Narakchaturdashi

A few days ago I saw a post from my friend mocking Mahabharata and saying that what was the purpose of writing such a epic. Ved Vyasa, author of Mahabharata has a pivotal place in Hinduism, it is said that Vyasa has touched all knowledge in the world.

Today is an important day in Hindu year i.e Diwali or Narakchaturdashi in morning and Laxmi pujan in evening. Narakchaturdashi has its roots in Mahabharata. Narakasur was an Asura or Rakshasa, who kidnapped 16100 virgin princess in his palace. He raped them and imprisoned them in his fortess. After hearing about him and his ill treatment of women, Krishna along with his wife Satyabhama attacked him in the middle of night. A fierce battle ensued in which Narakasura was killed and all the women were liberated. Krishna was drenched in his blood and after returning home in morning, he took bath and cleansed himself. Naraksura also asked for a boon that his death should be celebrated with lights and hence festival of Diwali.

Accepting this story as a history raises several questions that why the attack was only done by Krishna and his wife, against such a powerful demon, in middle of night, why did the kings whose princess were kidnapped did not help, if there was a huge army defending the fortess how did Krishna single handedly defeated them.

But Krishna is derived from the word “Karshan” i.e to harness or attract, Krishna is the jivatma who harnesses the energies of universe or Sadhak who wants to progress on spiritual path.

Narakasura is the depiction of body, which does not move forward on the spiritual path, and hence his ~16100 Yog Nadis are unused and stuck in a prison. Such a body cannot be utilized by Krishna for enlightenment and hence he is killed and the Yog Nadis are freed for moving to higher planes. These Yog Nadis are utilized by Krishna hence it is referred as marriage. Sadhana is best done in midnight hence Krishna along with his wife attacks him at midnight.

This can be called an attempt to attach meanings to mythical stories but Ved Vyasa himself gives a hint in Ganesh katha. If Mahabharat is just history, why does Bhagwan Ganesh (God of intelligence) himself cannot understand the shlokas but takes time, which helps Vyasa to construct future shlokas.

लेखको भारतस्यास्य भव त्वं गणनायक |

मयैव प्रोच्यमानस्य मनसा कल्पितस्यच || (Adi Parva 1:77)

He asks Ganesh (Gannayak) to be the writer of Mahabharata, which he has imagined in a highly meditative state (प्रोच्यमानस्य).

Such is the significance of Mahabharat and Ramyan, not only for Hindus but for the whole world.

(Copied from Bhagwadgeeta: Vyas Ashay by Yogiraj Manohar Harkare)