In recent times, an alarming narrative has emerged within the Malaysian blogosphere, suggesting a historical event that appears to be a misinterpretation or perhaps a deliberate misinformation campaign. The claim revolves around a so called Malay prince named Manabharana from Srivijaya, purportedly attacking and conquering the Chola kingdom. This misleading story has gained traction and is spreading like wildfire across various social media platforms. The need to address and rectify such inaccuracies is crucial not only for the sake of historical accuracy but also for fostering a responsible and informed online community. To delve into the matter, it is essential to clarify that historical records reveal the existence of multiple individuals named Manabharana throughout history. However, a nuanced understanding reveals that all these figures were Tamils (Damila) hailing from the Pandya kingdom, with references to their exploits documented in Tamil inscriptions and Sri Lankan chronicles...
***There was a discussion which happened after this thread. An explanation was given for the Krishna Chaturdasi. To know about the origins of Deepavali, please read http://jaybeetrident.blogspot.com/2012/11/festival-of-sridevi.html***
There is a general confusion among Hindus in Malaysia and to some extend Singapore. It is about when Deepavali should be celebrated this year. According to Malaysia, it should be 2 November. Many calendars marked 3 November as Deepavali.
So everyone is confused. Who is right?
There are many astronomical factors which needs to be considered when deciding Hindu festivals. There are reasons for it. A person who calculates the dates for the almanac needs to know both Mathematics and Astronomy. This is also the foundation of Hindu Astrology.
Most of us are not familiar with the metrics used. We would have heard of Muhurta (moment), Paksha (forthnight lunar phase) or Tithi (lunar day) but are not aware of the maths behind it. Since we don't know, we tend to blindly follow whatever that is told in the temple.
For most of ignorant Malaysian Hindus, Deepavali is all about tanni poduraning, pattas vedikiraning and aadu kari kadikiraning. A day of celebration.
But what is the actual purpose of celebrating Deepavali?
According to legend, it is the day Krishna or his wife Satyabama slayed the demon Narakasura. This is the most common story we hear in Malaysia. The story tellers will then go on and explain that this is just a metaphorical story.
They will then mention that Narakasura is the embodiment of evil and Krishna is the embodiment of Good. So it is the day Good won over Evil.
Yes. Good won over Evil but is it about Krishna vs Narakasura or someone else?
To my best knowledge, the actual celebration of Deepavali predates the time of Krishna. It goes back to the time of Ramayana. We must not forget that Deepavali was never celebrated before this era.
As we know, Rama was exiled for 14 years. There was a war with Ravana during this period. So he killed Ravana, saved Seeta and returned to his kingdom Ayodhya with his loyal army. This happened on the Amavasai (New Moon) day of the Aippasi (Ashwina) month.
Since it was Amavasai, there was no moon light. So the happy citizens light up rows of lamps on the streets to welcome Rama home. Some believe that it was these rows of lights that guided Rama's flying chariot back home.
Reminds me of a modern airport runway!
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| Oil/Ghee Lamps are light up during Deepavali |
For this year. Aipasi is during 17 October-15 November 2013. If you were to take a look at the moon phases during this period, the Amavasai day is on 3 November. According to certain Hindu NGOs in Malaysia, Deepavali must be celebrated on 2 November, not 3rd.
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| Amavasai happens at 20:49:32 (Malaysia) on 3 November 2013 |
Their logic? The Brahma Muhurta (around 4am) of the Krishna Paksha and Chaturdashi Tithi must be in force for it to be considered as Deepavali.
*Krishna Paksha is Tey-Pirai (Waning Moon)
*Shukla Paksha is Valar-Pirai (Waxing Moon)
So since this happens on 2 November, they declared it as Deepavali day.
But doesn't this beat the purpose of Deepavali? Rama returned on Amavasai and our ancestors light up lamps for him on that day.
What is the point of lighting up lamps on 2 November and call it Deepavali when Amavasai is on 3 November?
