In almost every home of a practicing Hindu a lamp is lit
daily morning or evening. In some houses the lamp is lit at dawn and dusk. In
some houses, the lamp is lit continuously.
All auspicious events in Hinduism begin with the lighting of
a lamp.
Light in Hinduism symbolizes knowledge. It is the
representative of Surya, the sun god, who is the Pratyaksha Brahman or the
visible god. No life can exist without the sun. This was understood by ancient
teachers of Hinduism. The lamp thus represents Sun.
Light in Hindu tradition is associated with removal of ignorance.
Darkness gives rise to confusion and fear. In darkness we
think the unreal to be real. This fear and confusion can only be removed with
the help of light.
The flame of the lamp burns upwards. It is asking us to move
towards the higher ideal.
The lamp is also a representation of inner light. It
represents the Brahman present in all animate and inanimate. Meditating on the
wick of the lamp removes the ignorance. What then we see is pure light.
Meditate more and then there is no difference between the light and the one
meditating. Both merge and what remains is pure light. Thus the lamp makes us
realize that we are the source that we are searching.
The ghee in the lamp symbolizes negativities, wrong
knowledge and ignorance. The wick represent, ego, which is root cause of all
unhappiness and misery.
The light of spiritual knowledge – that all animate and
inanimate rise, transform and merge in single source – removes all
negativities, wrong knowledge and ignorance. This light alone can put out the
ego.
A single lamp can light millions of other lamps. Spiritual
knowledge when shared does not lessen. It shines forth. It takes the form of
hope. It takes the form of achieving the impossible.
The famous Hindu prayer
I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp, whose light is the knowledge
principle (the supreme lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by
which all can be achieved in life.
Dipa-jyotih parabrahma dipah sarva tamo pahah
Dipena sadhyate sarvam sandhya dip namo stute.