Light in the Karteeka Month

Meaning of Light

The Veda says ‘Param Jyotih’. Brahma Sutra says ‘Jyoti radhikaraṇāt’. This means that whenever that word light comes, it means only God. In the ancient times light was lit using ghee or oil. Neither the kerosene nor current was present at that time. In the evening time when darkness comes the light was lit and it was a necessity. In such light they use to bring the concept of God. Due to light, darkness vanishes. Similarly, due to knowledge ignorance disappears. The Gita says that Knowledge is Sattvam and Sattvam is light. Therefore, knowledge is light. Knowledge is God as said in the Veda. Therefore, light is thought as God.

Today why the lights are lit in the daytime? In the night also when the electrical lights are present again the oil light is lit. The Veda says that the fire exist in three forms.

1) Laukika Agni or Bhautika Agni is the fire, which we see.

2) Vaidyuta Agni is the fire, which is in the form of electricity.

3) Devata Agni is the fire, which is in the divine form.

The first two forms are inert and there is no life and divinity in both these forms. We are imposing the divinity on the inert light. Such type of worship is called Pratiika Aradhana which means worshipping the representing form.

For ex.: The three colored flag represents India. When we salute to the flag we are saluting to India. Flag is representing India. Similarly, the light represents the God. Actually, flag is not India. Similarly, light is not God. Light is fire. Fire is one of the five elements. All the five elements are created by God and are called as creation. God is the creator. Creation is not the creator. Such type of worship can be done even to the current light. It is also one of the three forms.

Why are you lighting the oil lamp? If you want to directly worship the divine form of Agni, which is also called as Vaishvanara, it is present in the form of hunger in the form of living beings. As told in the Gita ‘Ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā’, such form is the actual form of God. The inert from of fire is very low before the actual form of God, as the Veda says ‘Kuto'yam agniḥ’. Veda says that even the Sun is useless before God. Before the Sun this oil lamp is useless. So, before God this oil lamp is useless too.

We are inviting a man and giving him food treating him as a representative form of God. Worshipping the oil light is also like that. Suppose we invite Krishna Himself who is the God in the human form directly for food, what is the use of the ordinary man? Similarly, when the actual divine form of fire in the name of Vaishvanara is available, what is the use of the oil lamp and the electrical light? When we worship the sun as God, Sun represents God. Sun is not God, he is only inert fire. The Veda says ‘Nedaṃ tat’ which means that this inert Sun is not God. Therefore, instead of worshipping the inert lights as representative form of God, is it not far better to worship the divine fire itself directly which is present as hunger in the living beings? Therefore, offering food to the hungry living beings is the real worship of divine light. You should not waste the oil and ghee for the sake of inert lights.

If you say that this is the old tradition, are you following all the old traditions? The old traditions is not to wear a shirt and shave the head with little hair leftover as a tail on the backside of the head. Scholars are ‘Purāṇamityeva’ and ‘Tātasya kūpo'yam’. This means that all that is old is not correct.

Shivalinga represents the waveform of energy. The life form of energy is greater than all the inert forms of energy. Shivalinga, which is in the form of wave, represents this best life form of energy. The light represents the hunger in the living beings. In this Kartika month you are worshipping the Shivalinga with the oil lights. Both the Shivalinga and the light indicate the living being who is suffering with hunger and your worship is not putting the oil and ghee to the light and not pouring milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar on Shivalinga. All these are food materials, which you must give to a hungry living being. That living being can be birds, animals, beggars and poor devotees.

Shiva represents knowledge as said ‘Jñānaṃ Maheśvarāt’. Therefore, understand the true knowledge and do the worship in the right way. Then only Lord Shiva will be pleased with you in this Kartika month.

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