Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Why do we light earthen lamps during Deepavali?

3. Should lamps be lit throughout the house or all around the house as well?

4. Why do we light lamps in the evening during Deepavali?

5. Why one should bathe early in the morning (bramha-muhurta) during Deepavali

6. Why is lighting candles not suitable during Deepavali?

6.1 Candle light attracts distressing negative energies

6.2 Form of the candle and its capacity to attract distressing elements

7. Spiritual perspective about drawing rangoli

7.1 Why only women should draw rangoli?

7.2 Why should a rangoli of a specific divine principle be drawn?

7.3 Why is turmeric - vermillion (haldi-kumkum) offered to the rangoli?

8. Spiritual perspective about building a fort during Deepavali

8.1 Why should kids build the fort?

8.2 Why are forts built outside the house?

8.3 How does a fort protect the house?

1. Introduction

Sree Krushna liberated the troubled masses from immorality, greed and bad tendencies by slaying the demon Narakasur, who was an icon of demonic attitude. Deepavali symbolises this conquest of divine thoughts over evil tendencies. Today, unfortunately, Deepavali is celebrated just as a cultural festival, without an understanding of its spiritual context.

Let us try to understand the spiritual science underlying the rituals performed during Deepavali

2. Why do we light earthen lamps during Deepavali?*

Because of the destroyer principle (marak tattva) of the lamp flame, lamps are lit during Deepavali. Lighting lamps throughout the house means getting protective benefit from their destroyer principle. A subtle divine protective sheath of circular waves of the absolute fire principle (tej tattva) emanating from the lamps is formed all around the house. The protective sheath created by the lit lamps cleanses the house at the spiritual level and destroys all negative energies inside the house.

3. Should lamps be lit throughout the house or all around the house as well?*

It is not necessary to light lamps inside and outside, all around the house. If the house has a front and back door then two lamps should be placed outside, on both sides, of each door. The negative vibrations, brought inside the house by people using both doors, are destroyed by the destroyer (marak) absolute fire principle (tej tattva) of the lamps. Along with the house, the atmosphere outside also gets cleansed by these lamps as the absolute fire principle of the lamps spreads speedily in the immediate vicinity. So it is not required to light more lamps outside the house.

4. Why do we light lamps in the evening during Deepavali?*

During Deepavali, many people light lamps immediately after doing ritualistic worship of God (puja). Instead, one should light lamps in the evening since the Goddess' (Divine Energy) destroyer principle is fully active in the evening. When lamps are lit in the evening, the spiritually pure (sattvik) nature of the lamps, attracts Goddess Lakshmi's divine destroyer principle. As a result, the absolute fire principle of the lamps is able to cleanse the house from negative energies. The house also gets blessed with Goddess Lakshmi's divine vibrations through the medium of the lamps, as their flame has the capacity to attract those vibrations.

5. Why one should bathe early in the morning (bramha-muhurta) during Deepavali?*

During Deepavali by taking a bath early in the morning (bramha-muhurta), the embodied soul follows a tradition followed by the Gods themselves. By adhering to this tradition of the Gods, the embodied soul benefits in the following way:

Mental purity, piety and calm nature is developed:

As the mind is stable during the early morning hours (bramha-muhurta), one can easily imbibe the impressions of purity, piety and innocence by taking a bath at this time. As a result the nature of the individual becomes spiritually pure (sattvik).

Ability to attract and absorb the divine principle is greatly enhanced: 

At bramha-muhurta the divine waves of Deities are more active on the earth. The Deities principles are attracted towards the embodied soul by the act of taking a bath at that time. Hence, with the help of the gross and subtle impressions created through the bath, the embodied soul is able to receive the maximum amount of divine consciousness (chaitanya) and Deities' principles being emitted at brahma muhurta.

Developing an ability to perceive and receive knowledge from the divine realm:

By bathing at bramha-muhurta, the embodied soul (jiva) prepares itself with the impressions of purity, piety and innocence. Through these impressions the embodied soul can receive the divine energies of resolve, desire and action along with the energy of knowledge and it helps him to become one with God.

6. Why is lighting candles, not suitable during Deepavali?*

In today's modern society, since many people do not understand the importance of earthern lamps; they succumb to the desire for fame and competition, deviate from the divine norms of spiritual science and light various different kinds of candles. Following are the consequences of lighting candles during Deepavali:

6.1 Candle light attracts distressing negative energies

The light of a candle attracts distressing negative energies from the atmosphere. As well, the subtle smell of a candle has the capacity to attract sorcerers from the seventh region of hell. As candle light attracts distressing elements, it also acts as a medium of further propagating these negative elements in the environment. Therefore, it is incorrect to light candles during Deepavali.

