Universal
Deepa Jyotih Parabrahma
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः । दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Simple reading
Dee-pa jyo-tih pa-ra-brah-ma, dee-pa jyo-tir ja-naar-da-nah, dee-po ha-ra-tu me paa-pam, dee-pa jyo-tir na-mo-stu te
Dīpa-jyotiḥ parabrahma dīpa-jyotir janārdanaḥ, dīpo haratu me pāpaṁ dīpa-jyotir namo'stu te
About this mantra
The companion lamp verse, said with Shubham Karoti at the evening lamp. Where that verse lists what the flame gives, this one says what the flame is.
Meaning
The light of the lamp is the supreme absolute; the light of the lamp is Janardana. May the lamp take away my faults; light of the lamp, salutations to you. The verse dares an equation, this small flame is parabrahma, because fire is the one household thing that behaves like the absolute: giving itself away all evening and remaining undiminished. The faults it takes, it takes the way light takes darkness: by presence, not by force.
Learn it by heart
Say the first line until it comes without reading, then add the next line and say both, until the whole mantra comes on its own.
Line 1 of 2
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः ।
Dīpa-jyotiḥ parabrahma dīpa-jyotir janārdanaḥ, dīpo haratu me pāpaṁ dīpa-jyotir namo'stu te
0not said yet
Aim for eleven before the next line. Move on when the line comes without reading.
Progress stays on this device.
When to recite it
At the evening lamp; recited while lighting diyas at any festival, and through Kartik's lamp-filled evenings and Dev Deepawali.
Word by word
- दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्मdīpa-jyotiḥ parabrahma
- the lamp's light is the supreme
- जनार्दनःjanārdanaḥ
- Janardana (Vishnu)
- दीपो हरतु मे पापंdīpo haratu me pāpaṁ
- may the lamp take away my faults
- नमोऽस्तु तेnamo'stu te
- salutations to you
Source: Traditional dīpa-vandana verse