A lighting apparatus for an electric discharge lamp is disclosed. This apparatus comprises: a lighting ballast capacitor (41), connected in series to an electric discharge lamp (30), for stabilizing a lighting current to the lamp (30); a preheating ballast capacitor (42), connected in parallel to the lamp (30), for supplying a preheating electric power to the lamp; electric power supply means (4, 43, 130) including an output transformer (11) for supplying an electric power to the lighting ballast capacitor (41); a control electric power supply circuit (90) for obtaining a control electric power through the lighting ballast capacitor (41) and discharge lamp (30) or the preheating ballast capacitor (42) without adding a stepdown transformer or a resistive element for voltage drop; and an oscillator (10, 110) which receives the control electric power from the control power supply circuit and controls the electric power supply means. With this lighting apparatus, the electric power loss is made small and the miniaturization of the apparatus can be realized.