The season of autumn emerges resplendent following the monsoon showers. Mother Earth, with its storehouse of seuli and kaash flowers, initiates the interplay of light and darkness.
This is the season that celebrates the triumph of light of goodness over the forces of evil and malevolent forces through a string of festivals.
The celebration of light pervades various religions during this time. Guru Nanak-Ji’s birthday, celebrated during this time by the Sikh and Sindhi communities, underscores the auspiciousness of the time. Nanakji brought new light and life to his community, ushering in a nascent spiritual liberation.
The Christians commemorate and celebrate their deceased through the All-Souls’ Day on the second of November. Light pervades the propitious occasion, lighting up the cemetery and other places with candles.
The Hindus light the Akash Pradeep to show the way to their departed ancestors, while simultaneously celebrating the festive month through a long sequence of Durga Puja, Laxmi Puja, Kali Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, and Chhath Puja — all celebrating the defeat of the dark forces of evil by the divine light of goodness.
Of all Hindu festivals, the festival of Diwali or Deepawali happens to be the brightest and biggest. This festival is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm not only in India but all over the world. The name Deepavali consists of two words, deep (light) and avali (a row). It implies a row of lights. Lamps of various colours, shapes and beauty are lit.
These lamps decorate not only religious places but also adorn various homes, sidewalks and stores, leaving no place dim and shady. That is why the sacred occasion is celebrated as the festival of lights.
Along with the lamps and lights, fireworks, too, light up the night sky. Deepawali is usually celebrated in the sandhi (fusion) period of the months of Ashwina-Kartika (October -November). Many think that the celebration originated from the sacrifices of the Vedic Aryans.
Also, according to the Hindu religious beliefs and legends, the people of Ayodhya lit lamps and decorated their houses and streets to welcome Lord Ram when he returned home after his 14-year self-exile. The light dispels sadness and brings back happiness for the people of Ayodhya.
Diwali in western India welcomes Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity and also Lord Ganesha, who brings fulfilment and success to various business and entrepreneurial undertakings.
In the southern part of India, the occasion celebrates the defeat of Bali by Lord Vishnu, again commemorating the triumph of good over evil. We also know that Deepawali celebrates the victory of Rukmini, wife of Lord Krishna, over Narakasura. This shows the triumph of the potent feminine principle over evil and malevolence.
In Bengal, on the day of Deepawali, Goddess Kali is worshipped. The night of the puja is referred to as Mahanisha, or the great night, where, under divine guidance, forces of darkness and fear are overcome.
Light, as the essence of Deepawali, symbolises wisdom. We appreciate wisdom as a cardinal blessing of our life, aspiring for knowledge, happiness and insight. God desired to give King Solomon wealth and other riches; but Solomon prayed to God for wisdom, to learn to distinguish good from evil. That way, he desired to love and serve people in the way God wanted. God was very happy and granted Solomon precious wisdom as he had requested to govern his people.
Celebrating Deepavali, we have the great realisation that ultimately, wisdom and truth will triumph over evil.
The illuminating presence of God in our wisdom awakens our inner consciousness to the harsh realities of the darkness of selfishness, injustice, corruption, oppression, division, hatred and all other evils. We can come out of these narrow differences through the Light of divine wisdom and guidance, facilitating love, peace and harmony among all.
The sacred Light of God inspires us to become men and women for and with others, loving and serving all, especially the poor, forgotten, forsaken, and marginalised.
In that way, we become the light of God in the challenging situations of today’s darkness in various forms.
Our national motto, ‘Satyameva Jayate (Truth will triumph)’, expresses the theme of the Deepawali clearly.
Srimad Bhagavad Gita (15, 12-13) enlightens us, saying: “The radiance in the sun that illumines the entire world, that which shines in the moon and in the fire, know that to be Mine. Permeating the soil, it is I who support all creatures by My vital energy, and becoming the sapful moon, I nourish all plants.”
The main aspirations characterising Deepawali are summed up, as we know, in the invocation of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28), recited by Pope Paul VI, the first Pope ever to visit India in 1964, expressing humankind’s aspirations.
Asato ma sad gamaya…from the unreal lead me to the Real
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya …from darkness lead me to Light
Mrityor ma amritam gamaya…from death lead me to Life Immortal.
The Bible, too, echoes the spirit of endurance and triumph of light. In the Bible, God says, “I am the Light of the world, anyone who follows me will not walk in darkness, he will have the light of life”, and “I am the way, the truth and the life” (St John: Chapters 9 and 14).
Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore’s lyrics resonate the same message, “Bhengecho duar esecho jyotirmoy, tomari houk joi; timirobidar udaro obbhudoi, tomari houk joi (Breaking the door open you have come radiating because you are the greatest; appearing humbly you are diffusing darkness; you are the greatest)”.
On the auspicious occasion of Deepavali let all of us join and pray to the Almighty to free us from all forms of bondage and redeem us in the divine light of glory.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Dominic Savio, SJ, is the principal of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Calcutta