To me, celebrating Deepavali on a non-Amavasai Aippasi day beats the whole purpose of the festival. We can't call that as Deepavali.
This is my own rational explanation.
Wishing all of you an advanced HAPPY DEEPAVALI!
Sharmalan, that was quite an interesting & outstanding argument put forth. I do not wish to deny you the merit of such an argument, but from my point of view it certainly has its disadvantage!
ReplyDelete(AA) Within Vedic India, each of the Indian/Hindu festival with its own uniqueness and originating folklores, evolved over the last few millennia filtered i.e. enhanced & vice versa through people of different races, cultures, customs and practices. Obviously distortions and misrepresentations are unavoidable. We must earnestly assume that the greatest of human trait, “Ego” must have played great a part in the evolution of these folklores as one group or race would have tried to outdo the other by their own interpretation and representation of a single event.
This is why we can observe so many variant to a single Festival within the sub-continent of India. Instead of viewing this as a negative aspect, once we start appreciating the true nature of these cross cultural overlaps we would appreciate the strength of the faith or rather “way of life”, today being referred to as Hinduism. Nevertheless, we can largely separate these variants of Vedic India into two broader categories, the North (principally the Hindi speaking belt) and the South (the predominantly Dravidian Dakshina Boomi).
1) The North-the Hindi speaking belt bases its Deepavali festival celebrations on the lore of Sri Rama’s return to Ayodhya from 14 years exile. An account puts it that to observe Sri Rama’s return 14 ghee lamps were lighted up to reflect his 14 years in exile. Deepavali is celebrated in a sequence of 5 days in the Hindi speaking belt of the North.
2) Bengal places the lore of Maha Kali destroying the demon Naragasuran as its back drop for its Deepavali celebrations.
3) South India clearly defines its Deepavali celebration basing it on the puranic story of Krishna / Sathyabama / Naragasura vatham.
South Indian populace predominate Malaysian Hindus. Their determination of Deepavali festival has always been based on point 3. The current Tamil Vakya panjangam’s age is 5114 years. None can estimate when the festival of Deepavali came into existence into the Tamil Panjanagam. But what we know is that, the constant in determining Deepavali celebration in the Tamil Vakya Panjangam has certainly not been Amavasai thithi.
The determining constant has always been the Aipasi/Krishnapaksha Sathurdhasi Thithi/Bramma Muhoortham
Folklore (which must have its back drop from one of the related Puranas) has it that Sri Krishna, after destroying Naragasuran, returned to his abode in the wee hours, which happened to be the hours of Bramma Muhoortham / Krishnapaksha Sathurdasi thithi of the Aipasi month, whereby he was bathed and cleansed with oil and herbs to rid him of the “dhosa” related to Naragasuran’s killing. This was before Sunrise. In the Tamil Vakya Panjangam you will note that a “Naraga Sathurdhasi Snaanam (bath)” is notified for the night of the day preceding Deepavali.
Since, Bramma Muhoortham is before the Sunrise of any day, after the holy bathing of Sri Krishna, the celebration to commemorate the demise of the Asuran ensued after Sunrise, which in Tamil calendar is a new day. (A day in Tamil calendar starts with Sunrise and ends at the next Sunrise). Naturally following Tamil lunisolar calendar sequence, “Amavasai” thithi follows Krishnapaksha Sathurdhasi thithi and
obviously the celebrative day generally falls on “Amavasai” thithi. However Amavasai thithi has never been the determining factor in confirming Deepavali celebration day. It has always been based on Aipasi / Krishnapakha Sathurdhasi / Bramma Muhoortham. This has been such for so many years in South India. The general confusion arises because, although the ritual oil bath takes place before Sunrise, the Deepavali pooja and celebrations follows after Sunrise, a new day, which generally happens to be Amavasai thithi. Determining factor for Deepavali celebration date is certainly not the Amavasai thithi. In fact our Deepavali celebration starts in the Krishnaapaksha Sathurdhasi thithi whereby we are advised to take the ritual oil bath (synonymous with Krishna’s) before Sunrise. If you observe closely the Tamil calendar day, you will notice that our Deepavali celebrations are separated into 2 days; the very important ritual of oil bath with “sigai kaai” before Sunrise and the Pooja and ensuing celebrations the next day after Sunrise. Due to the influence of the English calendar, we assume it to be one day or same day. In the Tamil calendar parlance the oil bath ritual and Deepavali Pooja and celebrations are taking place on two different days.
