Today is the festival
of Dusshera in India, millions of people from the North to the South are
celebrating the victory of Good over Evil, the day of the Victory of Lord Rama,
God Incarnate of the Hindus.
Hinduism has always
believed in God as a Power of Goodness and Righteousness in the world, who
comes upon earth in human form from age to age in different regions of the
world to establish
righteousness in the world and to take the righteous souls to Himself.
Hinduism believes in
Lord Rama as the living epitome of Righteousness who came into this world in
about 5000 BC.
He was regarded as
God Incarnate during his lifetime by many a person and today by all Hindus
The entire story of
Lord Rama and his love and forgiveness are narrated in the Holy Book of the
Hindus known as the Ramayana- the Book of Rama.
Despite possessing
divine powers which made him invincible, he chose to suffer as a human being to
save the souls of people and to bring before them a world of Love and Peace, a
higher existence. His entire sufferings and travails in life were to teach
something to humanity.
His power of
forgiveness was so great that even before he gave battle to the evil king
Ravana who had abducted his wife, he said with love:
"If Ravana takes
refuge in me and asks for forgiveness even now, I shall not only forgive him,
but also hand over my kingdom to him and serve as his gateman for the rest of
my life!"
In the end he was
compelled to give battle, but he did so without hatred and rancour for his foe,
and his shafts hurt his own heart even as they hurt his enemy.
When Ravana
ultimately died in battle by a shaft shot by Rama he said during his last
moments:
"O Rama! I have
taken Thy Name at the time of my death! I am dying at The sacred hands of God
Himself! Surely I have attained heaven and salvation this day!"
Today is the day when
all of India celebrates the Victory of Rama over Ravana, the victory of God
over Satan, the victory of Good over Evil.
Hundreds and thousands
of temples are lit up with colorful lights on this occasion all over India, a
testimony to the great faith that the people of this country have in their
Saviour, Lord Rama, and in the final victory of Good over Evil.
The resurrection of
Rama in his bodily form is a scene vividly described in the Hindu Scriptures.
He chose to voluntarily end his avatar upon earth as God Incarnate and return
to the Celestial regions from where he had come.
Before the eyes of
the townsfolk and devotees assembled before Him, he rose upwards to the heavens
in the fullness of His Divine Form filled with the Glory of the Universe and
its Light.
His devotees were so
torn by the feeling of separation from his physical form that they cried out in
agony that they could not survive without him, and he had to take them with him
to heaven.
And thus was
witnessed the glorious spectacle of the entire townsfolk of the city of
Ayodhya, going upwards in their bodily forms to the heaven of Lord Rama to be
with their beloved Lord forever.
Today whenever there
is a funeral procession in India, the pall bearers and mourners carry the
corpse chanting the words:
"Ram Naam Sat
Hai!" meaning, "The name of Rama is the only Truth"
By this they mean
that the name of Rama or God is the only TRUTH and that everything else in the
world is perishable.
The Hindus always
refer to God as Rama.
When Gandhi was shot
he said before dying: "Rama! Rama!"
Hindus believe that
taking the name of Rama at the time of death purifies their souls, making their
transition easier to the heavenly abode. Absolute faith in Rama ensures
salvation in life as well as in death.
