Back in the days before electricity, lighting oil lamps was the main way people were able to light their homes after sunset. But even with electricity, we still use oil lamps during our pooja and prayers. Is there a special significance to lighting oil lamps?
Yes, there is… but not just any oil lamp. We are meant to light an earthen oil lamp during our prayers or performing any spiritual austerities, i.e. sadhana.
Yes, there is… but not just any oil lamp. We are meant to light an earthen oil lamp during our prayers or performing any spiritual austerities, i.e. sadhana.
The earthen lamp signifies our body. We have heard the phrase- “we arise from dust and to dust we return”. Clay, mud, dirt has always been used to indicate that we have been created as part of this nature and also to signify our mortality, i.e. how after our death, our body (which is a mere vessel for our soul) will disintegrate, perish and return to nature.
The cotton wick indicates our ego. It burns because of the oil in the lamp. This oil is the accumulated soul-actions and soul-tendencies (i.e. karmas and samskaras), which compel us to perform more action. If this oil is pure and of high quality, then the wick will glow brightly. If there is impurity in the oil, then the flame will be dull… in the same way, if we have challenging or negative karmas then our life here will not be able to exhibit the full glory of our true divine nature.
It is not surprising that in Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), Saturn is the karaka (indicator) for oil as he is also the one who maintains and administers our karmas!!
The cotton wick indicates our ego. It burns because of the oil in the lamp. This oil is the accumulated soul-actions and soul-tendencies (i.e. karmas and samskaras), which compel us to perform more action. If this oil is pure and of high quality, then the wick will glow brightly. If there is impurity in the oil, then the flame will be dull… in the same way, if we have challenging or negative karmas then our life here will not be able to exhibit the full glory of our true divine nature.
It is not surprising that in Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), Saturn is the karaka (indicator) for oil as he is also the one who maintains and administers our karmas!!
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Sooo… the signification of lighting an earthen oil lamp (mitti ka diya) is that… when we light an oil lamp, we are hoping that as the oil helps to burn off the cotton wick, similarly as we conscious do the prayers, pooja, it will help to burn off our karmas. Thru devotion, by doing our prayers, pooja and so on, our ego will burn off and it will generate light, which is our true essence (our soul).
So next time, you are lighting a diya (earthen oil lamp). Don’t do it mindlessly. Light the lamp with a conscious intension. Do your prayers with a conscious intension of burning off your karmas and by doing so, you are slowly becoming more and more light. I.e. you are slowly becoming ‘enlightened’.
So next time, you are lighting a diya (earthen oil lamp). Don’t do it mindlessly. Light the lamp with a conscious intension. Do your prayers with a conscious intension of burning off your karmas and by doing so, you are slowly becoming more and more light. I.e. you are slowly becoming ‘enlightened’.
#diya #deepavali #earthenlamp #oillamp #lightingdiya #lightingoillamp #Hindutraditions #Hindurituals #Vedicrituals #whydoHindus #mittikadiya