6.2 Form of the candle and its capacity to attract distressing elements

Along with the usual pillar candle, there are various shapes and forms of candles available today. They all have the potential to attract tremendous amount of distressing elements. These energies take advantage of the shape and form of the candle and further induce and propagate themselves in the environment. Thus, spaces that are originally not impacted by negative energies, become plagued by them, through the candles.

7. Spiritual perspective about drawing rangoli*

While cleaning the floor with a broom or making it even with cow-dung, subtle lines get drawn over the floor. Since these lines are uneven, vibrations coming out from them are also uneven and not conducive for our body, eyes and mind. To nullify these uneven vibrations and thereby create a positive divine overall effect, holy drawings such as rangolis are drawn on the floor.

 7.1 Why only women should draw rangoli?

Since women have the capacity to absorb the subtle principles easily, especially during holy ceremonies or festivals, they should draw rangoli. Also, they are more sensitive towards drawing rangoli that creates subtle vibrations associated with specific divine principles. Through them, the divine principle can quickly and effectively associate itself with the rangoli and benefit everyone around. Over a period of time, the anahat chakra of the woman can also get activated thereby increasing her capacity to further absorb the divine consciousness.

 7.2 Why should a rangoli of specific divine principle be drawn?

While worshipping a specific Deity it is most beneficial to draw a rangoli associated with that Deity. Such a rangoli attracts and retains the un-manifest principle of that Deity and benefits everybody around. The divine principle (chaitanya) of that Deity starts getting transmitted to the embodied soul (jiva).

7.3 Why is turmeric - vermillion (haldi-kumkum) offered to the rangoli?

The white color of the rangoli attracts the subtle divine waves towards it. However, the white color symbolises the inert aspect of the sustenance principle. The vermillion (kum-kum) activates the Sree Ganesh principle and the turmeric activates the Goddess Durga Devi's principle in the rangoli. Both of these principles energise and activate the inert divine principle attracted towards the rangoli and give it the desired momentum to spread in the environment and destroy the negative and polluted elements.

8. Spiritual perspective about building a fort during Deepavali*

A fort is a manifest consolidation of the subtle energy separating us and God. Through the process of building a fort, the mind and intellect of the individual gets divine energy. The fort also acts as a divine reserve of the absolute subtle energy that both the embodied soul and society draws upon.

8.1 Why should kids build the fort?

• Kids have God-like innocence: It is said that kids are a form of God; this is because their minds are pure, pious and have not yet accumulated gross impressions of this world. The embodied soul (jiva) that has just taken birth has the maximum proportion of the divine principle. The soul is more awakened in the newborn and hence it controls the actions more than any other subtle sheath (kosh). Because of this, kids cry or throw tantrums when they are in places that have negative energy problems, whereas they are peaceful or in bliss when the atmosphere is positive. Till 4-5 years of age this state is retained up to 30%. Till 10-11 years of age this state is retained up to 10%. After this age, the intellect is awakened and the divinity is further diluted. The embodied soul (jiva) starts acting as per his own intellect. However, till 11 years of age, the young embodied soul (jiva) has God-like innocence as the actions are controlled by the soul (jivatma). 

•  Kids represent the divine principle and have the capability to absorb energy from positive and creative universal forces. Therefore it is said that "kids are a reflection of God."

Because of this if kids build the fort, it emits divine consciousness (chaitanya). 

8.2 Why are forts built outside the house?

A house is a symbolic representation of God's divine kingdom: therefore, building a fort in front of the house is like a putting up a defensive barrier that is representative of the protective aspect of the absolute divine principle.

A fort also represents a reservoir of evil admonishing, warrior-spirit energy; which is one of the aspects of God's divine destroyer energy. When a fort is built outside of a house it is a complete symbolic representation of God's divine principle through the basic law of spiritual science; word, touch, form, taste, smell and its associated energy, coexist. Due to this, people living inside such a house get the capacity to absorb and retain God's protective energy within them.

When the fort is built near the house, it acts like a conductor of the secondary absolute fire principle waves. These waves develop a protective sheath enveloping the entire house thus preventing negative energies from entering the house.

A house also represents and signifies prosperity. When a fort is built outside of the house and an idol of a person such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who represents the divine warrior-spirit energy, is established over the fort, it establishes a divine unity that protects the house and members of the household. (Just like a house, whenever a nation is attacked, its wealth, both material and spiritual, starts to decline).

8.3 How does a fort protect the house?

During the four months, Ashadh, Shravan, Bhadrapad and Ashwin (Chaturmas), of the Hindu lunar calendar, since the protective absolute fire principle is less prevalent, negative energies slowly start becoming more and more dominant. By the time of Deepavali these energies have become more aggressive and troublesome. The forts, built during Deepavali, act as storehouses of the destroyer energy, diluting the effects and attacks of the negative energies by forming a divine protective circle of the destroyer energy outside of the house itself.

* Based on divine knowledge received by some seekers doing saadhanaa per Gurukrupaayoga.

To know more about this divine knowledge please visit the about us section of this website.

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