Diwali Festival

DEEWALI     FESTIVAL:  

During the month of Kartik, around Deewali festival from Krishan Paksh ( days of waning moon) Trayodashi(13^th day as per hindi calendar) to Shukla Paksh (nights of waxing moon) Dwitiya (2^nd day as per hindi calendar), all five days lights (deepaks ) are offered for various purposes. As per PADMPURAN, the details are as follows.

Kartik Krishan Paksh, 13^th.

At the time of sunset offer Deepak outside the house for Yamraj, god of death for avoiding untimely death in life. Offering depak one should pray to him, ‘O Yama, son of Sun , who has death and snare under his control and is accompanied by his wife may get happy by my offering of this deep on 13^th night of Kartik Krishan paksh.’

Offer a deep at the door with following mantra,

Mritunaam Pashdandabhyam, Kalen Ch Maya sah,

Trayodashyaam Deep Danat Suryajah Priyataamiti.

Kartik Krishan Paksh, 14^th

On this day devi Luxmi resides in oil and Ganges in water.

All who fear hell should take early morning bath and take a table gourd (lauki / gheea) and rotate it three times over ones head saying that ‘ I rotate you around my head time and again, please it take away all my sins. Then one should do tarpan of Yamaraj with with water with following names,

Yamaya namah¹, Dharmrajaye Namah², Mrityave Namah³, Antkaaye Namah⁴, Vaivastaye Namah⁵, Kalaye Namah⁶, Sarvbhootkshayaye Namah⁷, Audumbaraye Namah⁹, Neelaye Namah¹⁰, Parmeshthine Namah¹¹, Vrikodaraye Namah¹², Chitraye Namah¹³, Chitraguptaye Namah¹⁴.

Since yama is god, so tarpan should be done from Dev teerth part of hand i.e. finger tips. After this at night offer deepaks at different like on the walls of the house, at the place where four roads meet, on unpaved pathways where people walk (jungle paths), in the temples, by the sides of roads, in gardens, below dev vriksha(trees), uneven place where there are thorns and mosquitoes, in the place where horses or elephants are tied at night.      

Offer two deepaks at the gate of ones house for one for Yama and other for two dogs( black and black & white) of Yamaraj with dripping clothes with following mantra.

Shunkau Shyamshablao, Bhratrau Yam Sevakau,

Tushtau Syataam Chaturdashyaam, Deep danen Mritujau.

Amavasya night (deepawali):

As per Varah puran Tanmatras came from the heart of lord Brahma. They shone brightly and asked the devtas that we want to drink SOMRAS and desired to go to higher realms. They thought we will establish our asan in space above.  Thus they raised their faces up and started to move upwards in slanted pathway. Then Brahma told them to become PITRAS for all the family people. Since they had their faces turned up and hence were called NANDIMUKH. They were given Dakshinayan time of Sun. When they asked what will be given to us then AMAVASYA tithi was reserved for them. Whosoever will do tarpan with water, black sesame seeds, kusha, will reach pitras and they will feel satisfied by it. Whosoever will do tarpan of pitras on this day, it is the duty of pitras to give them some VAR in return.

Take bath early morning, with great devotion perform poojan of devtas and tarpan of pitras. Perform Parvan Shradh. Offer food to Brahmins. 

At midnight ladies of the house should guide Aluxmi out of the house making sound by hitting on a soop (used to clean grains in olden times). Thus they should roam around in whole of the house and then come out in the front and thus guide aluxmi out of the house.

At Brahm muhurt, ladies should wake up Luxmi first and then perform her poojan (thus she stays in the same place for long time) and afterwards wake up Janardan for his poojan. 

As per Bhavishya Puran, lord Vishnu got pleased with king Bali and gave kartik amavasya to him. On this day poojan of king Bali is also done. A sleeping cot is taken and white tandul are tied with it, avahan of Bali is done in it and his poojan is performed in it. Offering in the name of Bali are given as daan. What ever is offered like this becomes eternal.

This tithi is for removal of all kinds of upheavels, obstructions and anguishes. This is called Kaumudi as it gives happiness to all on Earth. KU means Earth and MUDI means happiness. 

Shukla Paksh Patipada, morning:

One should perform poojan of Govardhan at home. For this people in the village make small mountain of cow dung and consider it to be govardhan mountain and keep books, writing material of children by its side and perform poojan of govardhan and knowledge. One also does poojan of cows and buffaloes.

Kartik Shukla Paksha,Dwitya :

Perform poojan of Yamaraj, offer gifts to one's sister, should not eat at ones own place but at one's sister's place. Thus one will never face any kind of dispute the whole year.

Perform tarpan of Devtas with rice, Rishis with barley and Pitras with black sesame seeds.

It is also said during kartik month Ekadashi, when sun is there in tula rashi or Poornima one should offer deep to lord Vishnu.

Namah Pitribhyah Pretebhyo Namo Dharmaay Vishnave,

Namo yamay Rudraya Kantarpatye Namah.

If with above mantra ancestors are offered Deepak in space or akaash then all the ancestors who are stuck in hell are elevated to upper realms.

For Pitra tarpan etc if one can use silver metal utensils it will be very beneficial.

One who offers a sesame seed oil or ghee deep whole of the kartik month he gets the fruit of ashwamedh yajna.

One who offers deep to lord Vishnu during this month gets the fruit of doing all kinds of yajna and having taken a dip in all the sacred places.

If during above five days oil or ghee Deepak is offered to ancestors then all the ancestors get free or mukt.

Trust all the above information is interesting and can be used this time around deepawali by all for self and benefit of ancestors………..Om!.....Shaktanand