From http://indianheartbeat.20m.com/WindowDeepavali.htm
June 24, 2003
Deepavali
by Thiru A. Kathiresen
Deepavali is the most grandly celebrated festival of Malaysian Indians. It is a time for joy and giving and togetherness. It is a time of remembrance of the Upanishad prayer: “Asato ma sat gamaya,Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya;Mrityor ma amritam gamaya which means 'Lead us from the unreal to the Real; from darkness to Light; from death to Immortality.'
Although associated with Hinduism, Deepavali has a universal significance which transcends race and religion. Everything that goes into Deepavali has significance and it needs some insight to understand its symbolism.
Deepavali falls on the day before the dark moon (ammaavaasai )in the month of October-November (Aipasi ).
What does Deepavali literally mean? It means a row of lights (deepa).
Deepavali Celebrations
In Malaysia, Deepavali is normally a one-day celebration although preparations are made weeks in advance, especially with the making of Deepavali cakes and savories.
Before the arrival of Deepavali, families busy themselves cleaning and washing their houses and cleaning their compounds. A day before Deepavali, the womenfolk draw koelam in and around the house.
The mango leaves which hang in front of the door of every Hindu home are changed. Santanam (sandal paste) and kunggumam pottu are placed on these leaves. This signifies auspiciousness.
Every one gets up early in the morning, well before 5am, on Deepavali day. The mother or wife puts a dash of gingerly oil on the forehead of the children or husband. The woman of the house gets this singular honor because women are considered goddesses from the Hindu point of view and on Deepavali day this view of women is emphasized. They represent the Goddess Lakshmi, symbol of material and spiritual prosperity. This act stresses the crucial role of the mother-figure, and of women generally, in the home and society. It reminds the men in the family to treat their mother, wife, sisters and women in general, with respect. The oil bath is acknowledged by Indian sages and ayurvedic physicians to be beneficial to health. The oil bath is purificatory in intent and is a symbolic rite, a symbolic cleansing leading to a new beginning. That is why an oil bath on this day is considered equivalent to a bath in the holy Ganges River.
New clothes, on which a dash of santhanam is placed on the eve of Deepavali, are then worn. The whole family gathers for the Lakshmi puja in their home shrine. Following this, the children prostrate at the feet of their parents and crave their blessings. The wife touches the feet of her husband for his blessing. He then puts the kunguma pottuon her forehead. Through this act, the son and daughter ask for forgiveness from their parents for any wrong they may have done, for any harsh words spoken, for any selfishness shown. The parents not only forgive them but, with open-palmed hands, bless them with health, wealth, wisdom and God-consciousness. By touching the feet of the husband, the Indian wife acknowledges that he is her first god. Through the act, she asks for forgiveness and blessings. The husband blesses her, then puts the kungumam pottu indicating his love for her. By placing the sacred kungumam pottu on her forehead, the husband is reminded that she is the Goddess Lakshmi and he should treat her as befitting a goddess. The act reminds him that he has to be faithful to her. By marrying him, she gave up everything to come with him. He is therefore reminded to care for her and give her a good live.They then go to the temple to pray.
Then the whole family sit down for their Deepavali breakfast. Cakes and goodies are then given to neighbors, and guests are treated to a joyful time. On Deepavali day only vegetarian food must be eaten. There must be no consumption of alcohol. The celebrants should try to be as “pure” in their thought, word and deed as possible on this day.
Lights
Light is the most important of the Deepavali symbols. Light brings warmth and illumination. By having lights in the house, one is reminded to always light up one’s own life and to bring light into the lives of others to be, in effect positive thinker. One is reminded to wake up from the slumber of ignorance and to pursue knowledge, whether secular or spiritual, although the latter should, to the devout Hindu, be the ultimate goal. As light dispels darkness, so should knowledge dispel ignorance. Acquiring knowledge is therefore of great importance and a man is expected to pursue it with intensity of purpose. Through learning, man is expected to advance to the stage of enlightenment in which he realizes that God is the Light of lights, that God brings warmth and love and illumination to all beings and therefore there can be no light greater than God.
