In Sanskrit, “Vijay” means “victory” and “Dashami” refers to the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Aashwayuja. Thus, Vijay Dashami is a festival of victory, the triumph of Dharma over Adharma.
This day is marked by many inspiring episodes from history that reflect the victorious tradition of our ancestors. It was on Vijay Dashami that Shri Ram defeated Ravan after ten days of battle, thus liberating the city of Lanka from its adharmic ruler.
Vijay Dashami is also the finale of the nine-day festival of Navaratri. During the days of Navratri, we worship Saraswati, the goddess of learning; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and Durga, the goddess of strength. There are countless names of the goddess of strength—Durga, Maha Kaali, Mahishasura Mardini.
The story of Mahishaasura Mardini has a unique message. At one stage, the gods felt powerless against the onslaughts of the demonic forces headed by Mahishaasura. In answer to their prayers for protection, they were asked to part with a portion of their divine powers to form into a new goddess. This was how Mahishaasura Mardini took on a physical form as the combined might of innumerous gods and goddesses. The dreaded demon Mahishaasura was slain by Mahishaasura Mardini on the day of Vijay Dashami, after a ceaseless fight of nine days.
The lesson of this legend is still relevant today: even the good and the righteous can succeed against the evil forces only when they come together in an organized endeavor. This message is significant not only in our personal lives, but also in Hindu society as a whole.
Now, it is high time we learned the lesson from the past and realize, “Sanghe shaktih kalau yuge”—Organization holds the key to strength in Kaliyuga.The auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami reminds us that through organization and unity, we will always achieve victory, and that Dharma will always triumph.
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164 days ago