Vijay Dashami: A Day of Victory
Vijay Dashami, also known as Dussehra, falls on October 9th this year. In Sanskrit, “Vijay” means “victory” and “Dashami” refers to the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Aashwayuja. Thus, Vijay Dashami is a festival of victory, the triumph of Dharma over Adharma. This day is marked by many inspiring episodes from history that reflect the victorious tradition of our ancestors. It was on Vijay Dashami that Shri Ram defeated Ravan after ten days of battle, thus liberating the city of Lanka from its adharmic ruler. Vijay Dashami is also the finale of the nine-day festival of Navaratri. During the days of Navratri, we worship Saraswati, the goddess of learning; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and Durga, the goddess of strength. There are countless names of the goddess of strength—Durga, Maha Kaali, Mahishasura Mardini. Time and time again, she has defeated the demonic forces and established the supremacy of the righteous.
The story of Mahishaasura Mardini has a unique message. At one stage, the gods felt powerless against the onslaughts of the demonic forces headed by Mahishaasura. In answer to their prayers for protection, they were asked to part with a portion of their divine powers to form into a new goddess. This was how Mahishaasura Mardini took on a physical form as the combined might of innumerous gods and goddesses. The dreaded demon Mahishaasura was slain by Mahishaasura Mardini on the day of Vijay Dashami, after a ceaseless fight of nine days.
The lesson of this legend is still relevant today: even the good and the righteous can succeed against the evil forces only when they come together in an organized endeavor. This message is significant not only in our personal lives, but also in Hindu society as a whole. Individually, many Hindus are good and pious, but as a society, we are presently disorganized and thus not as strong as we can be. Because of this lack of cohesive unity, Hindus faced hundreds of years of foreign invasions, enslavement, persecution, mass conversions, and continue to face challenges to this day. And all this tragedy was because of our fatal drawback of disorganization. Now, it is high time we learned the lesson from the past and realize, “Sanghe shaktih kalau yuge”—Organization holds the key to strength in Kaliyuga.The auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami reminds us that through organization and unity, we will always achieve victory, and that Dharma will always triumph. Shubh Dussehra!
Email This Post
Loading ...
October 2nd, 2008 09:49
Divine Glory of MAA
Oh divine Mother, to the Agnee Deva, we shall offer the Somam Amrutt thou carried in Glory! May the all knowing annihilate our foes!
May Agnee that thou radiantly sparkle in your fiery form “Kali-svaroop” be the very agnee to protect us and to nurture us all like Mother would embrace her children “Kalyani-svaroop”. May thou remove all our obstacles, evil and negativities. May thou Oh Amba carry us across the river to the other side of the bank. Jaya Ambe.
Taking refuge in Goddess grandeur Durga, Maha-Durga, who is effulgent of the Agnee, blazing in Spiritual fire and dynamic in spirit, consort of ViroChana - the supreme being, and bestower of proliferations, of our karma, obeisance thrice, to thee, salutations thrice to thee, glory thrice to thee, who is skilled in ferrying humankind across the river from the gross materialism to subtle most sublime divine bliss.
Oh Mother Divine Agnee Devi, thou art worthy of praise in three worlds, for thou art compassionate mother divine who removes all our materialistic obstacles and takes us abode the celestial divine bliss - SATT CHITT ANANDA.
Oh Divine mother JataVedas, help us, as we surrender at your feet, like Atri-Bhagavati who is concerned with our welfare.
Let us invoke your spirit of life, in flame of AGNEE, to commemorate your brilliance, equivalent to sixty four suns, thou art fiery kali thou art fiery flame of sixty four suns ablaze to destroy all evil doers, all negativities, all wrongfulness, all falsity and all selfishness.
So are you worshipped in Hommamm and praised in Agnee deepam Jyott for that is your other name, Oh kaali, Kalyani thou art the Divine Mother Supreme, powerful, whom Brahma, Vishnoo and Mahesh pay humble tribute in highest praises. Oh divine Agnee Devi, grant us illumination with thine MANTRA-SHAKTI, grant us prosperity to accomplish our journey in karmic time towards moksha.
Oh Indrani, Oh MahaDevi, light our path, so we may follow the divine JYOTT, and sing thine GLORY: “JAYA MAATA DI”.
Oh Mother, thou art the GAYATRI MANTRA, THOU ART THE SHAKTI OF SHIVA, THOU ART THE KATYAYANI, KALYANI KANYAKUMARI, HRIM KALI KAPALINI HREEM SHREEM EIM KLEEM, KLEEM KALYANI….JAYA AMBE.
Aum MahaDeviyai cha vidhmahe, MahaDurgayei dhimahi tanu MahaKali prachodayatt.Aum Maa Uma.
loving regards Prannamm Namaskaram to all.
Jyotikar
http://www.hanss.co.uk
October 16th, 2008 16:53
SEASONS GREETINGS [DEEPAVALI:THE FESTIVAL OF THIRTEEN DAYS]
Deepavali [array of lights]
Vedic Hindu Celebration of Divine Consciousness
Rejoice is to the light (deepam-jyott), truth (sattya), eternity (Brahmah)!
Rejoice is to the light of Divine Shree Raama!