And where is this light to be found. The Hindu sages say: “The light is within you. Meditate and become aware of this light. Withdraw the senses and fix the mind on this self-luminous light in order to enjoy the real Deepavali.”
The Aim Of Deepavali
The aim of Deepavali celebrations is to get man moving on the spiritual path and ultimately attain illumination, become one with God. One need not be a Hindu to do this. Every man can go about it his way, following the percepts of his own religion.
Hindu sages hold that outer appearances are not significant, only the essence is. And the essence is that every being is a creation of the same God although that God is called by many names just as what is called water in English is called thanni in Tamil, chooi in Hokkien, and air in Bahasa Malaysia although all these words describe the same thing.
Deepavali reminds one of the goal of life according to the Indian view : the merging of the Atma (individual soul) in the Paramatma (Universal Soul).
As they light the lamps in their houses, those celebrating Deepavali are reminded to light the lamps of wisdom, goodness and God-consciousness in themselves. It is through this that they can attain the “Light of Lights” - God.
Rejuvenation
Aipasi month is autumn in India, a time when nature sheds old things to wait for a rebirth, a rejuvenation. The cleaning of the house before Deepavali day and the discarding of unwanted things represent this. The clearing up and cleaning out for Deepavali is not merely to make the house more tidy on Deepavali day but acts as a reminder that the householder should always keep his house clean, that he should make this a habit. More importantly, it is to remind him that just as he cleans his house of dirt, he should also regularly rid himself of any physical, mental and moral dirt that may have accumulated. All unhealthy habits, practices and attitudes that have accumulated within, him should be removed.
Waking up before 5 am and taking the mandatory oil bath signifies the further cleansing of whatever dirt there is - physical, mental and spiritual. Putting on new clothes signifies rebirth, rejuvenation, the coming of hope and joy and the renewal of our faith in God. In putting on new clothes, the celebrant is expected to inculcate good habits, think good thoughts, act wisely and for the good of all. In short, he is expected to be good, think good and do good.
Wisdom
Chandran, the moon, is the ruler of the mind. Ammaavaasai day is conducive for the mind to rest in the Atma or soul. Ammaavaasai is said to represent the advent of jnanam or wisdom/knowledge. So Deepavali day being one day before Ammaavaasai, symbolically represents the readiness of the mind to attain jnanam. The teaching contained herein is that one should strife to attain jnanam which is within the reach of all, that it comes to those who put in effort and are patient. It calls on the devotee to prepare himself fully, to gain wisdom move towards the experience of God
On this day, Hindus normally greet each other by asking “have you bathed in the Ganges” (Ganga snanam seithuvittirgalaa?). The River Ganges represents the ocean of knowledge so Ganga snanam means bathing in the ocean of knowledge. It is a reminder to both the greeted and the greeter that they should perpetually bath in knowledge. They must strive to learn and progress.
The oil bath: oil is called yennai in Tamil. It is also referred to as tailam which also means friendship or bond. Taking the oil bath reminds man of the bond between his body and his Atma. It tells him that it is his duty to protect and cherish his hody which houses the Atma. He is therefore to ensure his own well-being; to be physically, mentally and spiritually healthy.
The treats and feasts given during Deepavali are reminders of his duty as a householder to guests and society. He should offer excellent hospitality to anyone who calls at his house. This act on Deepavali day must become an everyday habit. He should never turn away anyone from his house. As a child of God he is duty bound to offer food or aid of any kind to a fellow child of God.Deepavali celebrations remind him of this.
The Mythology
Deepavali abounds with mythology and folklore and many are the stories concerning it. Almost all these stories are allegorical in nature. The Vishnu Puraanam, a Hindu religious text steeped in allegory, says it was the day Lord Vishnu married Goddess Lakshmi. The marriage of Lord Vishnu to Goddess Lakshmi also denotes the merging of the Jivatma (individual soul) with the Paramatma (Universal Soul).
