by sacred qualities. This calls for the triple purity of body, mind

and speech --the purity of the three instruments (trikarana suddhi).

The inner significance of Deepavali is to lead man from darkness to

light. Man is perpetually plunged in darkness. Every time he is

enveloped in darkness, he should light a lamp that is ever shining

within him. Carry that lamp wherever you go. It will light your path

wherever you may be.

Divine Discourse: 5 November 1991

 

When we inquire into the significance of the Deepavali festival which

we are celebrating today, we find that traditionally it is a joyous

festival to celebrate the destruction of the demon Narakasura by Sri

Krishna. It is only when we first understand the meaning of the

Krishna Principle will we be able to understand the significance of

the Naraka principle. Krishna is the embodiment of the Five Elements:

ether, air, fire, water and earth. He is also the embodiment of five

life breaths--Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and

Vyana. "Kleem.Krishnaaya-Govindaaya-Gopijanavallabhaaya Swaah." This

mantra contains the essence of the Bhagavatha. The five names

represent the Five Pranas (vital airs). Kleem refers to the earth.

Krishnaaya refers to water. Govindaaya refers to Agni (the Fire-God).

Gopijanavallabhaaya refers to Vayu (Air). Swaah refers to ether.

When we recognize that the Divine is immanent in the five elements,

we will realize that there is no place in the cosmos where these five

are not present. The human body is composed of the five elements.

These elements, because they constitute the body, can affect only the

body but cannot affect the Atma in any way.

In commenting on the Krishna story in the Bhagavatha, many writers

have indulged in all kinds of misinterpretations. One such

misinterpretation relates to Krishna's wives.

Misinterpretation of Bhagavatham

In the human body, there are what are called Shadchakras--six

spiritual centers. Of these, the two most important are: the

Hridayachakra (the Heart Center) and the Sahasraara (the thousand

petalled center). The Hridayachakra is also known as the

Hridayakamala (Lotus of the Heart) and the Sahasraara is called the

Thousand-Petalled Lotus. The lotus of the heart has eight petals.

These eight petals symbolize the eight worlds, the eight directions,

the eight guardians of the world, the eight bhutas (spirits) and the

eight parts of the earth. Because Krishna was the lord of these eight

petals, He was described as the husband of eight queens. The master

is called Pathi and those under him are described as wives. This is a

symbolic relationship and not a husband-wife relationship in the

worldly sense. It is because the esoteric significance of these

relationships was not properly understood, the Bhagavatham came in

for misinterpretation.

It is also stated that Krishna was wedded to 16000 gopikas. Who are

these gopikas? They are not cowherdesses in physical form. In the

human head there is a lotus with a thousand petals. The Lord is

described as the embodiment of the 16 kalas. As the Lord of the

Sahasraara (thousand-petalled lotus), He presides over the 16,000

kalas which are present in this lotus. The Kundalini Sakti, which

starts at the bottom of the spinal column (Mooladhaara), rises and

merges with the 16,000 entities in the Sahasraara. This is the

esoteric significance and the meaning of the role of the Divine

within the body. Oblivious to this inner meaning, people indulge in

misinterpretations and perverse expositions.

Krishna's encounter with the demon Naraka has to be understood

against this background. "Nara-ka" means one who is opposed to the

Atma. Naraka does not mean a demon. It is the name of the satellite

which revolved round the earth. When people were filled with

apprehension about the threat to the earth from this satellite, when

it seemed to be approaching the earth, Krishna removed their fear by

destroying the satellite.

Deepavali commemorates Krishna's victory

Dangers from the planets are apprehended from time to time. For

instance, some years ago, people expected great danger to the world

from the combination of the "Ashtagraha" (eight planets). Five

thousand years ago people dreaded the approach of a planet near to

the earth. To allay their fears, Krishna came to their rescue and

averted the impending danger. The celebration of Deepavali as the day

of deliverance from Narakasura commemorates Krishna's victory. The

day is observed as an occasion when the Divine leads mankind from

darkness to light.

The legendary version of the Narakasura episode describes the demon

as master of Praagjyothishapura. The symbolic meaning of

Praagjyothishapura is that it is a place which has forgotten the

Atma. The inner meaning of this is that demonic forces dwell in any

place where the Atma is forgotten. All the chaos and evil in the

world today are due to the fact that men have forgotten the Atma (the

Supreme Spirit). Every man is conscious of the body and of the

individual soul, but is not conscious of the Paramatma (Divinity)

within him.

.. . .

On Deepavali day, we light numerous lamps with one candle. The light

with which other lamps are lit is a Symbol of the Divine. The other

lamps are Jivanajyothis (individual lamps). They derive their light

from the One Supreme Light. It is to teach this truth to men that the

Festival of Lights is observed.

