Why do we light a lamp in pooja room

In almost every Indian home, a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord.  In some houses,

it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk- and in a few, it is maintained continuously-

Akhand Deepak.  All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often

maintained right through the occasion.

 

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness-ignorance.  The Lord is the “Knowledge Princeiple”

(Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge.  Hence light is

worshiped as the Lord himself.

 

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is the lasting inner

wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to

knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

 

Why not light a bulb or tube light ? That too would remove darkness.  But the traditional oil lamp has

a further spiritual significance.  The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our “Vaasanas” or negative

tendencies and the wick, the ego.  When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted an

the ego too finally perishes.  The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such

knowledge as to take us towards higher ideas.

Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray “

Deepajyothi parabrahma, Deepa sarva tamopahaha,

Deepena Saadhyate saram, Sandhya deepo namostute.

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.

 

Astu