Deepawali - The Social Significance

Deep means a lamp and avali means a row. The word literally means a row of lights. We normally think that Deepawali is about a lamplight, a deep. In fact, Deepawali is not about a single deep, it is about many. It is about a collective, an organization, a formation of lamps. It is about the relationship between one lamp and the rest of the lamps in the collective.

The Diya - Lamp

The central theme behind Deepawali rests on the concept of the Diya, the lamp. In Hindu tradition Ishwar is the "Knowledge principle," the Reality, the source of all knowledge, the the light enables one to see the reality that is ever present. When you enter a dark room full of furniture, you can see nothing even though it is all there. But as soon as you turn the light on you can see it all. Light makes you aware of the reality as it is. Light in the form of Agni is the eternal witness, the illuminator in whose presence all names and forms become visible and known. Thus Agni is synonymous with God or Knowledge. Agni is worshipped as Ishwar Itself.

The diya is a symbol of the self. It is made of clay, which represents our body, which is made up of the five elements. It has a cotton wick and oil. "Knowledge" is the lasting inner wealth - the greatest of all forms of wealth. That is what the flame in the diya signifies. The flame of the diya always burns upwards – inspiring us towards higher ideals.

The wick in the diya represents our ego. Oil or ghee in the lamp represents our "vaasanas" or negative tendencies. As the lamp burns to produce light for all, the oil is slowly consumed and finally, the wick also burns out. So what does this mean? When lit by spiritual knowledge (i.e. the flame), the "vaasanas" get slowly exhausted and the ego, too, finally perishes.

Only when we sacrifice ourselves for others like the lamp, by humbling ourselves, by ridding our ego, can we truly serve society. The greatest lamp is the Sun, slowly but surely consuming itself so all the creatures on the Earth can live. The Sun only gives and asks for nothing. That is why it is called a Devata - the one who gives.

A Five-Day Festival

Deepawali is a five-day festival and each day is special. It is celebrated all over India from Kerala to Kashmir and Gujarat to Arunachal in slightly modified forms, but the essentials are the same. The five-day holiday season is for us to renew ourselves spiritually, rejoice with family and friends, reflect on the events of the past year and resolve for the future.

First Day - Dhanteras: The thirteenth day of the moon is dedicated to worship of Maha Lakshmi as Dhanwantari where she is worshipped as the Goddess of health alone; one diya is lit on this evening.

Second Day - Narak Chaudas: The fourteenth day of the moon is celebrated for the destruction of the rakshasa Narakasura by Bhagwan Sri Krishna. It is also called Choti Deepawali as 5 diyas are lit on this night.

Third Day Laxmi and Kali Pooja: Then follows Amavasya, the new moon day, auspicious for offering prayers and gratitude to Lakshmi, Ganesh and ancestors of the family and invoking their memories and blessings for treading the path of right conduct. Kali Pooja and Mahavir's enlightenment are also celebrated on this day.

Fourth Day is Bali Pratipada and Govardhan Pooja: The day when Bhagwan Sri Krsna lifted the Govardhan mountain to save the people of Braj. On this day Bali was humbled by Vaman, an avatar of Sri Vishnu.

Fifth Day is Bhai Dooj and Kalam Dawat Pooja: The day when brothers and sisters renew their sacred relationship. It is also the day to close previous accounts and open new account books.

Preparation and Learning

Days preceding Deepawali are a time for cleanup. We clean our homes, whitewash houses and offices and beautifully decorate them. Symbolically, this is also the time to rid the "cobwebs" from within us; all the negativity that is stored in the deep corners of our minds. We light up our homes to welcome "Lakshmi," goddess of prosperity who roams the earth on this day and enters the house that is pure, clean and brightly illuminated.

Significance of the Deepawali Pooja

The Deepawali pooja is beautiful and very touching once we understand the meaning behind the ritual. The setup consists of one big Diya and two rows of 64 diyas each representing 64 Kalas (Faculties/Skills/Qua-lities). The big Diya represents Ishwar, the "Knowledge Principle." The first row of 64 diyas represents the individual along with all his or her traits. The second row represents the community. Once Laxmi and Ganesh have been invoked, we light the first row of diyas one by one from the main diya that is Ishwar. Thus, lighting the first row represents acquisition of the positive qualities by the individual self from Ishwar, the source. After all the 64 diyas in the first row are lit, the diyas in the second row are lit one by one from the corresponding diya in the first row. Lighting the second row from the first row represents the transference of those qualities to others. The significance is that not only do we need to acquire knowledge, skill, talents ourselves, but it is our duty to then pass it on to others in the family and the community. A single lamp can light a hundred others; sharing with others does not diminish knowledge.

The singular message of Deepawali is to emulate the lamp, the diya. To purify our ego, like the lamp, in the service of society.

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