DEEPAVALI - THE HOLY DOUBLE-BATH CELEBRATION
Sanatana Hindu dharma has allocated dates for celebrating numerous festivals through a year. A beautiful aspect of all these festivals -- without exception -- is that each of them has a spiritual and a social message. Every function for instance is wound around one Devata -- a God or a Goddess who we recall that day and offer puja and naivedya besides special obeisance as specified. For instance Maha Sivaratri is focused on Siva, and many of us stay awake chanting his name in some form or the other throughout the night. Likewise, Vaikuntha Ekadasi is for the worship of Vishnu; Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrates Ganesha and Janmashtami is oriented to Krishna.
But one festival that stands apart on this score is Deepavali. Reflect! Deepavali is not designated to a detailed worship of any God or Goddess in particular as you are aware of it. On this day none of us does an elaborate particular puja of any Devata as. So what is special about Deepavali, what is its unique feature? It is the bath -- or I should say baths. Of course this is also the festival that marks lighting up the whole place, buying and wearing new clothes, eating an unbelievable spread of sweets and savories, and bursting crackers. But more than all these it is the bath or snana that is very specific to Deepavali. We ask one another on this day "Ganga snanam aaccha?" (has the bath in river Ganges been performed by you?) Snana (bath) truly is the distinctive feature of Deepavali. Let us look at this custom a little more in detail.
We get up very early on the day of Deepavali and take an oil-bath in hot/warm water. The hot water is supposed to signify that river Ganga is present in the hot water during the early morning muhurtham -- hence the inquiry about "ganga snanam". What many people perhaps do not know, however, is that tradition prescribes one more snana on Deepavali day. A little before 9 a.m. we are required to do a 'tula snanam' which involves bathing in cold water preferably in a river like Kaveri or from your well if you have one, or at least under your bathroom tap. Cold water. We are also told that we should pray to Lord Vishnu during the hot water oil-bath, and to Lord Siva (Parameshvara) during the cold bath.
Yes, Deepavali is snana-specific. The holy double-bath celelbration, if I can call it.
Social-community message also:
Apart from this spiritual message, Deepavali also gives us an invaluable social or community message. We celebrate Deepavali all over India -- or Diwali as it is known the west of Vindhyas -- to commemorate the 'vadha' or destruction of Narakasura by Lord Krishna. Interestingly, the Asura himself is said to have requested Krishna that the day should be replete with good cheer and unalloyed happiness. Narakasura's mother Bhoodevi endorsed his prayer in which he said "let me suffer for my wrongdoings but let everyone be happy and prosperous".
The subtle and graceful message to all of us from the Asura, seconded by Bhoodevi and blessed by Krishna, is: "Forget your personal grouses, unhappiness or pique you may have, and rise over any form of ill-feeling caused by your personal misfortunes. Go out and give joy and good cheer to all around you." If an asura could be so enlightened at the time of his death that he prayed for the peace of mankind though he was being destroyed, civilized mortals like us should certainly do better.
I hope we take this message to heart and dispel any gloom we see around us with a smile and a good word to everyone on this day of the 'festival of lights'!
Deepavali Greetings to all
Best
Sarma Sastrigal
Sanatana Hindu dharma has allocated dates for celebrating numerous festivals through a year. A beautiful aspect of all these festivals -- without exception -- is that each of them has a spiritual and a social message. Every function for instance is wound around one Devata -- a God or a Goddess who we recall that day and offer puja and naivedya besides special obeisance as specified. For instance Maha Sivaratri is focused on Siva, and many of us stay awake chanting his name in some form or the other throughout the night. Likewise, Vaikuntha Ekadasi is for the worship of Vishnu; Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrates Ganesha and Janmashtami is oriented to Krishna.
But one festival that stands apart on this score is Deepavali. Reflect! Deepavali is not designated to a detailed worship of any God or Goddess in particular as you are aware of it. On this day none of us does an elaborate particular puja of any Devata as. So what is special about Deepavali, what is its unique feature? It is the bath -- or I should say baths. Of course this is also the festival that marks lighting up the whole place, buying and wearing new clothes, eating an unbelievable spread of sweets and savories, and bursting crackers. But more than all these it is the bath or snana that is very specific to Deepavali. We ask one another on this day "Ganga snanam aaccha?" (has the bath in river Ganges been performed by you?) Snana (bath) truly is the distinctive feature of Deepavali. Let us look at this custom a little more in detail.
We get up very early on the day of Deepavali and take an oil-bath in hot/warm water. The hot water is supposed to signify that river Ganga is present in the hot water during the early morning muhurtham -- hence the inquiry about "ganga snanam". What many people perhaps do not know, however, is that tradition prescribes one more snana on Deepavali day. A little before 9 a.m. we are required to do a 'tula snanam' which involves bathing in cold water preferably in a river like Kaveri or from your well if you have one, or at least under your bathroom tap. Cold water. We are also told that we should pray to Lord Vishnu during the hot water oil-bath, and to Lord Siva (Parameshvara) during the cold bath.
Yes, Deepavali is snana-specific. The holy double-bath celelbration, if I can call it.
Social-community message also:
Apart from this spiritual message, Deepavali also gives us an invaluable social or community message. We celebrate Deepavali all over India -- or Diwali as it is known the west of Vindhyas -- to commemorate the 'vadha' or destruction of Narakasura by Lord Krishna. Interestingly, the Asura himself is said to have requested Krishna that the day should be replete with good cheer and unalloyed happiness. Narakasura's mother Bhoodevi endorsed his prayer in which he said "let me suffer for my wrongdoings but let everyone be happy and prosperous".
The subtle and graceful message to all of us from the Asura, seconded by Bhoodevi and blessed by Krishna, is: "Forget your personal grouses, unhappiness or pique you may have, and rise over any form of ill-feeling caused by your personal misfortunes. Go out and give joy and good cheer to all around you." If an asura could be so enlightened at the time of his death that he prayed for the peace of mankind though he was being destroyed, civilized mortals like us should certainly do better.
I hope we take this message to heart and dispel any gloom we see around us with a smile and a good word to everyone on this day of the 'festival of lights'!
Deepavali Greetings to all
Best
Sarma Sastrigal
