Karthiga deepam has many facets where light is the main theme. Vaishnavism does not agree with Subramanya or Siva, especially Sri Ramanujar. 2 Vaikanasa were originally an early order of ascetics <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascetics> who, upon abandoning life in the forest, took to the management of temples. Vaikanasa worship in accordance with the ritual <https://www.britannica.com/topic/ritual> prescribed in the Vaikhanasa Samhitas <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vaikhanasa-Samhita>, one of two collections of ritual texts. The Pancharatra <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pancharatra> Samhitas supplanted the Vaikhanasa Samhitas within most of Vaishnavism in the 12th century at the urging of the great Vedanta <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vedanta> theologian Ramanuja <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramanuja> (*c.* 1017–1137), but the Vaikanasa ritual continues to be followed in most South Indian Vaishnava temples, including the Kanchipuram and Sriperumbudur temples in Tamil Nadu <https://www.britannica.com/place/Tamil-Nadu> state and the Venkateshwara shrine on Tirupati hill in Andhra Pradesh <https://www.britannica.com/place/Andhra-Pradesh>. One major difference between the two types of ritual <https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/ritual> practice is that the Vaikanasa revere neither the Alvars <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alvar> (Tamil <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil> poet-mystics) nor the Acharyas (early Vaishnava teachers) Why Pancaratras will be guessed easily since Vaikanasa is more or less followed the concept of erstwhile early vadakalai Veda concepts. Sri Ramanujar floated a different rituals , from the vaikanasa and named it as Panchatantra. Panchatantra is 1000 to 1200 AD concept. 3 Karthiga, is supposed to be birth of Subramanya by some. However, Skanda Puranam, authority for many, speaks the birth of Subramanya in Karthiga nakshatra, of Aashada or Aadi masam. Not Karthiga. Karthiga lighting emanated out of Tiruvannamalai Sivam. Agni worship. Driving away the evil. And hence Nakshatra is the basis of Lord Subrahmanya and Sivam. Vaishnavism differed from saivam and Agama sastra; so vaikanasa took the Pournami which normally may fall after the nakshatra only; hence, Vishnu deepam, @ chokkappanai @ Vaikanasa deepam @ Pancharatra deepam @ Yanaip pandigai etc are celebrated on 7th of this month. There is also a story of Brahma and Vishnu hunting the top and Bottom of siva, and could not find. Similar opposite version is also there, where Vishnu kept higher. 4 We light up a series of earthen lamps on the day of Karthigai or Kruttika Nakshatram in the month of Karthigai. At that time we have to sing this sloka as given in the shastras:
कीटा: पतङ्गा: मशका: च वृक्षाः जले स्थले ये निवसन्ति जीवाः| दृष्ट्वा प्रदीपं न च जन्म भाजा: सुखिनः भवन्तु श्वपचाः हि विप्रा:|| கீடா: பதங்கா: மசகா: ச வ்ருக்ஷா: ஜலே ஸ்தலே யே நிவஸந்தி யேவா: | த்ருஷ்ட்வா ப்ரதீபம் ந ச ஜன்ம பாஜா: ஸுகின: பவந்து ச்வபசா: ஹி விப்ரா: || keetah patangah mashakah cha vrukshah jale sthale ye nivasanti jivah drushtva pradeepam na cha janma bhajah sukhinah bhavantu svapachah hi viprah Meaning: "We pray that, whosoever sees this lamp that we are lighting, they be worms, birds or mosquitoes or trees and such plants; all life forms which live in water or on earth; or may be human beings of whatever caste or creed; seeing this light may have the effect on them that all their sins are washed away and they may transcend the cycle of life and death and reach everlasting happiness"! ( Kanchi Maha Periava) 5 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi has composed the following Tamil verse to explain the significance of the Karthigai Deepam that is lit on the Arunachala Hill every year. The stanza is as follows: Ittanuvē nānām enu-madiyai nīttapbuddhi idayattē porundi-aga nōkkāladduvita mā-mey agac-chuḍar-kāṇ gai-bhūmaddi-yenum Aṇṇā malaicchuḍar-kāṇ meyyē. Meaning: The true significance of seeing the flame (Karthigai Deepam) on Annamalai, which is the Heart centre of the world, is realising the Light of the Real Self that is one without a second, after discarding the notion ‘I am this body’ and making the mind abide in the Heart by attending to the source of the mind (through Self-enquiry and meditation).