ReplyDeleteThe day/date determination is certainly not by the local NGO or the Government of Malaysia. This is purely based on Tamil Vakya Panjangam originating from Tamil Nadu. If you were to check the official Government of India Public Holiday portal, Deepavali Holiday is noted as on 2nd November 2013, and it would have been qualified as for “South”/meaning South India.
This may mean North India has different criteria. I am not sure of this and would not venture to speculate.
(BB) Your observation as Deepavali being the commemoration of Rama’s return to Ayodya can’t be disputed as far as North Indian Deepavali celebration is concerned. This is the folklore relating to the 5 days Diwali celebration of the Hindi speaking belt. These 5 days celebration start in the month of Aipasi on the Krishnapaksha Thryodhasi thithi (13th Day of the waning moon) and ends on the Suklapaksha Thuthigai thithi (2nd day from Amavasai). What it does not state is the actual day/thithi of Rama’s return, at least as far as I know.
(1) If Rama’s return was on Amavasai day (the 3rd day in this festival sequence) why start the celebration on Krishnaapaksha Thryodhasi thithi and continue for 5 days? This needs to be explained well and clear.
(2) The accounts of lights being placed in rows to show the way for Rama’s return and basing this to assume that this must be due to Amavasai darkness may be flawed.
a. It is recorded as common practice in medieval India to place rows of candles and oil lamps for any celebrative occasions as decorative objects. This practice follows even today in various parts of India, Sri Lanka. Our very own Malay brethrens’ lighting up such lamps in a different form during Hari Raya celebrations may very well have been adopted from their early Hindu influence.
b. An account on “Uttara Kandam” of Ramayana puts it that Sri Barathan instructed the citizenry of Ayodhya to decorate up the entire city in anticipation of his brother’s return.
Folks naturally would have decorated up the city with various materials including candles, lamps, incense sticks and so forth. To assume that this was so to show the way for Rama, may well not hold water, unless of course we can quote exact verse from the related chapter of “”Uttara Kandam” from Ramayana to back up the claim.
ReplyDeletec. Even if we assume that Sri Rama did return to Ayodhya in the dead of the Night, which coincided with Amavasai darkness, there is no reason for the citizenry of Ayodhya to light up the town to show the way for Rama. Accounts have it that medieval Hindu Kingdoms were extremely rich. The administrators of such rich Kingdoms have no reason to leave their towns in utter darkness. Obviously their towns would have been well lit up during any night. Ayodhya being the capital of such a great Kingdom of Dhasaratha Maha Chakravarthy would certainly have been well lid up, leaving the citizenry no reason to light their lamps to show the way for Rama.
d. Now we come to the crux of the argument which is with the presence of the lamps alone how could we, conclusively determine that Rama returned on the Amavasai day especially when the 13th and 14th day of the waning moon are also equally dark. In fact in Bengal Kali Choudash celebration on the 14th day of the waning moon commemorates the day when Maha Kali destroyed the Demon Naragasuran (this coincides with Krishnapaksha Sathurdhasi thithi of the South and the 2nd day of Narag Chaturdasi of the North). Kali means dark; Choudash is fourteen: Dark Fourteen. This argument may cast a shadow on the actual day/thithi Rama returned to Ayodya. He may very well have returned on the 13th day which normally would be as dark as the 14th and 15th or he may have returned much earlier and celebration ensued later. That is, if Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya in the dead of the night at all!
e. Furthermore, lighting up with such small lamp is not exclusive to the “Amavasai” darkness. The great “Karthigai Dheepam” celebration of Tamil Nadu is synonymous with the lighting up of millions of these small oil lamps called “agal vilakku”. This celebration takes place on a full moon day and Tamil citizenry light up their little oil lamps dutifully every year and must have been going on for eons. We can consider this celebration as the celebration of “Deepangalin Aavali”. This celebration may very well precede Deepavali celebration in Tamil Nadu.
