PURPOSE: To provide a discharge lamp lighting device which generally stabilizes the lighting of a discharge lamp and ensures the lighting of the discharge lamp at the time of start.

CONSTITUTION: The alternate current from a commercial AC power source E is rectified by a rectifier circuit 1 and converted into a high frequency by an oscillating circuit 2 to light a discharge lamp FL. When the discharge lamp FL is lighted, a control circuit 3 controls a control winding Tr1c according to the voltage detected by a detecting winding Tr2c to control the oscillation of a transistor W, and stabilizes the output of the oscillating circuit 2. When the discharge lamp FL is started, the voltage of a current-limiting chalk coil La is raised, a Zener diode ZD1 is ON to make the control circuit 3 OFF, and the output of the oscillating circuit 2 is increased to ensure the start of the discharge lamp FL.