According to the legend, Krishna killed Narakasura with the help of

Sathyabhama. What does this signify? Each of us has to fight and

destroy the demonic forces within each by resorting to Sathya

(Truth). "Sathyameva Jayathe' declares the Upanishad (Truth alone

triumphs). "Speak the Truth" is a Vedic injunction. Once the Goddess

of the Earth went to Vishnu and lamented that she can bear any kind

of burden but not the burden of carrying those indulging in

falsehood. One must be prepared to make any kind of sacrifice for

upholding Truth. That is the lesson taught by Harischandra, who

sacrificed his kingdom, wife and son, for the sake of the pledged

word. He stands out as the supreme upholder of Truth.

Everyone should endeavor to adhere to Truth. Truth is God. With faith

in God and adherence to Truth, all demonic forces can be vanquished.

Divine Discourse: 28 October 1989

 

The city in which the demon Narakasura had his capital was known

as 'Praagjyotishapuram.' The name consists of four syllables: Praag,

jyoti, sha and puram. Praag means former; jyoti means light; sha

means forgetting and puram means the body. Together the term refers

to the heart. The inner meaning of the term is that the man in his

body is forgetting the light, the Atmajyothi, in him. Nara has

various meanings. One is Atma. Another meaning is that which is not

permanent. As Nara, man has forgotten his true spiritual state. When

bad qualities enter the city of nara, man becomes Narakasura (a

demonic being). The term Narakasura also means one who carries people

to Naraka (hell).

The inner meaning underlying the Bharatiya festivals should be

rightly understood. Note, for instance, the fact that the whole array

of lamps are lit by the light from one lamp. That one lamp symbolizes

the Supreme Effulgent Lord. The others symbolize the light in

individual selves. The truth of the Vedic saying, "The One willed to

become the Many" is exemplified by the lighting of lamps by the flame

of one. The Deepavali festival thus bears out the profoundest

spiritual truth.

Deepavali has to be observed as a day for getting rid of all the bad

qualities in us, symbolized by the demon Narakaasura. The Gopikas who

were freed on that day represent the imprisoned good qualities in us.

They should be manifested effulgently. This is the inner significance

of the festival. As long as the demonic qualities remain in man, he

will be immersed in darkness. Bad qualities and thoughts have to be

got rid of altogether.

I desire that our festivals and the holy days should be observed in

the right spirit, with an understanding of their inner significance.

The destruction of the Narakaasura symbolizes the destruction of evil

and the restoration of what is good.

Divine Discourse: 9 November 1988

 

Deepavali means a garland or festoon of lights, the most

characteristic way in which the festival is observed by all.

Deepavali is the day when old clothes are discarded and new ones

worn; when the home and its precincts are swept clean, given a new

look and made to appear fresh and fine. But even while doing all

this, attention has to be paid to the discarding of worn out

prejudices, the adoption of new habits of love and mutual respect,

the freshening of one's attitude towards one's kith and kin, brothers

and sisters of all creeds and castes, the hanging of festoons of

friendship and fraternity over the door sill of the heart. This will

make the festival really meaningful and fruitful.

Deepavali is also a day dedicated to the goodness of riches called

Dhanalakshmi. They celebrate the day as Dhanalakshmi Puja in many

states in India. But, riches when one comes by them, have to be

revered as something given on trust and must be used for the

amelioration of the wants of society and not for personal

aggrandizement. Riches may come or riches may go; scholarship may be

acquired or may not be acquired; even joy may come and go. Whatever

happens, man must be unmoved, he must not swerve from the path that

he has chosen towards the goal.

Divine Discourse: 25 October 1973

 

The human being is a composite of man and beast and God, and in the

inevitable struggle between the three for ascendency, you must ensure

that God wins, suppressing the merely human and the lowly beast. This

festival of Deepavali is to express gratitude at the defeat of naraka

tendencies in man, which drag him down from divinity. Naraka is the

name for hell and the Asura, whose death at the hands of Krishna is

celebrated today, is called Narakasura, the personification of all

the traits of character that obstruct the upward impulses of man.

He is said to be the son of Bhumi (the earth) and he is also called

Bhauma. This is very appropriate, for the earth and all attachments

for things earthly lead us down into the regions of pain and grief.

Earthly domains, earthly riches are powerless before the spiritual

domain over the senses, spiritual riches of self knowledge and self

confidence.

On this Deepavali day, resolve to light the lamp of Namasmarana and

place it at your doorstep, the lips. Feed it with the oil of

devotion; have steadiness as the wick. Let the lamp illumine every

minute of your life. The splendor of the Name will drive away

darkness from outside you as well as from inside you. You will spread

joy and peace among all who come near you.

 

Hari Aum !!!