(Knowledge extracts from SWAHA’s Divali Messages)
Pt. Professor Prakash Persad, Chairman, SWAHA Inc., Spiritual Leader, SWAHA Divya Ashram
We are all aware that Divine Mother Lakshmi is the giver of riches, but the question arises as to what exactly are riches? Most people think of riches as tangible things: money, cars, houses, etc., and these do constitute riches. However, there are also intangible riches such as good qualities, hard work and good character. Thus, wealth is comprised of both the tangible and intangible. The question then further arises as to what is the linkage between the two? If we possess much material wealth, then we must also possess good qualities so that we can keep it.
In this time of COVID, material possessions and the economy are on the downturn, and many people have lost their jobs. This does not mean that we should give up hope. We must pray sincerely to the Divine Mother that during this period, which may seem to be one of darkness, it is actually a time in which we can further develop ourselves, have faith in God and in ourselves. We must have faith in dharma and do what is right. We must build our good qualities and reflect on how we can move forward. Surely, COVID-19 will one day pass and we must then rebuild. To do so, we need the qualities of hard work, good character, kindness, love and compassion. We must work together to bring us out of the negative economic situation and have compassion and love for our fellow human beings.
There is also a saying that charity starts at home and this is a time for the Hindu community to reflect upon itself and ask the difficult questions: as a community, do we really work together in harmony? We say, ‘Vasudev Kutumbakam’ – ‘The world is one family’, but we must apply this to all our Hindu brothers and sisters. Remember, Lakshmi Maa appeared when the opposing forces, the Devas and the Asuras got together to work on a common cause and then Lakshmi Maa appeared. To my Hindu brothers and sisters, whatever differences we may have, our commonalities are greater. We need to put aside our differences and work together so that our community and the country at large would achieve the blessings of Lakshmi Maa, and prosperity would come to us once again.
Pt. Avadhesh Persad
It may seem difficult to celebrate Divali in these challenging times, but in the Ramaayan, it states why we should do so. Uttara Kaand states, when Shree Raam returned to Ayodhya after his 14 years of exile, his brother Bharat joyfully expressed this news to his preceptor. He then made it known inside the palace that the Lord of the Raghus was arriving in Ayodhya safe and sound. On hearing the news, all the mothers got up and ran towards him, but Bharat eased their minds by personally telling them of the Lord’s safe return. When the information reached the citizens, men and women all ran out in joy to meet the Lord. The chaupai then goes into detail about the festivities that took place that night such as the singing, dancing and offerings.
We all know the main moral of the Ramaayan is ‘good triumphing over evil’ but there are also other relevant morals that we could extract. While the pandemic made people anxious as they were confined in their homes, similarly, the people of Ayodhya were anxiously waiting for 14 years for the Lord’s return. When Shree Raam returned, the citizens of Ayodhya’s hopes were not disappointed. Similarly, we should all renew our hope in Bhagavan’s blessings.
