The shloka
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः ।
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
dīpajyotiḥ parabrahma dīpajyotirjanārdanaḥ |
dīpo haratu me pāpaṃ dīpajyotirnamo'stu te ||
Deepajyotih Parabrahma deepajyotir Janardanah
Deepo haratu me papam deepajyotir namo'stu te
हिन्दी अर्थ
दीपक की ज्योति परब्रह्म है, दीपक की ज्योति ही जनार्दन (भगवान विष्णु) है। यह दीपक मेरे पापों को दूर करे। हे दीप-ज्योति, आपको नमस्कार है।
Meaning in English
The light of the lamp is the Supreme Brahman; the light of the lamp is Janardana. May the lamp remove my sins. O light of the lamp, salutations to you.
Recited Deepa Jyoti Parabrahma?
Mark it, light a diya, or keep it for tomorrow.
Word-by-word meaning
- dīpajyotiḥ
- the light (flame) of the lamp
- parabrahma
- the Supreme Brahman
- janārdanaḥ
- Janardana, a name of Vishnu
- dīpaḥ
- the lamp
- haratu
- may (it) remove
- me
- my
- pāpam
- sin, wrongdoing
- namo'stu te
- salutations be to you
When and how to recite
- After lighting the evening lamp, join your palms before it.
- Recite the shloka while gazing gently at the flame.
- Traditionally, pass your palms over the flame and touch them to your eyes and head.
- It is also recited when lighting the lamp to begin a function or ceremony.
Significance
Deepa Jyoti Parabrahma is the deepa namaskara shloka, recited after lighting the lamp, usually right after Shubham Karoti Kalyanam. It honours the flame as the Supreme Brahman and as Janardana (Vishnu), and prays that the light of the lamp may remove one's sins. Recited in homes every evening and at the start of ceremonies when the lamp is lit, it expresses the Hindu understanding that the light before us is a symbol of the Divine.
The verse invites us to see the small flame not as mere fire but as a symbol of the Supreme Reality, which is pure light and consciousness. Just as a single lamp dispels the darkness of a room, remembrance of the Divine dispels ignorance and wrongdoing. Saluting the lamp each evening is a way to close the day's activity with reflection, ask pardon for mistakes and turn the mind toward the sacred before night.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Deepa Jyoti Parabrahma?
It says the lamp's light is the Supreme Brahman and Janardana (Vishnu), prays that the lamp remove one's sins, and offers salutations to the flame.
When is Deepa Jyoti Parabrahma chanted?
Every evening after lighting the home lamp, and when lighting the lamp to start a ceremony or function.
Should Deepa Jyoti be recited with Shubham Karoti?
Yes, in many homes the two are recited one after the other: Shubham Karoti while lighting the lamp, and Deepa Jyoti while saluting it.