The story goes that Lakshmi wanted to marry Vishnu.To tease her and test her, Vishnu hid himself in an island which he changed into a sea of gingerly oil. Undeterred, Lakshmi dived into the oil to seek Him out. She then garlanded Him and they came out of the oil to be married according to proper rites.
This is why the oil bath is mandatory on Deepavali day. It is to remind man that he must ever strive for God and with faith should dive into God-consciousness. That he should go forward undaunted in his quest for God no matter what obstacles arise. Only then will his Atma merge with the Paramatma. Because Lakshmi swam in oil to merge with Vishnu, she is regarded as being in oil. Therefore an oil bath becomes a spiritual act. After the marriage, Lakshmi persuaded Lord Vishnu to put an end to the tyranny of the demon king Naragaasuran.
It is said that those who light up their Dwellings on this day will be blessed by Goddess Lakshmi who represents physical, mental and spiritual wealth.
This is by far the most popular story and the one commonly associated with Deepavali celebrations in Malaysia.
Naragaasuran
Naragaasuran was an egoistic king who treated his people badly. He loved darkness and would torture or kill those who had lights in their houses. His pride and egoism prompted him to crave unreasonable pleasures and to wield tyrannical power. The people prayed to Lord Vishnu who, with the gentle persuasion of his consort Lakshmi, descended, as Sri Krishna, from his abode to humble Naragaasuran. With his dying breath, the repentant Naragaasuram asked that this day be remembered as the day of the death of evil and the birth of good. He requested that it be celebrated by all with the lighting of lamps. Lord Vishnu acceded to the request
This allegorical tale denotes the fall of the ego and the removal of ignorance; it depicts the dawning of God-consciousness and knowledge with God’s grace. Naragaasuran’s name and the name of his city, Pragjyotispuram, are significant. “Nara” means “man” and “ka” means “deplorable state.” The “Prag” in Pragjyotispuram means “darkness” or “ignorance.
The message of the story : God-consciousness destroys the demoniac qualities exhibited by man in his ignorant and deplorable state. God eradicates man’s lower appetites and ignorance and lifts him up.
Related to this tale is that which says while Lord Vishnu went to battle Naragaasuran, some demons went to capture Goddess Lakshmi. Realizing their intention, She assumed astral form and merged into a flame. The demons were unable to find Her and went off. This, it is said, is why light must glow from the house on Deepavali day. It is a silent invitation to the Goddess of Wealth to reside in that house. This is also the reason for the performance of Lakshmi pujas at home on this auspicious day. Again this is a reminder to man to merge with God and to work towards this goal. Light is often considered the best symbol of God conceivable by man.
A slightly different version of this story states that Sri Krishna became very tired during the fight with Naragaasuran and could not continue. Seeing his predicament Lakshmi took up Sri Krishna’s bow and arrows. She shot an arrow that struck Naragaasuran in the chest and he collapsed.
Mahabali
There is also the story of the power crazy demon king Mahabali who went on a conquering spree bringing both the denizens of the earth and the heavens under his rule. In order to humble him, Lord Vishnu took on the Vamana or dwarf Avataram (incarnation) and went to Mahabali’s palace one day when the latter, proud in the belief that everything in the world belonged to him, was granting every wish of anyone approaching him. Lord Vishnu, in his Vaamana guise, asked that he be given three feet of land measured with his (Lord Vishnu’s) foot. Mahabali agreed. Expanding himself, Lord Vishnu, with one foot covered all of earth and with the other all of heaven. The humbled Mahabali immediately placed his head in front of Lord Vishnu and asked Lord Vishnu to place his foot there and accept it as the third foot of space promised as this (himself) was the most precious of all his belongings. Lord Vishnu did so and then exiled Mahabali to the netherworld. Mahabali requested that he be allowed to visit the earth at least once a year on that day. This wish was granted. Although Mahabali was vain and egoistic, he was righteous and kept his word. In the end he realized his folly and surrendered himself to God. To remember the day when he was humbled Deepavali is celebrated.
