20/10/2025
Happy Diwali / Deepavali to Everyone!
Bhagavan Shri Shanmukha Anantha Natha
"Ever since the Veda was compiled, it understood the principle of Brahman. The Veda was aware of the notion of Absolute and the Infinite where the common explanation as the ever-expanding Universe originates. It is with this understanding that ॐand its Light or Prakāśa was extolled in the Vedas and was commemorated. Till this day, the specific lunar day is set to commemorate this Auspicious Light as Diwali in the North of India, and Deepavali in the South, and Tamil speaking communities, and all over the world in the Indian diaspora.
In North India, with Rāmāyaṇa as their basis of metaphysics, the people in the North commemorate this day of light in lieu of the return of Rāma after his forest expedition. This is a metaphysical narrative and not a story or historical myth. In the South, Diwali is commemorated with the idea that Lord Krishna overwhelmed the limitation of our experience of life with the Naraka Asura episode.
With this as the backdrop, one can appreciate why the Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, or even the Buddhists, as the Newaris in Nepal, commemorate this day of Prakāśa or Light. Indeed, every religion propitiates that Light.
In the Koran (6.1), it is said: All Praise be to Allah; Who created the heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light.” In the Koran (14.1), it is said Alif Lām Rā. (This is) a scripture which We have revealed to you that you may bring the people out of the darkness into light - by the way of the Mighty, the Praised One.
In the Torah (Genesis 1.3), this Auspicious Light, Yhi ôr wayhi ôr in Hebrew, is the light that manifests Creation. The Torah holds the analogous value to that of a sacred Light as others.
Indeed, every religion has reverence to this Auspicious Light, which has its source in ॐ. The Hindus simply say ॐ for the totality of the Transcendent with its attribute the Universe (Nirguṇā Brahman with Saguna; Niṣkalā Brahman with Sakalā). The Jains, like the Hindus, hold this day to commemorate the Jaina Tīrthaṅkara of the present Cosmic Age as merging with this Transcendent Light to attain final liberation or Nirvāṇa. The Jains, rightfully, see this day as the end of their year as the day of Nirvāṇa ends the Tīrthaṅkara. It is noteworthy to mention that the Harivaṃśapurāṇa mentions Dipavali as Dipalikaya. The Sikhs too commemorate the EK Ongkar (colloquial to suit the vernacular language they uphold as the Tamils with Omkaram). Similarly, the Sikhs have their own narrative to accord with their metaphysics. These metaphysics are simple differences considering their astronomical reconciliation.
This festival is also regarded by the traditional Christian communities of India. They too commemorate this Day of Light with their reading from the Bible or the New Testament. In the initial verses of Genesis, it states: “God created the heaven and the earth” and uttered “Let there be Light: And there was Light” to infuse life into the universe.
It is this day of Light that is Auspicious. And everyone is inspired to celebrate!"
