Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Truth, joy and beauty:

by Panchamee Hewavissenti

Deepavali, which is also known as the festival of lights was celebrated on the 8th of November this year. It usually falls around late October or early November on the new moon day. This festival is looked upon as the beginning of a New Year.

Deepavali is celebrated to commemorate the victory of God Krishna who defeated the king of demons, Narakasur.

Demon Narakasur was granted a wish at his death bed, and he required people to light lamps and to wear new clothes to celebrate the triumph of goodness over evil. Lord Krishna asked people to rejoice on this day on the anniversary of the death of Narakasur as a reminder that ultimately, evil will never conquer. Little clay lamps called diyas are lit to show gratitude to Lord Krishna.

It was also on a Deepavali day that Sri Rama returned to Ayodya after vanquishing Ravana and his Raksha tribe. Ayodya had been a city of darkness in the absence of Sri Rama. They celebrated the arrival and triumph of Sri Rama by lighting lamps everywhere.

The literally meaning of Deepavali is - Deepa - lamps, Vali - festival. On the day of Deepavali Hindus light lamps and keep them at the entrance by the walls, on the streets and lanes. The wisdom behind lighting lamps is to enlighten the soul of the people.

It carries the theme of " Darkness to Light". The first prospect of lighting lamps is to dismiss darkness from the earth. And the second is to minimise the difference between the rich and the poor, and to expel discrimination between them.

The third is to light distinguished lamps of our neighbours. Regardless of where it is lighted, in a hovel or a mansion, the anticipation of lighting lamps is to bring unity to all human beings.

To enter the real spirit of Deepavali, devotees are required to light lamps and to say prayers to God Krishna and his celestial consort Goddess Luxmi. Moreover to welcome and to receive blessings of Goddess Luxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, devotees are encouraged to feed the hungry, for the needy and to help them as best they can.

Lighting lamps depicts the lighting of one's soul, removing darkness from one's soul and illuminating one's consciousness. One should try to achieve the state of God through self realisation. Self realised souls should be refrained from selfishness to bring the truth on earth. One should look in to one's inner self in order to repel ignorance to attain the high bliss of God.

One can achieve wisdom by illuminating one's blind senses, which always bring about worries, anxieties which often cause spiritual famine.

One can achieve the state of self awareness and control over oneself through meditation. By being mindfully involved in meritorious acts during the time of Deepavali as well as other times will keep a person closer to God. Through spiritual upliftment one may attain a blissful mind, by which only the good will prevail.

As Lord Krishna defeated Narakasur, one should try to refrain from all the negative aspects of life such as anger, greed, wickedness, avarice, jealousy and lust and disloyalty to God. The inner significance of celebrating Deepavali is to defeat the inner demon in every human being.

On Deepavali day people celebrate the destruction of evil in man, collectively personified as Narakasur. When a man is confronted not only by the external battles fought by all men but also with the internal clash between the negative forces of life, it's hard for him to re- establish himself. But he can conquer internal war by attempting to meditate and getting spiritually closer to God.

One of the aims of Deepavali is to make people aware of the constant warfare that exist in one's mind. The psychological conflict for health, prosperity, self control and wisdom has to be started anew each day in order for man to advance toward victory, reclaiming inch by inch the territories of the soul occupied by the rebels of ignorance.

The quickest attainment of that victory is assured to the devotee, through undiscourageable practice of the divine teachings.

The prime aim of Deepavali is to attain perfect inner illumination. And through that to wake up from the slumber of ignorance and to pave the way toward reaching God. By the power of thousands of lamps lighted in this country on the day of Deepavali, we shall invoke together to bring peace to our country and to see a bright future as the lamps lit, diminish the darkness.

Reaching for a blissful mind through spiritual upliftment.

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