Happy Deepavali to all.
Let us see how the smritis instruct us to celebrate Deepavali.
In Bhavishya Purana
कार्तिके कृष्णपक्षे तु चतुर्दश्यां विधूदये |
तिलतैलेन कर्तव्यं स्नानं नरकभीरुभिः ||
In the month of Kartika, during the dark fortnight on the fourteenth lunar day, before sunrise with Sesame (Gingely or Til) oil, the one who is afraid of naraka, should take bath.
In Brahmapurana
तैले लक्ष्मीर्जले गङ्गा दीपावल्यां चतुर्दशी |
प्रातस्नानं तु यः कुर्याद्यमलोकं न पश्यति ||
During Deepavali, on chaturdashi (fourteenth lunar day) in the til (sesame) oil is Lakshmi and in the water is Ganga and the one who takes bath early morning will not see yamaloka (avoids naraka).
Further for special results (to get rid of paapa) while taking bath, one can take the apaamaarga stem or branch with thorns and leaves along with a clod of earth from a furrow and ritually rotate it over one's head.
सीतालोष्ठसमायुक्त सकण्टक दलान्वित |
हरपापमपामर्ग भ्राम्यमाणः पुनः पुनः ||
अपामार्ग - In Hindi चिडचिडी, चिरचिटा, चिचड़ा, लटजीरा, In English Prickly chaff Flower, In Tamil நாயுருவி and Biological name - Achyranthes aspera Linn.
After taking this bath one is supposed to do tarpana for Yama. Yama is both a devata and a pitr. So one has to do this Yamatarpanam as both Devatarpanam (yajnopaveeti) and Pitrtarpanam (praacheenaaveeti). Also Yamatarpanam and Bheeshmatarpanam has to be done by everybody i.e. even by the one whose father is alive.
During pradosha (thirteenth day) and amaavaasya (new moon day) in this period, one has to do deepadaanam (donation of lamps) to temples, mathas, gardens, public water bodies, animal shelters etc.
In Skandapurana
ततः प्रदोषसमये दीपान्दद्यान्मनोहरान् |
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनां भवनेषु मठेषु च ||
Finally Fireworks - उल्कादानं.
In Jyotirnibandha it is said
तुलासंस्थे सहस्रांशौ प्रदोषे भूतदर्षयोः |
उल्काहस्ता नराः कुर्युः पितृणां मार्गदर्शनं ||
When the sun is in tula rashi, during the month of kartika, on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of Krishnapaksha, men with fireworks in their hands, should show the path to their pitrs / ancestors.
The mantras to be chanted in this process are mentioned as follows, in the praachyanibandha:
शस्त्राशस्त्रहतानां च भूतानां भूतदर्शयोः |
उज्वलज्योतिषा देहं दहेयं व्योमवन्हिना ||
1) those (ancestors) who were killed by weapons or by other means, I burn/cremate their bodies with the bright light of this fire in the sky
अग्निदग्धाश्च ये जीवा येप्यदग्धाः कुले मम |
उज्वलज्योतिषा दग्धाः ते यान्तु परमां गतिं ||
2) all those beings of my kula / family, who were burnt by Agni or not burnt by Agni, may they get burnt / purified through this bright light and get an exalted state (paramagati).
यमलोकं परित्यज्य आगता ये महापथे |
उज्वलज्योतिषा वर्त्म प्रपश्यन्तो व्रजन्तु ते ||
3) Those ancestors who left the yamaloka and have come to this earth (during Mahalayapaksha), may they return in the path guided by this bright light.
So let us indulge in fireworks with this attitude. Om.
(All references taken from the book Smritikaustubha) ... Courtesy My friend Srikanth, Muscat.
