DIPARADHANA; THE WORSHIP WITH LAMPS.
The use of the verse from the Taittiriya Samhita recension of the
Yajur Veda in the lamp ritual in south Indian temples establishes a
relationship of continuity between the Vedic doctrines
and rituals and the contemporary doctrines and rituals of the temples
of southern India. The texts in which these traditions are embedded
are called agamas. These texts direct the construction of temples,
describe the form and
symbols of deities, explain the philosophy and teaching that is at the root
of this tradition, and describe and direct the performance of rituals.
One of the main ceremonies performed in the temples every day at least
once, and if possible upto six times, is called the sodasa upacara,
or the ritual of the 16 services. One of these services is called the
diparadhana. It is the offering of a series of burning lamps which are
ceremoniously waved before the deity under accompaniment of chanting
of appropriate veda-mantras. The offering follows a specific order,
and the lamps have various abstract and figurative shapes which
together represents cosmological and philosophical symbolism. Some lamps are
lighted with oil wicks, others are lighted with camphor flames.
The temples that are dedicated to one of the deities of the Shaiva
order, and these include temples where the presiding deity is Shiva,
his consort Parvati, or one of his sons, Ganapati or Murugan, all include
the purushamriga in the order of the ceremony with the lamps. This is
standard doctrine throughout the southern part of India.
The following is the order of the diparadhana or lamp ceremony as it is
performed six times daily in the Shri Shiva Nataraja temple in Chidambaram.
The purushamriga or sphinx lamp is the third lamp in the order of the
lamp ceremony.
Each of the lamps is waved before the murti of the deity while a verse
from the Veda is chanted by the officiating priest. The verse accompanying
the purushamriga lamp is from the Taittiriya Samhita recension of the Krishna
Yajur Veda, (5.5.15.1.).
“Purusamrigascandramase godhakalakadarvaghatah te vanaspatiname
‘tyahne krsnoratrye pikaha ksvidkanila sirsni te ‘ryamne dhatuh karkatah”
Translated it is
“The human beast to the Moon; the lizard, the Kalaka, the woodpecker,
these are for the trees; the dappled (deer) to day; the black (antelope) to night;
the cuckoo, the Ksvinka, the black headed, these are (to be offered) to Aryaman;
the crab for Dhatr.”
(Translation from A.B.Keith, The Veda of the Black Yajus School entitled Taittiriya Samhita, 1914)
