Why do we light a lamp ?

Hello Chitra Mam,

Thanks alot for enlightening us with your vast knowledge! A smaaaaaal query... hope I'm not offending you. Few days back I saw at a friend's home that she has tealights for deepam. I jokingly asked 'is that a shortcut for oil deepam?'. She says its practical for her as her kids may overturn them and also that she doesnt get time to clean and pour oil/ghee deepam on weekdays but ofcourse she does puja on weekends n fridays for an hour or so with ghee deepam. I felt somewhat awkward but dint argue further. Did you come across anyone like that?

 

Re: deepa slokam..

I have seen this sholokam today. Though it is too late the presentation is very good. I appreciate Ms. Sowmya. May God Bless you.

 

i found this piece of information and thought of sharing :


In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.


Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth


Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness.. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.
Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:

Deepajyothi parabrahma​

Deepa sarva tamopahaha​

Deepena saadhyate saram​

Sandhyaa deepo namostute​

I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.

 

Hello All

Following reasons are already been written by someone

We talk about panchabootham (Aagayam, kaatru, Nerupu, Neer and Mann)

with this series the first visible bootham to the naked eye is Nerupu, that's why we perform nerupu vazhipaadu and vilaku is a controlled environment for the fire to be prayed.

that's why most of the moolavar statues are made in mann(Rocks) rather than making in any other material

Yaavum nanmai aagatum payanaagatum

 

Dear Kartesian ji

WELCOME TO IL FAMILY and to first valubale POST,

Looks that you were a SILENT SPECTATOR for sometime, do contribute with your posts too.

JAI SAIRAM

 

Re: Varloo, this is it!

Dear Chitvish,

I follow your posts on various topics as often as i can..I have a young baby so it's not regular! I enjoy reading your thoughts on various topics and just thought would add my name to your list of fans ! You are such a storehouse of customs and rituals that are slowly being forgotten in the rush of our daily lives,especially for people like me living away from home in India.Keep up the good work!

 

Message and meaning of lighting a lamp in the house is a gyan, thank you so much,
Knowledge is ultimate consciousness, I am impressed.

 

Re: deepa slokam..

any website address for audio slokam easy for my kid

 

Swasa,
I was using tea lights for last few years as well for the fear of oil lamps setting off the fire alarms or oil spilling on the carpet and still scared to use agar bathi or camphor inside the house. Have never thought about whether it was right or wrong.

I did however replace it with a proper lamp, wick and oil after seeing few other friends using it safely and reading this thread, thanks to Chitra ma'am and Ashna for enlightening me about the significance of oil lamps. God will accept simple prayers as long as they are pure and true is my humble opinion :bowdown

 

Thanks chitra mam

Informative post

Sugi