Awakening Dharma Through the Fire of Diwali
Aum
Dear Beautiful People
Today let us explore the deeper significance of Diwali, the Vedic Festival of Lights.
Diwali is traditionally a five-day celebration encompassing Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali), Lakshmi Puja (Main Diwali), Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj, but regional and cultural differences across India lead people to celebrate all five days or focus on specific days.
Diwali is often marked by lights, sweets, firecrackers, and celebration. Few understand that Diwali is far more than a cultural event; it is an ancient consciousness-raising technology perfected by the Rishis to profoundly transform both the environment and the mind. In a world increasingly prone to distraction and negativity, the stories behind rituals of this festival offer a powerful blueprint for personal and collective renewal. The noise and illumination were not merely for spectacle. They were also believed to light up the night sky and guide the departed ancestors (Pitrs whom we had invited and honored just weeks earlier during Pitra Paksha) back to their subtle realms.
Whether we celebrate Diwali as the return of Rama to Ayodhya, Krishna’s defeat of Narakasura, Mahavira’s enlightenment, or Guru Hargobind’s instruction to celebrate, the common thread is illumination. On the darkest Amavasya (new moon) night of the year, the Rishis recognized the extraordinary danger of Tamas (ignorance and negativity) seeping into the human mind. Their revolutionary solution was to flood the environment with light so vast and intentional that it would literally alter consciousness itself.
Fire And Ether - A Vedic Alchemy
The profound discovery was this: lighting an actual flame (a Diya) increases the Aakaasha Tattva (ether or the space element). This purification of the subtle space creates the perfect condition for the GuruTattva (the principle of higher wisdom) to flow.
While electric lights are useful, their energy pales in comparison to the living vibration of a flame. This is why tradition encourages oil lamps. One lamp lit with intention at dusk can shift the vibration of an entire space. Archaeological remains in the Indus Valley and practices at temples like Palani, (in South India) where walls of flame create tangible fields of consciousness, demonstrate that Diwali is an ancient technology to uplift entire communities from Tamas (ignorance and negativity) into Tejas (radiance of wisdom).
The Vedic insight was subtle yet profound: by deepening our relationship with fire, we elevate our spiritual atmosphere. This is why nearly every culture in human history has had illumination rituals after victories, births, or cosmic events. The Rishis codified this into the festival of Lights to ensure that when darkness is most powerful, the community is united in invoking light.
Dhanteras: The Pursuit Of True Wealth
Dhanteras marks the beginning of the Diwali celebrations and is dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari (the God of health and healing) who emerged from the churning of the cosmic ocean (consciousness) with Amrita (the elixir of immortality). On this day people often buy gold and other valuable items symbolizing good luck and prosperity. However, the real wealth the Rishis spoke of was spiritual wealth, which remains inaccessible without a strong foundation of physical and mental health. Worshipping Lord Dhanwantari acknowledges this profound truth: well-being is the non-negotiable prerequisite for both material and spiritual prosperity.
Naraka Chaturdasi: The Demon Of Material Entanglement
The day before the main Diwali celebration is Naraka Chaturdasi, commemorating Lord Krishna’s slaying of the demon Narakasura (also known as Bhaumasura) and the freeing of 16,000 princesses. It is important to understand the allegorical meaning of Narakasura:
Nru + Ka + Asura: A being driven by "perishable pleasure" (Nru: short-lived; Ka: joy), signifying the pursuit of fleeting material desires.
Na + Arka + Asura: The force that embodies the "absence of light or awareness" (Na: no; Arka: light/awareness), which is the state of ignorance.
Narakasura's myth is a sophisticated metaphor for the struggle against the materialistic ego:
Bhaumasura represents the overly "earthly" mind where Artha (material prosperity) dominates all else.
The demon’s theft of Varuna’s mystical umbrella (righteousness), Aditi’s earrings (the capacity to listen to spiritual truth), and Mani Parvat (divine virtues) symbolizes the corrosion of ethical values (Dharma).
His general, Mura’s five heads symbolize entanglement with the five objects of the senses (see, hear, smell, touch, taste).
By destroying Narakasura, Krishna liberates sixteen-thousand princesses - a symbol of the thousands of sublime sentiments and virtuous feelings imprisoned within the heart by greed, lust, and anger. The victory signifies the soul overcoming the three gates to hell (Kama - desire, Krodha - anger, and Lobha - greed) and establishing the Kingdom of Heaven within.
This story symbolically demonstrates that in the pursuit of the four goals of Vedic life - Dharma (right conduct), Artha (resources), Kama (desires), and Moksha (liberation) - Artha and Kama must be strictly guided by Dharma; otherwise, the quest for short-lived joy will inevitably lead to Naraka (inner spiritual hell) and ultimately delay the ultimate goal of Liberation (Moksha).
The Five-Day Blueprint For Inner Awakening
The ancient Rishis designed the five days of Diwali as a progressive spiritual formula, using light as a metaphor for increasing awareness and aligning personal growth with collective consciousness:
Dhanteras focuses on healing our body and mind to receive material and spiritual prosperity.
Naraka Chaturdasi (Choti Diwali) focuses on slaying our obsessive attachments to materialism and the consequent inner naraka (hell).
Lakshmi Puja (Diwali) activates the abundance consciousness to access the Divine.
Govardhan Puja focusses on receiving divine protection through surrender to God/Universe.
Bhai Dooj completes the sacred arc of Diwali by honoring family bonds and righteous action (dharma), through the loving relationship between Yama (the Lord of death and duty) and his sister Yamuna (the river of life and nurture). It reminds us that harmony in relationships and commitment to duty are not just personal virtues, but the very foundation of collective peace.
This intentional cycle uses the outer celebration to trigger an essential inner journey, ensuring that prosperity is built on a foundation of wisdom, duty, and spiritual awareness.
Your Inner Diwali: A Call To Action
Diwali is not just about lights, laughter, and festive abundance - it's an ancient, codified practice designed to transform your mind and environment by:
Purifying the Aakaasha Tattva (space element).
Clearing Tamas (ignorance and negativity) to welcome the Guru Tattva (the principle of higher wisdom).
Re-establishing Dharma as the foundation for Artha (wealth) and Kama (desire).
This is your opportunity to transform darkness into light, both around you and within yourself. As you light your lamps, consider these questions for introspection:
What darkness am I ready to face within?
What virtues lie imprisoned in me, waiting to be freed?
How can I transform Tamas (ignorance) into Tejas (brilliance)?
Wishing you Love and Light
Your Partner in Positive Change
Nivedita
