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🌺🌺🌺 Happy Deepawali 🌺🌺🌺

Sri Ramana Maharshi about Deepavali.

The Conquest of Hell (Naraka) The Puranas say that Lord Narayana has killed the demon [of misery], Naraka Asura.

This demon is none other than the one who lives as “I am this body, the source of misery”.

One who seeks Naraka Asura’s [i.e., the ego’s] source,

and thus annihilates him, is truly Lord Narayana Himself.

The Deepavali-bath,

which is taken by all people on the fourteenth moon in remembrance of the conquest of Naraka,

signifies the bath of Jnana,

which is taken after destroying the ego Naraka Asura,

by searching for his source.

The above two verses were summarised in the following verse by Sri Bhagavan:

He who kills Narakasura (the ego)

with the Wheel [i.e.weapon] of Jnana,

by enquiring,“Where is the source of Narakasura

who rules over Narakaloka,

this wretched body, as ‘I’?”, is Lord Narayana;

and that day [of the ego’s destruction]

is the auspicious day of the fourteenth moon.

Deepavali signifies the great Self-Effulgence which shines after destroying the reflected light [i.e. the ego], Narakasura,

who was ruling this filthy body,

which is the form of hell, as ‘I’.

Deepavali signified

the shining of Self after the destruction,

through enquiry,

of the greatest sinner,Naraka [the ego],

who took the abode of this filthy body,

which is the form of hell, as ‘I’.

He is Narakasura (a demon)

who feels attached in the thought

that he is the body.

That attachment to the body itself is a Naraka (hell).

The life of a person who has that attachment,

even if he be a Maharajah,is hellish.

Destroying the attachment to the body,

and the self shining by itself as Self is Deepavali.

He is the king of hell

who says that he is the body

which is hell itself.

He is Narayana who ascertains who Naraka is,

and destroys him with His vision of wisdom, Jnana Drishti.

That is the auspicious day of Narakachathurdasi.

The false belief that

this hell-like house called body is me,

is Naraka himself.

To destroy that false belief and

let the self shine as Self, is Deepavali.

~ Guru Vachaka Kovai