| |
Dev
Diwali
Also
known as Tripurari Purnima, this occurs on Kartik sud 15 - Purnima.
Eradicating inner base instincts signifies Diwali; meeting the Lord
is Dev Diwali.
Origin
-
After leaving king
Bali, the Lord rejoined the devas on this day. The devas celebrated
His arrival in jubilation and thus Dev Diwali came into being.
-
Tripurari Purnima. The
7th Skandh of the Shrimad Bhagwat cites the story. With the help
of Tarak and Vidyunmaali, a demon named Muy daanav constructed three
aerial 'purs' - cities; of gold, silver and iron, which he gave
to the demons. With these, the demons flew wherever they wished,
destroying the places where they landed. The devas then approached
Lord Shiv for succor. Another reference cites that Naradji instigated
the 3 demons to destroy Kailas - Lord Shiv's abode. An angered Shiv
then destroyed the three purs. Henceforth he became known as Tripurari.
The devas rejoiced on this day, hence Dev Diwali.
-
The sentiments are the
same as Devprabodhini Ekadashi. Though the devas celebrated the
Lord's return, we mortals celebrate Dev Diwali by eradicating our
inner demons - the base instincts of ego, anger, greed, lust, etc.
and the resulting manifestation of divinity within.
-
In the Swaminarayan
Sampraday this day has great sanctity:
Both parents of Bhagwan Swaminarayan were born on this day; His
father, Dharmadev, in Samvat 1796, in the village Itar in Uttar
Pradesh and Bhaktimata, in Samvat 1798 in Chhapiya.
-
Ramanand Swami gave
'diksha' to Neelkanth in Piplana in Narsinh Mehta's house on Samvat
1857, naming Him, 'Sahajanand Swami' and 'Narayan Muni'.
-
One year later in Samvat
1858, on the same day of Kartik Purnima, Ramanand Swami ceremoniously
bequeathed his leadership to Sahajanand Swami, appointing Him as
Head of the Sampraday. It was then that Bhagwan Swaminarayan offered
the matchless prayer, requesting two boons for the devotees from
Ramanand Swami (ref. website article on 'The
Bicentennial Anniversary of Lord Swaminarayan's Advent in Loj.').
-
Shastriji Maharaj gave
parshad diksha to 16-year-old Shantilal Motibhai Patel of Chansad,
near Vadodara, in Samvat 1996 (1940 CE) at Ambli Vali Pol, in Amdavad.
Shantilal is none other than Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
-
Shastriji Maharaj left
Vartal on this day in Samvat 1962 (1908 CE), to consecrate the murti
of Akshar with Lord Purushottam in Bochasan, thus founding the Bochasanwasi
Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) Sanstha.
Other important events in
the Hindu Dharma on this day include:
- Nimbark Jayanti. In the 12th century,
Nimbark Acharya, the proponent of Dwaitadvait philosophy and Sanak
Sampraday was born on this day. He was the first to consecrate
Radha's murti with Shri Krishna in mandirs, enjoining the eternal
principle of dual worship of Bhakta and Bhagvan i.e. to become
an ideal devotee like Radha in order to worship Krishna.
- Shrimad Rajchandra Jayanti. About
150 years ago, Shrimad Rajchandra was born on this day in Vavania,
a village in Saurashtra. Though a Jain, he declared the absolute
need of a manifest Satpurush for ultimate salvation.
- Tulsi Vivaha. The marriage of Tulsi,
Rukmani in a former birth, with the Lord is celebrated on this
day.
|
|