Rejoice is to the delight of divine sparkles of Shree Krushna!
Rejoice is to the Divine spirit of Goddess amidst the darkest nightingale!
Rejoice is to “SATTHYA” [triumph of truth over falsehood]
Rejoice is to “JYOTTI” [illumination] a glorious triumph over TAMMASS” [darkness of ignorance]
Rejoice is to eternal world, the spiritual world and the terrestrial world!
Sun the effulgent God of Light and Pranna [life breath]; enters Mesha Rashi on Mesha-sankranthi. Aries. The Vedic Sun sets in the Tula Sankrantti - day when Sun enters Libra sign of the Zodiac. Setting of the Sun in Tula-rasi, Libra, signify “KAUMUDI” later called kartik masa.It is believed by ancient Seers and sages that Beeja-Krishna paksha of Kartika masa, signify begining of DEEPAVALI and transformation of the Global perennial light - nithya-jyotti. Sun remains in Tula rashi [the rashi of balance and justice for until New moon cycle on Wednesday 29th October 2008.
Deepavali is thus described as God's light, just as it commemorates Raamayanayah jayati, and Ramayanam_vijayati. Shree Raama is a true exemplification of MARYADA PURSHOTTAMA [one who is divinely virtuous, true ascetic, a chief justice, King, Obedient son, Loving father, paternal leader, a true friend, faithful husband, and a benevolent warrior.
Just as Krssna's triumph over "Naraka" established "Sathya", hence the fourteenth day of the dark cycle of the moon of the Kartika month is also referred to as Naraka-chathurti.
From, beeja-of the krsna paksha of the kartika masa, until the trayodashi or the thirteenth day of the kartik month, WORSHIP OF CLEANSING, ESTABLISHING OF NEW ORNAMENTS, AND REMOVAL OF ALL NEGATIVITIES TAKE PLACE BY various recitals of Maha-Lakshmee stutis, and hymns, and mantras. On the trayodashi, "SHUBHA" AND "LABHA" are worshipped by PUJAN or rites and rituals. Ganesh represents SHUBHA and Lakshmeemaa represents the LABHA. SRI-SUKTA is recited, together with sri-pujan.
One who worships Shree yantra properly without defect shall invoke true spirit of BHAVANI shakti and thereafter shall enjoy bliss in the after life here after.
In the inevitable struggle amongst life and death, humankind is in constant conflict between the dharma-sattkarma [righteousness and virtue] and moha desires and maya pleasures.
The humankind remains merely earthen clay as life elapses with the mortal time; human identity gradually becomes like a delicate lotus flower; all that matters between the manushaya-jiva, the ego ahamkara and the manushya-jiva the spirit of life; is the GOD’S light.
This light is deepam jyott.
The festival of deepavali therefore is of thirteen days commencing the October 15th and relishing on October 28th 2008 with begining of new moon cycle on October 29th 2008.
This is the time to reflect and to contemplate upon our real essential spiritual nature.
The inner significance of Deepavali is to lead human from darkness to light. We light a lamp that is ever shining within our spirit and carry that lamp wherever we go. It will light your path wherever we may go or be.
True significance of deepavali is to awaken the inner light, the light of our jivan-atman to merge in DELIGHT of happiness [PARAMA-ANANDA-PARAMA-SUKHI-BHAVA] in the rejoice of all humankind.
It really signifies that we destroy our negative qualities and install good positive thoughts, with good divine intentions, good divine contemplation for realising the LIGHT OF TRUTH here and now, pledging our allegiance in goodwill of humanity, love, compassionate surrender to the grace of divine LIGHT.
How beautiful and divine it is when the celestial Goddess comes to visit Lord Ganesha and for few moments of dhan-trayadoshi terrassa which falls on Sunday 26th October 2008 the brilliance of TULA - RASHI brings always justice and fairness. When we offer our obeisance to MAHA-MAA LAKSHMEE with shubham-labham pujan, we pay our homage to MAHA-MAA LAKSHMEE.
Deepam= ashtha-Lakshmee implies eight different forms of LakshmeeMaa.
Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu, is the most sought after Goddess as she is the Goddess of wealth. What most people forget is that wealth is not just material money. Wealth is of eight kinds and this Asthalakshmi Stotra is the worship of Lakshmi as the Goddess of the eight kinds of Wealth.
Sri Suktam is divine invocation of Maa:
Link:
http://www.srividya.org/slokas/HTML/sri_suktam.htm
May there be light in the darkest corners of this earth numbed by so much pain and hurt, grief and diseases, sorrow and sufferings. May there be hope of love, where love has been shattered by much differences of “yours” and “mine”. May there be light of truth to awaken all of us alike, as we are but the children of the same Mother Divine. Albeit our fates are different, we dissolve untimely in destiny alas!
God grant us the serenity and spiritual peace, to withstand life’s sorrow’s; the courage to change whatsoever we can in the little time we have left here on earth’ and the divine wisdom to realise the light of truth.
Love and Peace
Aum Tat Sat
Jyotikar and Hasmita Pattni
October 16th 2008
Jyotikar Pattni MBA FIFA MABE ADA MBAVA
http://www.hanss.co.uk
Vedic Consultant/ Author
Choreographer