Page 6 - newsletter4.0

FESTIVALS

Navaratri

Every Hindu festival has a spiritual message for the With the dawn of spiritual wisdom the little ego is
sadhaka. This nine-day festival celebrates the triumph destroyed. This destruction is commemorated on the
of good over evil. In fact the theme of the entire Vedas 10th night with the burning of an effigy. This 10th
is reflected in the Navaratri festival: first remove all day is called Vijayadashmi (Vijaya-victory,dashmi-ten);
negativities; then purify the mind and cultivate positive or Vidhyarambha (Vidhya-wisdom, knowledge,
virtues; and finally gain spiritual knowledge and rambha-joy) Victory Day or the Joy of Enlightenment
transcend all limitations. respectively.

Nava means nine and ratri means night. During these At Navaratri time the Rasa (dance of joy) of Shree
nine nights the Mother Goddess is worshipped in her Krishna and the Gopis is also performed. As the mind
variously manifested forms as Durga, Laxmi and becomes purer, calmer quieter, a greater understanding
Saraswati. On the first three nights Durga is invoked for of the nature of the Inner Self is revealed, giving rise to
her strength and ferocity which are required to cut out joy and happiness which is expressed in this dance
from the mind it’s strong rooted, deep-seated negative of Realisation.
tendencies. Goddess Laxmi is (then) worshipped on the
next three nights. She is invited to bring in her wealth of Why is the Navaratri Festival celebrated at night? The
noble values to nourish and purify the cleansed mind. spiritual message of night-time worship is that “you
Finally Goddess Saraswati is invoked on the last three have lived long enough in the sleepy realm of tamas, it
nights to bestow the Higher Knowledge of the Self- is time to get up now. Please, wake up!!”
possible only after cleansing and purification have
taken place.

Diwali

Diwali is a contraction of the word Deepavali which means ‘a row of lights’. Oil lamps are lit in every
household to mark this popular festival, which celebrates the victory of good over evil.

Swami Swaroopananda asks us to:

‘Fill the Heart with the oil of love.
Place in it the wick of single-pointed mind.
Light it with the Knowledge of Truth and remove
the darkness of ignorance around you.

Just as one lamp can light many lamps; let each
youth kindle this Light in many hearts.’

6