Deepavali, the Festival of Light

Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is the festival of light. Etymologically, Deepa is a lamp. But in the religious sense, it is an earthen lamp (diya) in which oil is poured and a cotton wick is placed in it to light up. Āvali means ‘to line up’ or placed in a row. Thus, deepavali means diyas lighted in a line or row. The festival Deepavali connotes a symbolic of triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and prosperity over dereliction. It is celebrated by Hindus, Sikh, Jains, Buddhists, tribals and even by Christians. For Sikhs, Deepavali marks the release of Guru Hargobind from imprisonment in 1619. To celebrate, they light up their homes and gurdwaras with diyas and candles, and hold processions known as Nagar Kirtan. Jains celebrate this occasion as the anniversary of Lord Mahavira’s attainment of moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. They offer prayers and decorate their homes with lights and rangolis. Buddhists also have a special significance for this festival as it marks the day Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism. They celebrate by lighting candles in their homes and temples, offering prayers, and meditating on the teachings of Buddha. The festival brings people together, promoting harmony, peace, and understanding among different communities.

Though the festival is celebrated across the country, “it is not a single festival in honour of a single god or goddess,” but “contains several independent items” (P.V. Kane, History of Dharmaśāstra vol.5, 194). The feast, lasting from two to five days depending on the culture and place, is celebrated mainly for three days from 13^th to 15^th of Aśvina month and beginning of Kārtika.

Scriptural Reference

The scriptural account of this great festival (mahā-utsava) can be traced back to three Purāṇic episodes: Bhaviśya Purāṇa (BhvP), Padma Purāṇa (PP) and Skanda Purāṇa (SkP). And all three accounts narrate the account in similar way. The protagonist of the story is Bali. According to the Bhaviśya Purāṇa, it is Vishnu instituted the feast to commemorate the great generosity of the King Bali (BhvP 140.59-64; PP 124.59-46; SkP 10.51-52).

Bali was an Asura king (daitya or dānava) who was known for his generosity and peaceful rein. In a battle, Indra kills him; but his teacher rejuvenates him and makes invincible who in turn attacks Indra and defeats him. Indra’s mother pleads Vishnu for help who comes to Bali as a dwarf brahmin for alms. Bali without realizing who the person is, promises him the gift that he wants. Bali asks three steps of land. With the first step he covers the entire earth, with second the heaven and places his third foot on Bali’s head and pushes him to pātāla, the nether-world (BhP 8.15-23).

The SkP specially mentions that Kaumudi (commonly understood as lotus) to be used during celebration of festival, while PP highlights on Yama-dvitiya (124.71-98). Thus, the feast of Deepavali is also the Kaumudi festival. However, Ku means earth and mud refers to joy (mudita), implying the feast to be the joy on the earth. On this day all over the earth people give joy to one another; on this day lotus-flowers (kumudā) are offered to Bali. As a mark of joy people place rows of lighted lamps and illumine the houses and paths.

Three-Day Celebration

The first day begins with Yamatrayodaśī, the 13^th of Yama. This is the day of austerity and devotion: ritual bath, the pledge of three nights of austerity to be observed in the form of eating food without salt and sleeping on the floor and spending day in devotion to Lord Krishna. In the evening diyā is lighted and placed outside the door with the prayer, “May the sūryaja (the son of Sun) be pleased with me.” The belief is, Yama, the Lord of the dead when comes to call, one is ready to face death. Thus, the day is also seeking “protection from untimely death” (Subhash Anand, 194). This day is also known as dhana-trayodaśī and popularly known as dhana-teres, the day of wealth. Some also believe that it is the birthday of Dhavantari, the divine physician who emerged with elixir (amrita) when devas and asurs churned the ocean.

The second day is marked by Naraka-caturdaśī, the 14^th of Naraka. On this day people take oil-bath, give libation of water to Yama, offer a lamp to Naraka and light lamps around. The belief is, Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, who reside in the oil and the water used for the bath in the morning. Thus, the day is known to be the day of prosperity and wealth.

On the 15th, that is on the new moon day, there is a ritual bath, worship of gods and ancestors and a memorial for the departed are celebrated.

There is another interesting celebration on this day: the Govardhana Pūja (PP 124.30-33). The puja refers to the act of Krishna who saved the people of Gukula and their cows under the hill from the fury of Indra’s torrential rains. On this day, cows are decorated, bathed, oiled and allowed to move freely. This day the people neither milk the cows, nor make them work. In some places, people make a small hillock in govar (gobar or cow dung) as the symbolic of wealth (dhana). It may be possible, the word ‘govardhana puja’ is the reflection of this thought.

