Saturday 10 November 2012

MEANING & SIGNIFICANCE OF DEEPAVALI







 Deepavali, also called Diwali, is a major Indian festival that is 
very significant in Hinduism. Known as the "Festival of Lights,"
 it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as
 a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. Celebrations 
focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dīpa or deeya 
(earthen lamp, as illustrated). Fireworks are associated with the 
festival. Diwali is a colloquial name used in North India, while 
the festival is formally called Deepavali in South India.

To Hindus, darkness represents ignorance, and light is a 
metaphor for knowledge. Therefore, lighting a lamp symbolizes 
the destruction,through knowledge, of all negative forces- 
wickedness, violence, lust, anger, envy, greed, bigotry, fear, 
injustice, oppression and suffering, etc.These represent asura
 (demon)qualities to be killed.

"Thamasomaa jyotirgamaya" (Lead me from darkness to light)
 is a Upanishadic prayer. Deepavali is celebrated on 
Chathurdasi (the fourteenth day) in the month of Karthik. It is 
Amavasya(New Moon day). 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--Trikarana Suddhi (purity of the three instruments).
For clean body people take oil bath early in the morning.

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.

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 that day, is 
called Narakasura, the personification of all the traits of 
character that obstruct the upward impulses of man. There 
are many other puranik stories associated with Deepavali 
which we are not covering.

On Deepavali day, resolve to light the lamp of nama smarana 
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.

For a jnani who is in ATHMA JYOTHI perpetually, who is 
beyond the clutches of MAYA & is as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA,
whether he is clean in body & dress or not. it is DEEPAVALI
for him all the time !! not on DEEPAVALI day alone !! 






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