Deepavali — The Festival of Lamps – The Divine Life Society

Sri Swami Chidananda

This message is from the book Forest Academy Lectures on Yoga.

Festivals, periodical religious functions, ceremonies and rites have a two-fold aspect and purpose. These are the external observances sanctified by long custom and there is the inner truth which these functions are meant to remind us of and to rekindle in us. To keep fresh in mind and to readily recall the seven component colours of the rainbow, students are given the code word “VIBGYOR”.In like manner each festival and ceremony is in the nature of a socio-religious keyword to remind you of spiritual truths. Unlike ordinary symbols that are silent these ceremonies are ‘symbols in actual enactment’. The truth which the different sacred observances symbolise are better understood and glimpsed when their scriptural back-ground is impartially studied.

The Deepavali is a national festival in India. It is a very joyous three-day affair. There is gaiety everywhere, cheerful faces, new clothes, bright colourful decorations and lamps, lamps and more lamps. Illumination is the main, prominent feature of the celebrations. There is something unique about Deepavali. Most festivals in Hinduism are held in honour of some particular aspect of the Deity. But Deepavali is a distinctive combination of three different celebrations falling under the same name. The first is Naraka Chaturdasi, (on the fourteenth day of a dark half) then is Lakshmee-Puja on the New Moon day and the third day is Bali Padya (on the first day of the following bright fortnight).

The first day is the celebration of Lord Krishna’s Victorious battle with the demon Narakasura. Srimad Bhagavata describes this incident in the 59th chapter of its 10th Skandha. Narakasura is a most formidable demon of terrible prowess. He is the son of Bhu Devi (presiding deity of the Earth) and the Great Boar or Varaha Avatar. Seated upon Garuda, Sri Krishna slays the Asura. The next day comes Lakshmee-Puja, the adoration of the mine and store-house of all auspiciousness. The third day commemorates the great sacrifice of King Bali who never refused a suppliant. Danaveer Bali is confined to the nether-world. On Bali Padya day he is glorified.

The Ever-perfect Self, becoming involved in Maya and the Gunas (symbolised by the boar form) contacts with Samsar (Bhu Devi) and out of this association is born the lower Asuric ego of the impure self in the individual with its hosts of passions and evil tendencies (Narakasura and his Asuric forces). The Sattwic side in man (Devas) is overcome by Narakasura and man’s faith (Aditi’s ear-rings) taken away by the latter. Sri Krishna (the Guru) riding upon Garuda (Yoga and self-control) overcomes the lower ego of the seeker and restores his lost faith to him. The aspirant now adores Virtue and Righteousness (Lakshmi) and obtains all the auspicious qualities. But the rapid progress in virtue and success on the spiritual path endows him with a subtle higher egoism (Bali) which retards his further progress. This necessitates Divine intervention again and the Lord’s Grace disguised in the form of some experience (the Vamana form) removes the higher ego and thus blesses the Jiva. When the lovingly Lord’s blessings come in disguise to the seeker the latter’s personal ego (Sukracharya) tries to prevent the seeker from receiving the divine guest. But the seeker should turn away from such promptings and surrender himself full to the inflow of Grace. Then he is accepted by the Lord as His own.

This is, in brief, the implication of the three-day celebration of the Narak-chaturdasi, Lakshmee-puja and Bali-padya together observed as the DEEPAVALI. Glory be to the ancient seers who sought to perpetuate the great truths through festivals and observances! All Glory to the Omnipresent Lord Who inspired them to adopt this effective method!