Diwali Message From Praghosa das
BY: PRAGHOSA DAS, ISKCON UK GBC
Oct 21, LONDON (SUN) — Our heartfelt greetings and best wishes to you all for Diwali and the coming New Year.
The pastimes of Lord Rama are instructive and as relevant for us today as they have ever been. Wherever one dips into the great epic Ramayan one learns valuable lessons in duty, morality, selfless sacrifice, selfless love, purity, courage against great adversities, spiritual leadership, the list of lessons is endless.
The Diwali ‘story’ is a story of the fulfillment of the greatest love, the love between the Lord and His devotees. When, on the order of His father the great King Dasharath, the virtuous Lord Rama left for his fourteen years exile, his subjects were thrown into such depths of despair that none could be consoled, none could find solace. Their world had somehow instantly become unimaginably dark and hopeless. The life of their life had left them, what suffering could be greater than this.
Fourteen years dragged on for what seemed like fourteen life times. Ayodhaya the crown jewel of the land of Bharat lay lifeless as she waited for her Lord to return and breathe life back into His subjects. By the arrangement of the Lord, and as all things must pass, time also passed and eventually smiled on them, that sacred day had finally arrived - Lord Rama was coming home! With great enthusiasm the residents of this great land made all preparations to receive their Lord.
The noble city of Ayodha shone with countless oil lamps as her people rejoiced at the home coming of their monarch. Ayodhya was alive again! All were reunited with their Lord and master! The beacon of this unparalled love dissipated the fourteen years of darkness that had engulfed them. Their joy knew no bounds!!
This is Diwali - a step out of dark troubled times and a heralding of new opportunities and new beginnings.
In this temporal world man is perpetually plunged in darkness. The lamp of spiritual knowledge, when fed with the oil of devotion to Lord Rama has the power to illuminate every minute of our day. The all purifying name of Lord Rama can without doubt protect us from the onslaughts of Kali yuga, this unfortunate age of quarrel and hypocrisy. We have the freedom to stay in darkness or an equal freedom to step into the light. May we have the courage to always live in light of Lord Rama.
rama raghava rama raghava rama raghava raksa mam
krsna kesava krsna kesava krsna kesava pahi mam
“O Lord Rama, descendant of King Raghu, please protect Me.
O Krsna, O Kesava, killer of the Kesi demon, please maintain Me.”
May this Diwali close the door to all your past inauspiciousness and may your New Year be illuminated and protected by spiritual knowledge, wisdom and devotion to Lord Sri Rama. Hare Krishna.
Your servant in the service of Lord Rama
Praghosa das
ISKCON UK Governing Body Commissioner
