Deepawali means Deep ki Awali or Pankti, Line of Lights Lamps or Candles to end Darkness. Deepawali is considered the darkest night of the year called Amavasya. In life, darkest days are those of Sorrow, Ignorance and Difficulties which can be removed by the light of Knowledge/Gyan, Love/,Prem, Shradha/Faith, Vinamrata/Politeness, Kshama/ Forgiveness, Bhakti/Devotion.
So we want to convert Extreme Darkness into Full Light by lighting the lamps of Ghee, which is basically purified butter made from Holy or pious Cow milk. When Ram killed Ravan and came back to Ayodhya, everyone lit lamps of Ghee as Ram was an idol whom people wanted to follow who showed to everyone the path of
“ Asto Ma Sat Gamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya....” So, Ram wants us to go from False to Truth , from Darkness to light and from Death to immortality. The Spiritual meaning of Deepawali is to Fight Ignorance with an Enlightened Heart, End Bad Feelings and thoughts and see God as Omnipotent and Omnipresent.
“Jalao diye par rahe dhyaan itna, andhera dhara par kahi reh na jaaye” Deepawali says spread so much light that there should be no darkness left anywhere. “Jyot se jyot jagao prabhuji prem ki ganga bahao prabhuji, deen dukhi ko hum apnaeein aisi raah dikhao prabhuji...” On Deepawali we pray to Lord to enlighten our hearts so that it is flowing like the Ganga of love and for that we pray to God to show us the path of strength to understand our unity to treat everyone with equality.
The Unity of Hindus and Muslims is also reflected in the words of the festivals they celebrate. Deepawali has Muslim ‘Ali’ in it and the Muslim festival of Ramzaan has ‘Ram’ in it.
One of the poems I wrote is inspired by Ravan as he remembered Ram so much thinking of him as enemy that he merged with Ram when he died.
O Lord take my love and let it flow in Fullness of Devotion to Thee;
O Lord take my Hands and let them work incessantly for Thee;
O Lord take my Soul let it merge in Thee;
O Lord take my Thoughts let them tune with Thee; O Lord take me all and make an instrument of Thee.
Dashehra or ‘Dash’ means Ten and ‘Hara’ means one who destroys the 10.
King Dashrath of Ayodhya in India was Ram’s Father and when asked by parents, Ram and Sita went to the forest in Chitrakoot for 14 years where Ravana the demon took away Sita.
To bring back Sita, Ram had to kill Ravana with the help of Hanumaan Jamwanth and other monkeys, who were actually divine beings. This added to Ram’s power. Ram had great quality and ability to involve Monkeys Bears and Other Simple Forest and Human Beings and animals.
It is interesting to know that if we can bring even a zero by our right side, we become 10. If you have a pure heart like that of Ram then you have power of 10.
Ram made himself small and simple by treating everyone equal to himself and never made anyone feel like his servant. Just like, when we put 1111 on top and below each other 1+1+1+1 adds up to be only 4. However, when we put 1111 next to each other in a single line it becomes 1 thousand 1 hundred and 11.
Vijaydashmi is a celebration of Ram’s ability to unite and make every one whether small or big.
The date when Ram killed Ravan and got victory was the 10th day so it is called Vijaydashmi. For nine days and nights of Navratri, Ram was praying to Mahashakti to increase his spiritual power and strength.
Even though Ravana is considered big and powerful with 10 heads and brains as powerful as that of 10 people yet due to his wrong doings and misdeed of taking away Ram’s wife Sita, he lost his life and wealth or the Lanka of Gold.
The Skanda Puran says: “Dasha Paap hara yashmaat Tasmaat dashahara smrita” We all are capable of committing 10 types of sins:
3 types of sins done by body: 1) Taking something without asking the owner, 2) Harming Physically and 3) Misbehaving with Other’s Wives.
4 types of Sins are done by Speech: 1) Speak Lies, 2) Use Hurtful Words, 3) Speak bad about Others and 3) Speak Un-Necessarily.
3 types of Sins done by Our Minds: 1) Thinking about Grabbing others’ money, 2) Thinking ill-thoughts of others and 3) Thinking Un-Necessarily.
Dashehra is meant to destroy these 10 types of sins to purify our intellect.
We must remember that When you loose money nothing is lost, When Health is lost something is lost and when Character is lost everything is lost. We should follow Ram’s Character as he was an idol King, idol Son for Mother and Step Mother, idol Husband, idol Student and Idol Social Worker who worked for welfare of Humanity. Ram was pure-hearted and had great Character so he was Victorious. Tulsidas says “Pratah kaal uthke ragunatha maat pita guru navahi maatha” Every morning Ram touched his parents feet with his forehead. Everything you do should be meaningful even the TEA that you drink should be that of Think Right Eat Right and Act Right.
Adi Jagadguru Shankracharya has summarized complete Ramanayan in single sholoka “Teertwa Moharnavam Hatwa Raag Dweshadi Rakshsaan, Sita Shanti Samayukto Heyatma Ramo Virajate” We have to cross the ocean of Attachment/Moha and kill Ravan and Kumbhkaran of Raag/Dwesh i.e Attachment and Hatred and bring Sita i.e Eternal Peace and get Ourselves fixed to the kingdom of the Self or Atma Ram through self realization. Ram is within us as Atma Ram and we have to fight Ravan which is there in the form of ignorance and arrogance which can be defeated through self realization.
When we will win this everyday will be our Dashehra and every Night will be Deepawali. This is the real meaning of these festivals. This is the unique way of living for a good person who lives with Atma Ram and is full of innocence making everyday is Deepawali and Dashehra
“ Sadhuon ka jeene ka dhang hi nirala hai ; Rom Rom Ram Me Rama Chehra Bhola Bhala Hai; Inka Kya Karegi Duniya Ye to Tam Ras me Page; Chahe Dhan Mile Beshumaar Chahe Aag Ghar me Lage; Jhanjhaton se Bachne ka Naya Rasta Nikala Hai; Sadhuon ke Chehre ki Shaan hi Nirali hai har din Dashehra inhe har ek raat ko Diwali hai; Sab jag hai roop Ram ka, Saas Saas Mala Hai...” (Song written by Dr Swami Satya Prakash)
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