A discharge lamp lighting device comprising: a lighting part including at least a capacitor connected in parallel with a discharge lamp and a resonance circuit (L2, C2) connected to the discharge lamp to output AC power to the discharge lamp; and a control part for controlling the discharge lamp, wherein the control part is for, upon lighting of the discharge lamp, continuing a starting operation for controlling the lighting part for a predetermined time so as to make the frequency of an output of the lighting part sufficiently close to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit (L2, C2) included in the lighting part to such an extent that a voltage required for starting of discharge in the discharge lamp is outputted to the discharge lamp, and the control part is configured to control the lighting part so as to generate a DC component in an output voltage to the discharge lamp during the starting operation; wherein the lighting part comprises a full-bridge (Q1-Q4) type inverter circuit inputted with DC power to output AC power; wherein the control part is configured to control one set (Q1, Q4) of sets (Q1, Q 4; Q2, Q3) of switching elements, of said inverter circuit each set being composed of two switching elements positioned diagonally to each other in the lighting part, and is further configured to asymmetrically control the other set (Q2, Q3) during the starting operation, thereby generating the DC component in the output voltage to the discharge lamp; and wherein in the lighting part, the respective switching elements (Q1-Q4) have parasitic diodes opposed to DC power to be inputted, respectively; characterized in that the control part is configured to control the lighting part in the starting operation so as to periodically and alternately repeat a state of turning on the switching elements (Q1, Q4; Q2, Q3) in one set (Q1, Q4) of sets of switching elements, respectively, and turning off the switching elements in the other set (Q2, Q3), respectively, and a state of turning on only one (Q1; Q2) of the switching elements and turning off the remaining three switching elements, respectively. a lighting part including at least a capacitor connected in parallel with a discharge lamp and a resonance circuit (L2, C2) connected to the discharge lamp to output AC power to the discharge lamp; and a control part for controlling the discharge lamp, wherein the control part is for, upon lighting of the discharge lamp, continuing a starting operation for controlling the lighting part for a predetermined time so as to make the frequency of an output of the lighting part sufficiently close to the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit (L2, C2) included in the lighting part to such an extent that a voltage required for starting of discharge in the discharge lamp is outputted to the discharge lamp, and the control part is configured to control the lighting part so as to generate a DC component in an output voltage to the discharge lamp during the starting operation; wherein the lighting part comprises a full-bridge (Q1-Q4) type inverter circuit inputted with DC power to output AC power; wherein the control part is configured to control one set (Q1, Q4) of sets (Q1, Q 4; Q2, Q3) of switching elements, of said inverter circuit each set being composed of two switching elements positioned diagonally to each other in the lighting part, and is further configured to asymmetrically control the other set (Q2, Q3) during the starting operation, thereby generating the DC component in the output voltage to the discharge lamp; and wherein in the lighting part, the respective switching elements (Q1-Q4) have parasitic diodes opposed to DC power to be inputted, respectively; characterized in that the control part is configured to control the lighting part in the starting operation so as to periodically and alternately repeat a state of turning on the switching elements (Q1, Q4; Q2, Q3) in one set (Q1, Q4) of sets of switching elements, respectively, and turning off the switching elements in the other set (Q2, Q3), respectively, and a state of turning on only one (Q1; Q2) of the switching elements and turning off the remaining three switching elements, respectively.