Deepavali
Deepavali is a festival of lights. The lamps that are lit in the darkness, brightens up the place by giving out light. The deeper meaning of this illumination is a sign of victory, of triumph over some foe or some impending obstacle to happy living. It also means removing the darkness of ignorance by giving the light of wisdom. It is also a way of expressing one’s joy.
Every festival has a story behind it and Deepavali is a festival that has many stories that tell us about the origin of this beautiful festival.
Deepavali – The Legends Behind
The Triumphant Return of Sri Rama:
In North India, the festival of Deepavali celebrates the triumphant return of Lord Rama, Mother Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after their long period of exile and defeat of Ravana.
The inner significance of this story is the triumph of good over evil. When man follows the path of Dharma or Righteousness, he is sure to win.
It also means that the very word “Rama” implies “that which gives delight” and when Rama was in exile, Ayodhya was engulfed in darkness and sorrow. When Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana, Ayodhya was born anew with happiness and joy.
The Destruction of Narakasura:
Narakasura was the son of Mother Earth and to her dismay, he had all the demonic qualities in him that would lead him to Naraka or Hell. He was reckless and had no respect towards elders and saints. His greed for power led him to commit many acts of sins including looting the wealth of good men. His own mother prayed to the Lord to defeat her son. Lord Krishna, with a carefully planned strategy, invaded his kingdom and directed His consort Satyabhama to slay the demon.
The Inner Significance of the story is that when a man possesses Demonic qualities, he becomes Narakasura. Narakasura represents ignorance and darkness. So, the destruction of Narakasura also means the destruction of the ignorance within us by lighting the light of Jnana or wisdom.
Vamana’s blessings on Bali Chakravarthi:
Few regions celebrate Deepavali to remember the blessings invoked on Mahabali by Vamana, the fifth Avataar of Maha Vishnu.
The inner significance of the story is that until one’s pride or ego is vanquished, one cannot reach God. The minute man’s ego is destroyed, one can progress in spiritual path.
Attainment of Nirvana by Lord Mahavira:
Jains celebrated Deepavali as the day on which Lord Mahavira attained Enlightenment.
Guru Hargobind Saheb’s release from imprisonment:
Sikhs celebrate Deepavali as the day when Guru Hargobind Saheb, the sixth of the ten Gurus of the Sikh religion, was freed from imprisonment by the Mughal King.