𝘼 𝘿𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙞 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 : 𝙆𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙣𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙖

The story starts in Satya Yuga. So there was a powerful Asura named Hiranyaksha who wanted to destroy Mother Earth & went on to brutally assault her.

To rescue Mother Earth Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Varaha (wild boar) & overpowered Hiranyaksha in a duel fought under water, restoring Earth to it's original position.

From the exertion of fight, a drop of Lord Varaha's sweat fell on the ground. From this sweat a fully grown warrior was born. This warrior was Narakasura.

Bhoodevi(Mother Earth)asked Varaaha that her son should be invincible. Varaaha pulled out one of his tusks & gave it to Naraka saying he could use it as a weapon whenever he was in great danger.

But Varaha also warned him
“Use your great powers to do only good,son,Uphold dharma”

“I’ve no doubt he will become the most powerful warrior in the three worlds,” said Bhoodevi expressing admiration for her son.
“Powerful, he will certainly be,” said Lord Varaaha. “Will he also uphold dharma? What makes an individual great is his adherence to dharma.”

Centuries rolled by. Meanwhile Naraka had grown very powerful. Ruling from his impregnable fortress of Prag-jyotisha-pura or the land of the rising sun, he had conquered earth and heaven. Drunk with power, he snatched away the celestial ear rings of Aditi & abducted many women.

Distraught by the atrocity of Naraka, Lord indra sought after Vishnu to intervene. Satyabhama, one of the wife of akrishna pleaded her husband to act. Armed with Sudarshana chakra Vishnu left for Prayag Jyotish pura with satyabhama in Garuda, Vishnu's celestial vehicle.

Now Naraka's capital was very well protected but how difficult can it be for our Lord Vishnu to penetrate the layers & enter inside. Finally Naraka came to fight Krishna. Oh! the mighty fight that took place between Krishna & Naraka.

Finally, on the dark night of CHATURDASHI, Naraka took out the deadly tusk given to him by Lord Varaha(which he had saved for such occasion) & threw at Krishna's chest, thus making him unconscious.

As krishna fell on the the floor, His worthy wife satyabhama picked up the bow & continued to fight.  In Satyabhama, Naraka found a worthy foe. He had no clue as to how to stop her onslaught.

In the mean time, Krishna regained his senses. Naraka was startled to see Krishna wake up & realized if the tusk of Varaha, it can only mean one thing- krishna is none other than Varaha himself, reincarnation of Vishnu & his father.

His father's words now rang in his ears - "Always uphold dharma, Son".

He had failed his father. This self realization made him meekly submit as Krishna finally slayed Naraka with his chakra.

Moved at the sight of the dying Naraka, Satyabhama, who was none other than the reincarnation of Bhoodevi herself, rushed to him.

Naraka saw the light in his dying moments. The darkness was lifted as the dawn broke. That day is celebrated as the festival of lights, DIWALI, which signifies that we have to emerge from darkness to light.

Story Source: Mahabharata & Bhagwaat Purana.
Image Source: Various.