top of page

Happy Deepāvali!!

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

Diwali Candles
Listen to Deepāvali Chants
Chants from Gita 'Gnana'Gita
00:00 / 04:17

Read the Diwali chants for each of the 5 days by clicking on the links below:

Deepāvali (Deepa: lamp, āvali: row) in sanskrit means row of lamps.

According to one custom, it is believed that on Deepavali day, exactly 20 days after Vijayadashami, when Lord Rama along with Sita devi, Lakshmana and Hanuman returned back to Ayodhya after the elimination of Ravana, the people of Ayodhya welcomed them by lighting rows of clay lamps all along the way, and thus began the tradition of lighting the rows of lamps.

Various other events from our Puranas & Itihāsās are connected with this 5 day festival. The celebration of this great occasion symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. The festivities are observed through lamps & fire-works, sweets & savouries, donations to noble causes and service to the needy.

On an internal plane it inspires the sincere spiritual seeker to make every effort to attain the light of knowledge that would at once and forever remove the darkness of ignorance from our minds.

And, Lord Krishna is ever present to give us a helping hand in this endeavor, as He says in The Bhagavad Gita

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तम: |

नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ||10.11||

teṣhām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ |

nāśhayāmyātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā ||

Out of compassion for those (devotees), I (Lord Krishna) remaining in their intellect, destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the brilliant light of knowledge!!

The 5 day festival of Lights & 5 inspirational Lord Krishna’s Gita messages on The Greatness of Gnanam – the Light of Knowledge

day1

Deepāvali Day 1 - Ashvayuja Krishna Trayodashi: Dhana Trayodashi or
Dhanteras, Tera: 13 (in hindi)

On this day, people clean their homes for the upcoming festivities. Traders and businessmen buy gold for the forthcoming Lakshmi Puja to help bring good fortune.

Day1-Dhanteeras.jpeg

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमस: परमुच्यते |

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||13.18||

 

jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyate |

jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛidi sarvasya viṣhṭhitam II

It (Brahman) is the light of all lights. It is said to be beyond Ignorance. It is Knowledge, the object of Knowledge, and the goal of all knowledge, present in the heart (intellect) of all.

day2

 Deepāvali Day 2 - Ashvayuja Krishna Chaturdashi: Naraka Chaturdashi, Deepavali

This day marks the elimination of Narakāsura by Lord Krishna. Spiritually, it signifies the elimination of ignorance by systematic study of The Gita shāstra. Lighting of lamps and celebration through fire-works marks this occasion.

 

Tailey Lakshmeehi, Jaley Gangā is a saying. It is believed that on this day, very early in the morning, Goddess Lakshmi resides in oil and Gangā Matā in the waters. So, one who takes oil bath very early in the morning with faith, is bestowed with good health and removal of sins.

Day1-Diwali.jpeg

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |

तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति || 4.38||

 

na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitramiha vidyate |

tatsvayaṁ yogasansiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati ||

Indeed, there is no other purifier in this world like knowledge. Prepared through (Karma & Jnana) Yoga, one attains that (knowledge) in the mind quite easily over a period of time

day3

 Deepāvali Day 3 - Ashvayuja Amavasya: Dhanalakshmi Puja

On this day, Goddess Lakshmi arose from the Samudra Manthan. Traders and businessmen get together with their families and perform Lakshmi Puja for a profitable, successful and wealthy year ahead.

Day1.jpeg

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मन: |

तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् || 5.16||

jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ yeṣhāṁ nāśhitam ātmanaḥ |

teṣhām āditya-vaj jñānaṁ prakāśhayati tat param ||

For them whose ignorance has been destroyed by Knowledge (Atma Jnanam), that very knowledge, like the sun, illumines the Supreme Reality

dy4

 Deepāvali Day 4 - Kārthika Shukla Prathama (Pādya / Pratipad): Bali Pādyami

Lord MahaVishnu as Vamanā, despatched Bali Chakravarti (the king of all the 3 worlds and a Chiranjeevi), to Pātala Loka. And, as per the king’s wish, Lord Vishnu granted a boon to King Bali that he would be able to visit Bhulokā on this day (Bali Pādyami) to see if his citizens (people) are living happily. It is celebrated joyously in Karnataka with a huge celebration of fireworks.

Day4-Vamana.jpeg

यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन |

ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा || 4.37||

 

yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna |

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā ||

As a well kindled fire reduces all fuel to ashes, so also, hey Arjuna!, does the fire of Knowledge reduce all Karmas to Ashes

day5

 Deepāvali Day 5 - Kārthika Shukla Dvitiiya: Yama Dvitiiya, Bhai Dooj

On this day, Lord Yama, after several decades of separation, decided to visit his sister Yami. Touched by the warmth and hospitality showered by Yami, Lord Yama blessed her with peace & prosperity, and announced that henceforth, on this day, brothers and sisters who greet each other will be blessed with longevity.

Day5-Diwali.jpeg

यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिता: |

ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहु: पण्डितं बुधा: || 4.19||

yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ |

jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ

He, whose undertakings are devoid of self-centred desires & objectives, whose actions have been burnt up by the fire of knowledge: the sages call him a man of Wisdom (Jnani)

In all the above Gitā slokhas, the underlying factor is knowledge (Gnanam, Wisdom). To grasp the deep meaning of the above slokhas, please join and attend the free Online Gita Course conducted by The Brahmavidya Foundation, an organization dedicated to traditional study of Vedanta Shāstras, with the ultimate goal to acquire the time-less wisdom for eternal happiness.

Click on the button below to  register and join the free online Gita course.

One cannot attach a value to the invaluable knowledge gained through the Gita and Upanishad programs conducted by The Brahmavidya Foundation. On this auspicious oocassion, here is an opportunity to discharge our duty and become a great contributor to the noble causes taken up by the Brahmavidya Foundation.
 

Please donate liberally and be bestowed with the blessings of Bhagavan & our Guru Paramparā

Copyright@2022 

 

All Rights Reserved. Brahmavidya Foundation is a Bangalore-based Not For Profit organization, registered under Section 12A (Form 10A) of the Income Tax Act, India.

Brahmavidya Foundation Inc. is a New Jersey, USA-based Not For Profit organization, under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS, USA. We are determined as a public charity under section 509(a)(2), effective April 18, 2022.

Contact Us : sahaya@brahmavidyafoundation.org

Give Us Your Feedback

Thanks for sharing your feedback with us!

bottom of page