Tantrokta Deepdan Vidhi for Kuldevi and Mahashaktis on Diwali

The speaker says that in the auspicious month of Kartik, and especially in the Mahanisha KaalThe "great night" period around midnight, reckoned as the most potent window for tantrik worship on nights such as Diwali and Kali Chaudas. of Diwali or otherwise in the evening (Pradosha) time, one should offer a Deepdaan to the major devi-devatas together with the devi-devatas of one's own kul and the Kul Shakti, in a coconut lamp with a 108-strand wick. He says this brings countless punya and destroys very many anisht (misfortunes); it protects from Akala Mrityu (untimely death), and it frees the family from the many kinds of trouble that come to a household, and from dukh-daridra (sorrow and poverty). Closing the vidhi, he says that when this deepdan is done in Diwali's very special auspicious time, to the major devi-devatas along with one's own kul devi-devatas, it protects from many kinds of arishta and anisht (calamities and misfortunes). The kul shaktis become pusht (nourished) and santusht (satisfied) and do one's kalyan (welfare) in every way. He asks the viewer to watch the whole vidhi and to do it without fail every year on Diwali, in the evening or at night.

The speaker says that first of all one lamp is lit, which will stay as the Karma Sakshi lamp (the witness of the rite); in his setup it is placed on top of flowers. After that, he says, five leaves are laid out and decorated with flowers, and the coconut lamp is to be placed on these. To make the lamp, he takes a dried coconut kernel (gari) and tries to cut it exactly through the middle. He warns to cut carefully so the hand is not cut, and to use a good knife. He says it is best if a man of the household does this cutting — whenever a man cuts the coconut, it is considered better. The halved coconut is then set up as the lamp.

The speaker says the wick is to be made using KalavaThe red-and-yellow sacred thread (also called moli) tied at the wrist or used to twist lamp wicks; sold in strands that are wound to a counted number.. He says the kalava has three strands, so if a full 36 threads are taken, 108 wicks are complete. He shows the method: to make 108 wicks, the thread must be wound 36 times. He winds it once, twice, three, four, five, six times and so on, and because the wick is kept a little long, he winds it only 18 times; when the bundle is then folded in the middle it becomes 36. He advises buying the big bundle of good moli, so that making five wicks uses a good amount of it. Once the 18 windings are doubled to 36, he says, the whole bundle is braided together, and after braiding it becomes one long wick equal to 108 wicks. He then cuts it through the middle and trims the edges even; cutting it in the middle gives two 108-wick wicks, enough for two lamps. The finished wick is laid in the coconut lamp, and in this way, he says, five lamps of 108 wicks each are made ready.

While winding the wick, the speaker stops to say that the thread must always be the cotton kind — one should never bring silk thread. He says to buy the big bundle of cotton KalavaThe red-and-yellow sacred thread (also called moli) tied at the wrist or used to twist lamp wicks; sold in strands that are wound to a counted number. of this type. He adds that the moli one buys should be good kalava, and that since five wicks have to be made, a fair amount of thread will be used up, so a big bundle is the right purchase.

The speaker explains why the coconut shell is used: because it is Diwali, and when a dry fruit (the coconut) burns together with some liquid substance, it spreads a special kind of positive energy into the environment. For this reason, he says, use only the coconut shell as the lamp. This increases Shri TattvaThe principle of auspicious abundance and prosperity, invoked as the element a rite is meant to draw into the household.; the devi-devatas of the house become nourished and satisfied; and it is capable of stopping many kinds of Abhichara tantra and negative forces. He points out that he has used TilSesame, black til in particular, central to pitr karma and to many ahutis. (sesame) oil, and that one may use ghee instead — pure ghee. With this, he says, the five lamps of 108 wicks are ready.

The speaker says that once the lamps have been prepared, one must now take SankalpaA formal ritual resolution spoken aloud before an offering or observance, declaring its intent and dedicating its merit.. He says to take flowers and water in the hand, and to speak the sankalp in whatever vidhi one knows — in Sanskrit if one knows Sanskrit, in Hindi if one knows Hindi — to the effect that "we are taking the sankalp of Deepdaan for the pleasure of all, together with the devi-devatas of our own kul".

The speaker says that a flower in the name of the deity for whom each lamp is to be lit is offered beside that lamp. He gives the order: the first lamp is in the name of Lakshmi-Ganesh; the second in the name of Lakshmi-Narayan; the third lamp in the name of the Kuldevi and the Kula Bhairava; the fourth lamp in the name of whichever Shakti Peeth is near one's home — the one that is nearest; and the last is the Shiv parivar. Next, he says, DhoopIncense offered during worship; its smoke is treated as an offering in its own right within the sequence of upacharas. is shown in the name of all the devi-devatas, each separately: first dhoop in the name of Lakshmi-Ganesh; then dhoop in the name of Lakshmi-Narayan, separately; then dhoop in the name of one's kul devi and kul bhairav, separately; after that dhoop in the name of one's shakti-peeth; and finally the Shiv parivar.

The speaker says the lighting of the lamps now begins, and that all the lamps are to be lit from the Karma Sakshi lamp only. Starting with Lakshmi-Ganesh, he says one may keep taking the deity's name while lighting; or one may read a deep-prajwalan (lamp-lighting) mantra; or recite a sooktam — the Tantrokta Devisuktam can be recited; or one may light the lamp while singing an auspicious sukta, stuti and so on of Bhagavati or of any devi-devata. Whichever deity's lamp is being lit, he says, light it while meditating on and remembering that deity. In this way, he says, all five lamps are lit one by one, keeping the order exactly as it was set: Lakshmi-Ganesh, then Lakshmi-Narayan, then the kul devi-devata and kul bhairav, then the Shakti Peeth nearest to one, and then in the name of the Shiv parivar.

The speaker says that after the lighting, one gives a PushpanjaliA closing offering of flowers held in cupped hands and placed at a deity's feet, accompanied by a prayer of self-surrender. behind every lamp — a little flower is offered — and gives water three times with an achamani spoon. He says this has to be done with every lamp, taking the name-mantra of each: "kul devi namah, kul devataya namah, pushpanjali samarpayami, tadupurant achamaniyam jalam samarpayami". Doing it this way for everyone — or else speaking in ordinary Hindi — one gives everyone the flower and three spoons of water from the achamani.