Vedic Katha
On Chhoti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi), Hindus remember how Krishna and his queen Satyabhama destroyed the demon Narakasura and freed sixteen thousand…
Naraka Chaturdashi, also called Chhoti Diwali or Kali Chaudas, falls on the fourteenth lunar day, just before the main night of Diwali.
Narakasura, a demon king of immense power, had conquered heaven and earth, stolen the earrings of Aditi, mother of the gods, seized the parasol of Varuna, and imprisoned sixteen thousand women in his fortress.
Krishna rode out on Garuda with his queen Satyabhama, who was none other than an incarnation of Bhudevi, the earth goddess, Narakasura's own mother.
Krishna freed the sixteen thousand captives and restored what Narakasura had stolen. On this day many people take a ceremonial oil bath (abhyanga snan) before sunrise, washing away impurity as the world was…
Naraka Chaturdashi is a victory of freedom over fear. The light is lit not in triumph alone but in mercy, even the defeated demon's last wish, that his fall bring joy rather than mourning, is honoured.
Naraka Chaturdashi is a victory of freedom over fear. The light is lit not in triumph alone but in mercy, even the defeated demon's wish, that his fall bring joy rather than grief, is honoured.
Vedic Katha
The complete story, its characters and sources, on Vedic Katha.