On the dark, moonless night of the month of Kartik, rows of lamps flutter fearlessly, cutting through the abject darkness. This humble act represents the greatest law of Nature; that darkness can only be dispelled by light. Darkness of ignorance and tamasic inertia are hardest to overcome. Only awareness, dhyan and action in the right direction can uplift the human being towards ‘enlightenment.’ 

Shadows appear when there is resistance to light, and these become less significant as light emerges. It is a Natural law that the sun at its zenith reduces shadows. 

Deepawali stands for the victory of truth over falsehood, as Shri Ram represented righteousness, while Ravan with his devious abduction of Sita ji, stands for is all that is arrogant, indolent and reprehensible. 

Nature supports this principle of light of truth, and states satyamev jayate, truth pervades and prevails. She imparts equal energy to truth and falsehood, so each propels the other towards growth and evolution, but in the end, the truth is always victorious.

Truth also means being ‘true’ to our own self. In Nature, plants and animals are connected to themselves, their nature and inherent attributes. None behave contrary to these. Only when corrupted by human influences, they become dependent and exhibit nonconformist, unnatural attributes.

Plants take exact amounts of nutrients required from the soil, never hoard extra. It is here that another natural law can be seen that reflects the survival of the fittest… only those who are connected to the purity of Nature’s design survive and evolve. Nature has space for all. So instead of questioning her, we should play our roles efficiently and effectively, true to the abilities and capabilities bestowed upon us. Our evolution and growth depend upon this alone. Without Ravan, there would have been no Ram. This too is a law of Nature, negativity, and positivity always coexist.

Shri Ram is referred to as an avatar, not because he was born with some extraordinary powers, but because he was absolutely connected to his true Self, always living the knowledge bestowed upon him through teachers and parents that it empowered him to take the right decisions in pressing times and to sail through various circumstances with ease, peace, and grace. It is a Natural law that Nature might bring about a storm, but it also has some rhythm and beauty.

Rituals of Deepawali are many and have profound meanings. Weeks before, a thorough cleansing of the surroundings is initiated. Clutter is overbearing and sometimes creates mental blocks and distractions, hence needs to be sorted out.

Nature has her own beautiful way of arranging and imparting beauty to everything. A rock precariously placed over a hill or the gushing waters of a river that carry forward all the debris, whatever she does is ever so graceful, spontaneous and divine. Even sitting next to a green plant in a corporate office makes one peaceful and calm. It is essential that our surroundings are organised and clean.

Flowing effortlessly like the river and wind exemplifies another law of Nature that represents gati, constant movement. A healthy circulation of assets maintains this law. Blocked resources, whether in the form of money, knowledge, or talent, lead to stagnancy, resulting in frustration. So, what is not in use needs to be passed on, distributed, reflecting generosity and compassion. That is why the goddess of wealth, Shri Lakshmi, is shown seated amidst the waves of the ocean also known as Ratnakar, which contains invaluable gems of wealth. She is flanked by elephants signifying sensitivity and strong memory; their trunks shower gold coins on those who are deserving of divine abundance.

Gifts are exchanged as an offering of love and gratitude. Everything in Nature is based on the principle of ‘opening and blossoming’. It reaches its peak when beauty, grace, perfection, love, and divinity reflect in every aspect. 

The maturity gained by Shri Ram through the hardships of his 14-year-exile adorned him with deep wisdom and blossoming that enabled him to work according to the requirement of Time.

Maa Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, is also worshipped on the day of Deepawali to seek blessings to imbibe true gyan. Knowledge of all arts, and get empowered to perfect these to exude grace of a siddha, an accomplished one.

Maa Lakshmi, the principle of abundance, is always seated near perfection and sustainer, Shri Vishnu; as seen in the form of Shri Ram and Sita ji, in the protection of love, concern, and duty of Shri Lakshman, backed by total surrender, and seva, selfless service, of Hanuman ji. 

The collective strength of the Vanar Sena, the army of monkeys and bears in which everyone was in one thought – that of absolute karm and reverence for the commands of Shri Ram — ensured victory. This is the law of collective consciousness, which states that any thought or deed performed in unison, with the corresponding, feel is sure to manifest. 

Shri Ganesha is always invoked at the start, to ignite all these energies for fulfilling every auspicious deed graciously. His symbolic representation as an elephant-headed deity exemplifies wisdom, concentration, need to collect all the information before commencing any new task and, of course, the laddus, sweets in both hands signify twin benefits, one of victory and the other of wisdom garnered through failure. 

All these energies are essential for growth, glory and grace. When we celebrate festivals understanding their spiritual significance, a subtle transformation happens in consciousness, internally and externally, benefitting humanity as a whole. 

Deepawali is one of the most popular festivals of Bharat. It has been celebrated for ages. The human craving for entertainment and a sense of well-being based on superficiality has created a warped view of most of our traditions, especially in the minds of the younger generation. The sensible ones rue this denigration, while the youth of Bharat fail to see the relevance of our sanatan, eternal, traditions and culture.

A sense of pride and belonging to one of the oldest surviving living traditions on the planet has taken a beating, to be replaced with shallow concepts based on need, greed and ugly display of wealth. Nothing wrong in incorporating that which is progressive, but to make the youth aware of the most open-minded, scientific, evolutionary, modern and well-meaning culture in the world, we should know the true meaning of all the symbolic representations worshipped during our festivals and do sadhna, practice to imbibe their divine attributes. Only then can we do justice to the divine design of being born in the land of Bharat.