( sri Ramanar) 6 The full moon day in the Tamil month of Karthigai is observed as Vishnu Deepam by Lord Vishnu devotees (Vaishnavites). Vishnu Deepam is celebrated by lighting bonfire known as Sokka Panai in Vishnu shrines. In 2022, the date of Vishnu Deepam is December 7. The day is popularly known as *Karthigai Deepam* – when all houses and temples will be decorated with oil lamps after sunset.The reason for the festival is based on Lord Vamana incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vamana sending King Bali to the underworld is the basis of Vishnu Deepam. It is said that the two steps of Lord Vamana are the Uttarayan and vernal equinox. And the third step which sends Bali to the underworld is the autumn equinox. The bonfire lit on Vishnu Deepam remembers this event. Vishnu Deepam is also observed as Yanai Pandigai by some communities in South India. ( Vamana Puranam) 7 Yanai Pandigai 2022 date is December 7. The ritual lasts for three days. In the ritual, small elephants are made of clay and are decorated as per Vaishnava traditions and are arranged for puja on Kartik Pournami. Apart from the clay elephants, small elephants made of gold, silver, bronze, wood etc are also displayed. In the first year after wedding, Yanai Pandigai festival is observed elaborately with Arathi to the new bride in husband’s home. The legend associated with Yanai Pandigai is associated with Gandhari and Kunti of Mahabharata. Gandhari, mother of Kauravas, performed Yanai Pandigai to the royal elephants and gold elephants to show her might and influence. She purposefully did not invite Kunti, mother of Pandavas, for the ceremony. Kunti was saddened by this behavior of Gandhari. Arjuna who came to know about this brought Airavata (Indira’s white elephant) to earth, through a ladder made of arrows. Kunti performed Yanai Pandigai Pooja to Airavatha. People started performing the ritual then onwards with clay elephants. Different varieties of food are offered to the elephant on the day. Lamps are also lit around the houses on the day. Women fast in the evenings on the day. On the last day, the clay elephants are immersed in a water body with plain curd rice rubbed to its tummy. Four variety of rice is prepared on the day. 8 Lighting an earthen lamp is the usual practice and it symbolizes that our ego (wick) is burnt with oil (divine power), so that the worldly illusions disappear and we attain enlightenment. The flame of a lamp can blaze not just the ego, but protect our home against evil forces and eyes. Even now the Hindu devotees worship for power and intelligence to win success in all their endeavors, in an honest way, on the Karthigai Dheepam festival. Lighting lamps on Karthigai Deepam festival brings prosperity and abundance to the home. It removes the fear and creates ultimate success. Although the latest wax cup candles have replaced the traditional earthenware lamps filled with oil, the celebration spree has not reduced. 9 The Ahananuru clearly states that Karthigai is celebrated on the full moon day ( pournami ) of the Tamil month of Karthigai. It was one of the most important festivals (peruvizha) of the ancient Tamils. Avaiyyar, the renowned poetess of those times, refers to the festival in her songs. Inscriptions in our temples also refer to the festival. A mid-sixteenth Century inscription at the Arulalaperumal temple in Kancheepuram, refers to the festival as Thiru Karthigai Thirunal. Karthigai is essentially a festival of lamps 10 Why we light Elephant lamp on Karthigai ? Once upon a time there lived a King and he had only one daughter. She loved an elephant which grew with her and she considered the elephant as her own brother. After her marriage she missed her brother elephant very much. So for every Thirukarthigai/Karthigai deepam occasion, she will light elephant lamp(Gajalakshmi vilaku) and she will prepare tender coconut, elephant leg size milagu Milagu Adai, Pori, Adhirasam, Vella Seedai and keep them as neivedhyam for this festival. KR IRS 61222 On Tue, 6 Dec 2022 at 07:02, Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]> wrote: > 7th is pournami and vaikasana deepam - Tirumala follows vaikasana > 8th is pancharatra deepam and koil deepam and nakshatram - Sri Ramanuja > followed pancharatra in Srirangam and other temples > The choice for others is probably between pournami and nakshatram since > they don't fall on the same day. So it is your choice. > This article explains how they chose in orthodox circles > > https://archive.anudinam.org/2011/11/30/significance-of-karthigai-deepam-to-srivaishnavas/ > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZopQAH9dwcCqTZt3bhV9EiLLn3%3Ds1%2BLzdAhfcCdkGN1mEg%40mail.gmail.com.
