Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals : 12-17.

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26/01/2017

Chapter -12. Yajna – Quintessence of the Culture of India-17.

Deepavali message given on the 25th of October, 1973.

Dipavali means the line of lights. 'Dipa' is light, and 'Avali' means line. So, Dipavali, or the festival of the line of lights, is the celebration of the rise of Knowledge.

It is also the celebration of the victory of the Sattvic or divine elements in us over the Rajasic and Tamasic or baser elements which are the real Asuras, the Rakshasas – Narakasura and others.

The whole world is within us.

The whole cosmos can be found in a microscopic form in our own body. Rama-Ravana-Yuddha and Tarakasura-Vadha, and all such epic wars – everything is going on inside us.

This Dipavali is thus also a psychological context, wherein we contemplate in our own selves the holy occasion of self-mastery, self-subjugation and self-abnegation, leading to the rise of all spiritual virtues which are regarded as lustre or radiance emanating from Self-Knowledge. Bhagavati Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, does not merely mean the Goddess of wealth in a material sense.

Lakshmi does not mean only gold and silver.

Lakshmi means prosperity in general, positive growth in the right direction, a rise into the higher stages of evolution.

This is the advent of Lakshmi.

Progress and prosperity are Lakshmi.

In the Vishnu Purana we are told if Narayana is like the sun, Lakshmi is like the radiance of the sun.

They are inseparable. Wherever Narayana is, there is Lakshmi.

Wherever is divinity, there is prosperity.

So on this day of Dipavali we worship the Supreme God who is the source of all conceivable virtues, goodness and prosperity, which is symbolised in illumination – lighting and worship in the form of Arati – and gay joyous attitude and feeling in every respect.

So, in short, this is a day of rejoicing at the victory of Sattva over the lower Gunas, the victory of God Himself over the binding fetters of the soul.

Chapter -12. Yajna – Quintessence of the Culture of India - ENDS HERE.

Next : Chapter 13: Lord Skanda – The Concentrated Divine Energy

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ...


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