Let’s fight the forces of evil together

There is a saying in Sanskrit that reminds us of one of the most powerful truths. It says that not a horse, not an elephant, not a tiger, but only the lamb is sacrificed in a ritual. Not even God protects the weak.

This saying echoes the universal truism that the weak are left without protection. This is the law of nature and it is the guiding force behind the journey of the universe. Veer Bhogya Vasundhara is one of the repeated affirmations in our scriptures. It means that only the brave enjoy this earth.

Vijayadashami symbolises the victory of divine powers over demonic forces and it is the festival to worship power. It is said in the Upanishads that the powerless persons cannot attain God. The law of nature favours the strong. It applies to nations as well. Only powerful nations are recognised in the world and weak countries remain under their influence.

Vijayadashami celebrates valour and strength that is backed by dharma and morality. That is why the festival is also a symbol of victory of dharma (righteousness) over adharma (evil).

There is an interesting tradition of worshipping the Shami tree on this day. It is said that before invading Lanka, Lord Rama prayed for his victory in front of a Shami tree. The Mahabharata mentions that the Pandavas hid their weapons in a Shami tree when they were in exile.

During the Navratras, we worship different manifestations of Goddess Durga, who is the embodiment of Shakti (power). Durga Puja is essentially the festival of worship of Shakti. Goddess Durga gives us a message to become powerful and inspires us to conquer evil. Vijayadashami is associated with the destruction of Ravana, which is the demonic power and symbolises evil. Ravana was called Darshanan and his 10 heads symbolised 10 evils.

Today, our society is plagued by many more evils. Today’s evil Ravana has innumerable heads. We need to burn all these evils, both within and without, to attain victory and to become powerful. Some of the evils that confront us are atrocities on women, exploitation of children, female foeticide, terrorism, keeping the underprivileged out of the mainstream, drug abuse, corruption, nepotism, black marketing and injustice. All these are the evils that we have to put an end to.

We have to reimagine the festival of Vijayadashami in today’s context. We should turn it into an opportunity to strengthen our society to fight these evils. And our society will become powerful only when we make our families and individual citizens strong.

We must also realise that this power should not only e physical but also moral. From the individual to th nation, strength based on moral values is the real power. We need to eradicate the barriers of colour, caste, creed, region, class, and sex to move forward on the path of development as a nation. Human values are the foundation of the strength of an individual and society.

Whether it is Nirbhaya, Gudiya, Hyderabad’s veterinarian or Hathras’ daughter, all these cases are a manifestation of the rise of the evil forces which are harming our society and our nation. We need to deal strictly with lawbreakers and anti-social elements.

We need to become a powerful nation. Whether it is Pakistan or China, we will feel safe only when we are powerful. Since Pakistan cannot harm India, it has entered into an unholy alliance with China. Pakistan is known to encourage terrorist activities in India. Infiltration from across the border, supporting separatists and secessionist forces and drug trade are a part of its nefarious design. But today’s India is capable of facing every challenge. Our armed forces are ready to meet any challenge on the border. Every citizen should work in the national interest, for, only then will we emerge as a strong nation.

India has to have a strong military presence that is backed with the moral force. While we must be secure from the military point of view to protect our borders, equally important is the need to overcome internal enemies. The internal enemies are no less dangerous. They also destabilise the country.

It is in this context that we must view the guidelines issued by the government during the Covid pandemic. We know that the coronavirus is affecting those people who have low immunity and less strength. The principle of health science that the viruses of diseases have a more harmful effect on the weaker organisms applies to nations also. We have seen how important it is to follow simple rules, such as wearing the mask, keeping social distance and washing hands repeatedly. In the case of the pandemic, we are on our way to victory. Now when we are about to defeat the virus, we need to be more vigilant. There is no need to become casual till the vaccine comes.

In Sat Yuga, the power of knowledge was supreme and in Treta Yuga, the power of mantras was predominant. In Dwapar Yuga, the strength in war was the dominant power. And in Kali Yuga, power lies in unity, in joining hands together. The more united we are as a nation, the more powerful will we be. This is the foundation of patriotism and love for our motherland. This country is our mother, and it is our duty to increase its pride and prestige. We should take a vow that India shall become one of the most powerful countries and a prosperous and healthy nation. There is nothing greater than the motherland.

In this context, the following episode from the timeless epic Ramayana can become our guiding light: After defeating Ravana in battle and killing him, Lord Rama freed Sita from captivity. He placed Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka. Lakshmana asked Rama to stay in Lanka for a few days more because he found it to be a delightful place. Lord Rama said that the golden and beautiful Lanka did not attract him and he had to return to his native land. Because one’s mother and birthplace are better than heaven!