There are two versions as to why lamps are lighted in a row in the houses of people on this day. One version states that it is to show the way for the righteous Mahabali to visit the homes of devotees on this day. The day is to remind man that he should learn from Mahabali’s experience and surrender himself to God. He should not become vain and egoistic. The meaning of this episode is that led by the ego, man can get puffed up and lost. If he surrenders to God all will be well. When Lord Vishnu put his foot on Mahabali’s head it meant Mahabali had become the property of God. The story reminds man that he is the property of God.
The other version states that in granting Mahaboli’s wish that he will be free to visit the earth once every year on that day, Lord Vishnu placed a condition: that he would only be able to visit homes which were kept in darkness. Therefore, in order to keep out Mahabali, the people light up lamps and keep their houses bright on that day. The message in this version is this: Mahabali represents ego and greed, especially the desire for power. The ego and greed visit and reside only in the hearts of material conscious and spiritually ignorant persons who have yet to see the light of God-consciousness or who have not attempted to light up their lives with thoughts of God by leading a morally upright life.
Prince Rama of Ayodhiya
Another story depicts Deepavali as a celebration of the return of Sri Rama to the city of Ayudya after his 14 year exile, during which time he performed many heroic deeds. Sri Rama vanquished the evil king Ravana of Sri Lanka and rescued his wife Sita who had been captured by him. His triumphant return home with Sita was greeted with joy and celebrations and the people lighted up lamps in rows to welcome him. This signifies the triumph of good over evil the coming of God-consciousness into the life of the devotee.
Yama
There is also the story that Yama, the lord of death, will be pleased with those who light up their homes on this day. He will ensure there are no untimetv deaths in the family. The significance of this story is that those who light up their lives with God consciousness need never fear death. For they realize that it is only the body that dies, not the Atma. They realize that death is but a change of clothes.
The Philosophy
The common factor in all these mythological tales is this: Man should constantly review his position. Is he exhibiting divine qualities or asuric (demoniac) qualities? Is he moving upwards to God or is he dropping down into the demoniac level in his thoughts, words, and deeds? Man should constantly light up his life with God-consciousness. He must also bring love and cheer into the lives of others.
These stories depict the redemption from evil and the overcoming of darkness and ignorance by God-consciousness. These stories teach us a great lesson : Neragaasuran, Mahabali, Ravana are within us all. If our ego gets out of hand, if the organs of perception and the organs of action are allowed free rein without control by the God-conscious intellect then a man becomes a demon. If man does not use his God-given faculties for the benefit of all God’s children, including himself, then he is inviting trouble.Such a demon brings untold misery to all and in so doing, inadvertently plants the seeds of his own destruction.
By constant prayer and communion with God, man lights up the good part of himself, motivates the essential goodness that is the Soul, leading to a struggle between God and the demons within him, between Krishna and Naragaasuran, between Vishnu and Mahabali, between Rama and Ravana, which results in the demon ego being ultimately vanquished.
Every person who celebrates Deepavali is to remember this: we are our own friends and we are our own enemies. We can become Godlike throughout thoughts and actions just as we can become demons. A man who, anchored in God-consciousness, allows his reason, conscience and will-power to reign, is constantly celebrating Deepavali. Deepavali should therefore not be an annual affair but one that is to be celebrated every minute, every second of our existence.
Om Sarvesham Spastir Bhapatu Sarpesham Shantir Bhapatu Sarvesham Puniam Bhapatu Sarpesham Manplam Bhapatu
Om May all be blessed with excellent health; May all be blessed with peace;
May all be blessed with fullness; May all be blessed with auspiciousness.