Tomorrow is Deepavali

For whom is this Deepavali?

By M.Mahasenan

The popular theory is that Deepavali is cel ebrated to mark the slaying of the demon Narakasuran by Krishna. I will tackle other unpopular theories later. This Narakasuran turns out to be the son of Vishnu himself during Vishnu's Varaka Avatar and Bhooma Devi. Avatar is a sort of incarnation. Sathyabama, Krishna's consort in Krishnavatar is Bhooma Devi.

So, this Narakasuran grows up and up and up as is usual in our myths, and becomes a demon, pleases Brahma and gets great great powers and follows on the path of demons and starts hitting the good people on earth and all that.

So, people, as is usual go to Krishna and tell him about the innumerable hardships they go through because of this oversize asuran. So Krishna decides to get rid of this bad guy and kills Narakasuran-his own son. Sathyabama looks on, stomachs the sorrow of seeing her flesh and blood being killed by the father, on Krishna Patcha Sathurthasi day. Krishna Patcham signifies the waning moon. Krishna Patcha Sathurthasi day is also a day desired by Siva. Monthly Sathurthasi is called Masa Sivarathri.

But she requests Krishna this-that people should remember her son and reflect on spirituality on the day he was killed. And also to have a Ganga Snanam. Thylae Lakshmi, Jale Ganga, says Thoola Puranam. Thylae is oil. Ganga you all know.

Myths usually boil down to symbols, and Narakasuran boils down to ignorance. You are supposed to kill ignorance not on Deepavali day only. But from that day onwards.

Today it is the poor goats that are killed on Deepavali. Not our ignorance. Goats hate Deepavali and they curse this Narakasuran.Promise!

But Vaariayar begs to differ on this. "If," says Vaariyar. "If we start to celebrate the killing of Narakasuran as Deepavali, we have to mark the killing of other demons, also symbols, like Khamsan, Idumban, Hiranyan, Angathasuran, Ravanan et al. But we don't do so."

Therefore to say that Deepavali marks Narakasura Samkaram is far fetched.

On the contrary it is Siva who is normally considered as a Jyothi form. Some say that Sivarathri is the day when Siva appeared as a cosmic pillar of light. Thus Deepavali is more appropriate a festival for Siva, he says. Deepam- is light, Avali is rows. Deepavali is rows of light.

In North India Deepavali, called Diwali, people say, marks the day when Rama returned to the throne after killing Ravana and rescuing Sita in Lanka.

Be it as it may, it is a good day anyway. And let's hope that the asuras are annihilated and peace (in the real sense of the word) dawns soon.

So, let's stop killing poor goats on Deepavali and start killing our ignorance as we have been doing since time immemorial.

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