The second day of Kartika is known as Yama-dvitiya or Bhrātr-dvitiya or popularly known as Bhaiya-duj or Bhai-bij (BhP 14.18-27; PP 124.88-98; SkP 11.3.-73). According to Purāṇa, Yama goes to his sister Yamunā’s house for meal. It is advised that on this day sister prepares a good meal for her brother and brother intern gives her good gifts. With this Deepavali comes to an end.

The feast as a symbolic of a yonder reality

The story of Bali and Vāmana is a common myth found in the south Indian tradition of Onam festival can also be connected here. Vāman’s taking away of the prosperous Kingdom of Bali and his goodness, and subsequent prayer for a ‘peaceful kingdom’ and to allowing his return for a day or two for a review, points either to the suppression of one cult or absorbing into the other or a combination of both. Therefore, the feast may be a metamorphosis of a historical reality or event. G. Woodcock in his book, Kerala: A Portrait of the Malabar Coast opines about the Onam feast, “in all probability a south Indian emperor of cherished memory whom the Indo-Aryans conquered” is a metaphoraization of a culture overpowering the other.

In the North Indian Culture, the feast Deepavali is also associated with Rāmāyaṇa, where it is the feast of glorious return of Rama from the forest dwelling and killing of Ravana, the asura king of Lanka. It is a homecoming of Rama and thus the return of the Kingdom of Rama.

Deepavali is celebrated after the automnal equinox when the sun crosses the equator in its movement towards the south. With this winter sets in the northern hemisphere, the sun shows himself for a shorter duration. Thus, the feast represent the changing season. In the words of Subhash Anand, it is a “rite of passage.” during this time, days become shorter and longer nights. It is a time to remind us that we need more artificial light to lighten our path, take away the darkness and look with hope for a brighter tomorrow (uttara-āyana). The lights directed towards east symbolizing this even (pūrva-diś) since the sun rises in the east. The closure of rains and coming of winter also suggests that there is plenty of harvest in the barn and thus prosperity and looking forward yet another prosperous season of plentiful. The turn of season also marks the beginning of a ‘New Year’, a fresh time to begin the life, being healed of all darkness and look for a prosperous time ahead. Symbolic bath, other libation, ancestral worship, etc., are some pointers to this fact. 

Thus, Deepavali is commemoration of the good rule of Bali. Along with commemoration of the past glories, the feast looks for a hopeful future of good and prosperous time. It is also a festival of hope how one should look at life after loosing everything (Mahabharata 12.216-17).  King Bali represents the Sun who brightens all the creation. “The myth itself is a symbol of transcendence; nature as the sacrament of the divine, nature as the best initiator into the mystery of life.” Being Sun himself, Bali is a symbol of cosmic harmony and ethics. By its regular rising and setting teaches us that life here on earth is momentary. The joys and sorrows will have their end and therefore one should look for eternal joy and peace which comes only through the divine union.

Deepavali is also a festival of wisdom. Wisdom enlightens the ignorance. Padma Purana gives a reason for this. When the Shankh asura stole Vedas, the books of wisdom and took it away to the pātāla, Vishnu took up the Mathsya avatara (fish-incarnation) and rescued them for the humanity. Therefore, Deepavali reminds us that we should be vigilant. The devil of ignorance is all around and even within us who can take away our knowledge.

Protection of the weak and vulnerable, respect love for our fellow brothers and sisters, practice of virtues, alms giving, etc., culminates the feast of Deepavali. Being the feast of Bhaiya-dūj one is expected to treat one’s sister, brother or neighbours as one’s own family. Hospitality is a virtue to be practiced here. The Goverdhana pūja reminds us of our indebtedness to the weak and vulnerable that include animals, plants, creation and earth. Mahatma Gandhi reminds us, “Cow protection means protection of the weak, the helpless, the dumb, and the deaf. Man becomes then not the lord and master of all creation but he is its servant” (M.K. Gandhi, In Search of the Supreme, Vol.3, page 202).

Let the Kingdom of God come and let us have prosperity and love reining once again.

 

References

G. Wookcock, Kerala: A Portrait of the Malabar Coast (London: Faber and Faber, 1969).

M. K. Gandhi, In Search of the Supreme, 3 vols. Ed. V.B. Kher (Ahmedabad: Navjivan Publishing House, 1961).

Pandurang Vaman Kane, History of Dharmaśāstras, 5 vols. (Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Institute, rev. Ed. 1968-75).

Subhash Anand, Major Hindu Celebrations: A Christian Appreciation (Indore: Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra, 2008).

NB: This article is an excerpt of the chapter on Deepavali festival by Subhash Anand. 

Also, see my previous blog on Deepavali -  Message for Deepavali ; for the blog on Onam -  Onam Festival or copy the links given below and paste. 

https://rfcrasta.blogspot.com/2017/10/let-there-be-light-message-on-deepavali.html

https://rfcrasta.blogspot.com/2011/09/onam-celebrations-t-he-feast-of-onam-is.html

Raju Felix Crasta

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