Choti Diwali · Abhyanga snana (arunodaya)

What the day is

• The Chaturdashi, the fourteenth lunar day, of the dark fortnight — the second day of the lamp festival and the eve of the Diwali new moon.
• Its rites are an oil bath before sunrise, an offering of water to Yama, and lamps at dusk.

What to do today

• Rise before dawn and take the oil bath in the window this page shows.
• After the bath, offer sesame water to Yama by his fourteen names.
• At dusk, light lamps at the shrine, the doors and the cowshed.

When

• Three times are ranked: from the last watch of the night to arunodaya is the lowest, from arunodaya to moonrise is better, and from moonrise to sunrise is the best (mukhya) time.
• This page shows the moonrise-to-sunrise window first, and the other windows where they apply.
• If the dawn windows are missed, bathe after sunrise all the same; this is the secondary time, but the bath must not be skipped.

The oil and the bath

• Rub the body with sesame oil, then bathe; on this morning Lakshmi dwells in the oil and Ganga in the water.
• Many families apply an ubtan of gram flour, turmeric and fragrant herbs before the bath (practice)

Apamarga

• During the bath, whirl a sprig of apamarga (prickly chaff-flower) around the body and over the head with a clod of ploughed earth, asking it to take away sin; sprigs of tumbi and chakramarda may be added too.

After

• Put on clean or new clothes and apply a tilak; those keeping the Kartika bath take it next, and then the Yama tarpana.

Yama tarpana

• Face south and offer three handfuls of water mixed with sesame for each of Yama's fourteen names, from Yama, Dharmaraja, Mrityu and Antaka to Chitragupta.
• The sacred thread may be worn in either position; one whose father is living offers barley in place of sesame, with the thread in the usual way.
• This tarpana is offered even by those whose father is living.

Food

• The Linga Purana praises eating greens of the masha (urad) leaf on this day.
• In Bengal fourteen kinds of greens are eaten today.

Lamps

• At pradosh, light lamps in temples and maths, on walls and in gardens, along the lanes, and in the stalls of cows, horses and elephants — this is done on all three days of the festival.
• Many families light fourteen lamps around the house tonight (practice)

A lamp for Naraka

• A lamp with four wicks is given for Naraka's sake, to clear away all sins.

Torches for the forebears

• With the sun in Libra, torches are shown at pradosh on the Chaturdashi and the Amavasya to light the path of the forebears (pitrs).

The meal

• Eat a single meal at night, after the lamps; the night meal today brings great merit.

The name

• The name is explained by its bath: those who fear naraka, the realm of suffering, bathe at this hour, and the dawn bath keeps one from Yama's world.
• Popular telling ties the name to Narakasura, slain by Krishna (practice)

Three days of lamps

• The Chaturdashi, the Amavasya and the bright Pratipada are the three days of Dipotsava, most auspicious when Swati nakshatra joins them.
• The three days are both a duty and a blessing: neglect brings suffering, and keeping them brings Lakshmi.

Other names

• Roop Chaudas in Rajasthan and the north, Kali Chaudas in Gujarat, Bhoot Chaturdashi in Bengal, and the main day of Deepavali in much of the south (practice)

The rule

• The bath is taken on the day when the Chaturdashi is present at moonrise, in the last part of the night.
• When the Chaturdashi holds at moonrise on both days, the earlier day is taken; when it holds on neither, the day that has it at arunodaya is taken.

Where views differ

• The Gauda school of Bengal took the bath to the three muhurtas after sunrise; the bath at moonrise is the accepted time, and that view is not followed.
• One older view allowed the bath in the Trayodashi when the Chaturdashi ends early; this is not followed.
• For a short Chaturdashi there are two more views: some bathe before arunodaya while the Chaturdashi lasts, others bathe at moonrise even after the Amavasya has begun.

The month name

• Kartika Krishna Chaturdashi in the north's full-moon reckoning; Ashvina Krishna Chaturdashi in the amanta reckoning of the west and south.

On this page

• The date and the bath windows are worked out from this rule for your city.

Naraka of Pragjyotisha

• Naraka, called Bhauma because he was born of Bhumi, the Earth, ruled from Pragjyotisha; he took Aditi's earrings, Varuna's umbrella and the gods' mountain seat, and held thousands of princesses captive.
• Indra came to Krishna for help, and Krishna rode out on Garuda with Satyabhama beside him.

The battle

• Krishna broke through the city's rings of hills, weapons, water and fire, slew the guardian Mura, and then fought Naraka himself and cut him down with the discus.

Bhumi's prayer

• Bhumi, Naraka's mother, gave back the earrings, the umbrella and the garland, praised Krishna, and asked him to protect Naraka's son; Krishna gave him refuge.
• Krishna freed the captive princesses and married them, so that none was left without honour.

The date

• The Bhagavata does not give the day of the battle; the belief that Naraka fell on this Chaturdashi is held across India (practice)

Roop Chaudas

• In Rajasthan, Gujarat and much of the north the morning is Roop Chaudas: an ubtan of gram flour, turmeric and oil before the bath, for beauty and health (practice)

Kali Chaudas

• In Gujarat the night is Kali Chaudas, kept with worship of Hanuman and of Mahakali for protection (practice)

Bhoot Chaturdashi

• In Bengal fourteen lamps are lit at dusk for the forebears (practice)
• Fourteen kinds of greens are eaten that day.

The south

• In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra this is the main Deepavali day, with the oil bath before dawn, new clothes, sweets and crackers (practice)
• The morning greeting asks whether you have had your Ganga snana, since Ganga is in the water this morning (practice)