From above following relevant points could be established:
1) Applying the North Indian standards to the South Indian requirement may not be appropriate and will raise more questions than it answers.
2) Assuming Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya during the dead of the night without establishing this for a fact may not be right. This may or may not be correct but needs to be established by the actual verse or authoritative write up on the subject.
3) Equating & relating contemporary runway of an airport to the lighted up city of Ayodhya (that’s assuming Sri Rama returned during the dead of the night), which should be a normal practice of any medieval Indian city/town during any night and establishing the thithi of Sri Rama’s return may be mind-boggling for some.
ReplyDelete4) This will be the final clincher: The narrative account of Sri Rama’s return to Ayodhya is found in “Uttara Kandam” of Ramayana. The narrative pictures the last day of the 14th year and the exasperation of Sri Barathan for not seeing Sri Rama coming into Ayodhya yet. Then Aanjaneya Swamy flies into Ayodhya and reassures Sri Barathan, who had taken an oath to take his own life if Sri Rama fails to return after completing his 14 years in exile. Aanjaneya Swamy returns to Sri Rama and advises him of Sri Barathan’s anxiety and that of the highly expectant Ayodhya citizenry. So far there is no indication of the scenario being dead of the night! Then Sri Rama flies in with his entourage in his “Pushpaga Vimanam”. While coming in view of Ayodhya, Sri Rama points out and explains various landmarks to the Monkey warriors accompanying him. The most important landmark he points out is the “Sarayu” river to the North of Ayodhya. I have to assume that this narrative would not have been possible if Sri Rama were to have flown into Ayodhya during the dead of the night, that too on an Amavasai night.
These arguments are being put forth purely based on the North Indian celebration’s context. It has nothing to do with the Deepavali day determining factor of South India/Tamil Vakya Panjangam with which we have had no confusion at all. (Errors by the ignorant does not preclude the Puranic base of this date fixing by the South, especially the Tamils)
Thank you for sharing your input and allowing me to share mine.
Thank you for the explanation Mr.Ramaiya. It is certainly worth reading especially when we seldom see such elaborate explanation. There is an urgent need to educate the masses and I believe there should be more like you.
ReplyDeleteAs you explained, the folklore based on Ramayana is more popular in the north than the south. You also stressed that the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi Tithi is the deciding factor for Deepavali.
Although the oil bath ritual is done on Chaturdashi, the celebration is usually carried out on the next tithi, Amavasai Tithi. You did explain on the time difference between Western calendar (day starts at 12am) and our calendar (solar day starts at sunrise)
A question about Krishna cleansing his body with the oil bath.
During which Karana of the tithi did that happen? The beginning of the tithi or towards the end?
If Krishna bathed towards the end of the tithi, then naturally prayers and celebration will only happen during the next tithi, Amavasai.
Will it be possible to establish the exact moment to have the oil bath?
Because this year, Chaturdashi Tithi begins at 12:04 AM (2 Nov) and ends at 20:43 PM (2 Nov). If we were to bathe during Brahma Muhurta of the tithi, it will be during the pre-dawn of 2 Nov. That will be the early half of the tithi.
If we are supposed to wait towards the end of the tithi, then it will be in the evening. Please let me know how is this established.
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeletePlease spend some time going through the comments here. Thank you.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153291547880153&set=a.10150304780375153.567372.802735152&type=1&theater
And also Dr.S.Jayabarathi's own write up
http://jaybeetrident.blogspot.com/2012/11/festival-of-sridevi.html