BEHIND THE LIGHTS – THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIWALI

– Aditi Banerjee

Diwali is not just a celebration of the physical lamps that devout Hindus light on this day. The light being referred to is sacred, divine, and powerful. It is the light that leads us to the realization of Brahman, to the realization of one’s true nature, to moksha.

The Deepa (lamp) is sacred in Hinduism. There are two well-known Shlokas that invoke the Deepa:

शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥

Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam-Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa |
Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||

दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः ।
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥
Diipa-Jyotih Para-Brahma Diipa-Jyotir-Janaardanah |
Diipo Haratu Me Paapam Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||

The Pavamana Mantra, from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, invokes this light, asking to be led from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. This light of wisdom, of realization, of recognition of the underlying reality of all things, this is the light that we worship and celebrate on Diwali.

असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ॥
asato mā sadgamaya,
tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,
mṛtyormā’mṛtaṃ gamaya.

The Skanda Purana has passages preceding its description of the Diwali Vrata (religious tradition or practice to be observed) that explain what a powerful rite simply offering a diya is, or even just helping facilitate someone else’s lamp offering. Reference is made to the story of Indumati, a courtesan in whose house a female mouse once inadvertently lit a lamp in the course of looking for ghee to eat. The mouse’s act in simply helping light that lamp was enough for the mouse to attain Moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). Such is the power of lighting a lamp.

The Skanda Purana goes on to describe the Vratas associated with the Diwali period, including the celebration of Govardhana Utsava on the fourth day of this period. The Skanda Purana prescribes lighting a lamp facing the southern direction on Trayodasi, the thirteenth day, and offering the lamp to Yamadeva, the Hindu Deva (deity) associated with death, justice, and righteousness, in the early part of the night to ward off premature death. It also instructs one to place a lamp at the entrance of the house at this time. Taking an early morning bath on the fourteenth day, the day of Diwali, is also advised in the Skanda Purana.

In another instance, the Skanda Purana recounts the origins of Diwali from a request made by king Bali. Bali was an Asura king who had been tricked by Vamana, an Avatara (incarnation) of Sri Vishnu, to give up the earth and all the three worlds to Sri Vishnu. When Vamana in dwarf form, requested from Bali an amount of land measurable by three of the dwarf’s steps, Bali readily agreed. It was then that Vamana took his real form as Sri Vishnu and covered all the three worlds in three steps. Bali, however, was determined not to go back on his word and readily surrendered his kingdom to Sri Vishnu. Bali requested of Sri Vishnu, who was pleased by Bali’s devotion and sacrifice:

“For the sake of the general public, I shall make a request. Since the earth has been taken over by you by means of three steps, in the course of three days, let there be my rule on the earth for three days, O Hari. Let this lady, your wife (Ma Lakshmi), stay permanently in the house of those people who offer lamps on Earth. If people offer lamps to Naraka [an Asura defeated by Sri Krishna, another Avatara of Vishnu, and his wife, Satyabhama], all their forefathers shall cease to be in Naraka [a realm akin to hell].”

Thus, these three days are devoted to Ma Lakshmi and to lighting lamps in honor of Bali’s request. Furthermore, the Skanda Purana instructs men to observe the Vrata of holding up firebrands in their hands. This illuminates the path for the Pitras (the forefathers and ancestors), to show them the path away from Naraka to the higher realms.

According to the Padma Purana, the first day of Diwali, corresponding to Trayodashi or the thirteenth day of the moon, is the day when Ma Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the ocean of milk , during the Samudra manthan. Then, on the third day, (the day of Diwali) Ma Lakshmi chose to marry Sri Vishnu.Each day of Diwali is devoted to different rites and Devas. There is also regional variation across India in terms of how each day is specifically celebrated. What is common across the diversity of Diwali traditions is the focus on cleaning the home, decorating the home with rangoli (arrangements made of rice powder) and flowers, and celebrations with the community. It is typical to exchange sweets and gifts and burst firecrackers, which harkens back to the observance prescribed in the Skanda Purana.
Diwali is traditionally celebrated as Kali Puja in eastern India. The Purnima after Navaratri is celebrated as Lakshmi Puja in this region, and it is Ma Kali who is worshiped during the Diwali period.

Some people gamble during this period. There is a story that once Ma Parvati won a game of dice against Shiva, her husband, on Diwali. In celebration, she announced that whoever gambled on Diwali would become wealthy over the course of the new year. In Nepal, Diwali is the one day in the year that people can gamble legally. The way to interpret this practice is that Dharma recognizes that it may not be possible to ban destructive practices like gambling; but, through permitting them in small doses one can moderate and mitigate the negative effects.

In History

Deepavali has been a major civilizational celebration and spiritual Vrata since time immemorial. The 7th century Sanskrit play, Nagananda, composed by King Harsha, refers to Diwali as Deepapratipadotsava (the festival of the light of the first day of the moon) and describes it as a time when lamps were lit and newly married couples received gifts in honor of Sri Vishnu and Ma Lakshmi’s marriage. In the 9th century poetic composition, Kavyamimamsa, Rajasekhara referred to the celebration as Deepamalika and described the tradition of homes being whitewashed and lighting of oil lamps in houses, streets, and markets.

Numerous Sanskrit inscriptions in stone and copper mentioning Diwali, with references to Deepotsava, Divali, and Divalige, have been discovered across several sites and temples in India, including in Karnataka and Kerala, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

The celebration of Diwali has also been observed by several international travelers and historians. In the 11th century, Al Beruni wrote about the celebration of Diwali on the day of the new moon in the month of Karthika. Niccolo de’Conti, a Venetian merchant who traveled to India in the early 15th century, wrote that “on another of these festivals they fix up within their temples, and on the outside of the roofs, an innumerable number of oil lamps … which are kept burning day and night” and that families would gather, “clothe themselves in new garments,” sing, dance, and feast.