Sree Ram Returns to Ayodhya with Mata Sita
By H H Maa Purnananda
“Shubham Karoti Kalyaanam Aarogyam Dhanasampadah; Shatrubuddhi Vinashaya Deepajyotih Namoastutey.”
Fill-up your home with brilliant Divine Lights of Deepmala, small and big; Sree Ram and Mother Sita have returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile in the forests! Let us celebrate the return of our beloved Lord Sree Ram and Sree Sita, Shubh Deepaawali!
Deepaawali, followed by Dev Deepaawali, also known as Sree Kartik Purnima, bring the Divine Light, for being conscious of the foremost purpose of human life; that is to get back to our True Self, the Absolute Awareness! That would be the return of Sree Ram, the Divine Spark of Absolute Awareness! To get back to the Absolute Awareness, which Essentially I am, I have to cultivate innumerable virtues enriched by the grace of Goddess Sree Maha Lakshmi. When thus my mind would get purified and culminate into a virtuous heart, I shall be blessed by Lord Sree Ganesh, with the purity of speech. Philosophically, this is the very reason for the tradition of worshiping Sree Lakshmi and Sree Ganesh on the auspicious day of Deepaawali.
Think! I love my false self so much that I toil for life after life, only to please my beloved false self! Our revered Rishi-s make us aware of this tragedy! They have told that I have to “uplift myself by myself”. I have to practice all the religious traditions as per the precious guidance of Sree Guru Parampara and I have to learn about my True Self from the invaluable Veda-s expounded by the revered Rishi-s.
Dexterity in worldly activities is not vicious. In fact, it is indicative of the efficiency and capability of an individual, which are important qualities to be developed by the seeker. For, an inefficient and incapable individual, the Sacred Path of Self-realization would be difficult to tread though his devotion cannot be challenged. At the same time, having all the required intellectual abilities and efficiency, if the individual striving on this Path is unable to steadily cultivate virtues and uplift himself by thus nurturing his mind, his Spiritual progress would be doubtful. Therefore, our Scriptures encourage the seekers to pursue desirable worldly activities accomplished by righteous means, to the utmost possibility, even while sincerely nourishing and nurturing the mind-intellect equipment with equal or more efficiency under the guidance of the Guru.
It would be disastrous for a seeker to immaturely withdraw from his worldly indulgence without taming his mind to be in a healthier state. In the given couplet, the seeker bows at the brilliance of a lamp; it represents the Divine Light of Consciousness. He seeks for auspiciousness, welfare, good health and plenty of wealth. All these are possible only when his intellect functions righteously. Therefore, he also seeks the blessings for annihilation of his inferior intellect which acts like an enemy to himself. In course of time when this transformation takes place, he would be able to carry out his worldly activities without attachment and indulgence; though his dexterity would not subside. In fact, his efficiency would increase manifold. Consequently, he would lead his mind to withdrawal from worldliness and he would be able to successfully tune up his mind-intellect equipment with the Divine within himself.
When the mind-intellect equipment is prepared in this way, it is indicative of annihilation of Raavan-like ego that the seeker cherished throughout as ‘I’. This misapprehended ‘I’-ness, showed him the imaginary world of plurality. The misapprehension is the outcome of non-apprehension of Reality, the ‘True Self’. He would then on dedicate all his worldly activities to the Supreme. he would wholeheartedly attribute his noble thoughts, words and deeds to the Divine Spark in him, the brilliance of Pure Consciousness within!
The auspicious day of Deepaawali is observed for the purpose of this inner-transformation by worshiping Sree Lakshmi and Sree Ganesh, so that the seeker gets prepared to welcome Sree Ram and subsequently bring-forth the brilliance and splendour of the Divine Spark Sree Ram, from deep within his Heart! Sree Ram Jayam!