Deepavali

[Yashwant Malaiya]

Deepavali is mentioned in several of the Jain texts.

Kalpasutra metions that the chiefs, on the occassion of Lord
Mahavira's nirvana (on Amavasya of Kartika) said
(itrans transliteration):

127: ... gaye se bhavujjoe, davujoyaM karissaamo ||

..Light of knowledge having gone, we will now have
light of material matter.

TiloyapaNNatti mentions:

kattiya-kiNhe chaudasipachchuse saadiNaamanakkhatte|
pavaae Nayariye ekko viresaro siddho ||

Thus during the krashNa of kartika month, during the svati
nakshatra, on the night of the 14th (dawn of the amavasya),
lord Mahavira became a Siddha

In Uttara-puraaNa:

kraShNa-kaartika-pakshasya chartudashyam nishaatyaye|
svatiyoge tratiyeaddha-shukladhyaana-parayaNah||

The oldest use of the word "Diwali/Dipavali" occurs in
"Harivamsha-Purana" written by Acharya Jinasena, composed
in Shaka Samvat 705:

tatastuH lokaH prativarshhamaadaraat
prasiddhadiipaalikayaaatra bhaarate |
samudyataH poojayituM jineshvaraM
jinendranirvaNa vibhuutibhaktibhaak ||

Thus people in Bharata every year celebrate
famous "Diipaalika", to reverently worship the
Jinendra on the occasion of his nirvana.


Yashwant