Diwali and the Ramayana
RAJYA in Sanskrit means rule or governance, and Ram rajya refers to the return of Lord Rama to rule over the kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, depicting the triumph of good over evil as described in the great Indian epic, the Ramayana.
This was the theme of Thought for the Day on Radio 4 on Monday (24) when Rishi Sunak was elected leader of the Tory party.
Normally, Thought for the Day is mundane but on this occasion, what Akhandadhi Das, a Vaishnav Hindu teacher and theologian, had to say caught my attention.
“Today, many Hindus and Sikhs around the world are celebrating Diwali the annual festival of lights,” he began, before connecting what was happening in British politics with the Ramayana.
“I suspect many in Britain might have found it hard this past weekend not to relate the home-coming story of Ram to our current political scene, the potential return of an exiled ruler, for example, or the possibility of a rishi, the Sanskrit term for a Hindu mystic, becoming the nation’s leader.
“I doubt the parallels from the Diwali story are quite so blatant and political,” Das went on. “But one common factor is that like the inhabitants of Ram’s kingdom, Ayodhya, we also face a time of deep anxiety and desperation. The news is full of words like uncertainty, chaos, poverty, shortages, waiting lists, closures and so on.
“It is said that for the citizens of Ayodhya life had reached a standstill. In such circumstances, it’s natural to hope for a saviour, someone to put everything right.”
He explained: “The people of Ayodhya acknowledge this interrelationship by receiving Ram and Sita into their lives by each person offering a single tiny light, a diya, hence the festival’s name Diwali or Deepavali. Like a candle, the diya has long been considered the basic unit of luminosity.
“For Hindus, it represents the social and spiritual contribution that each individual can make. It symbolises personal commitment to engaging with the greater light of God. But in the real world, this little light of our own spirit often wavers in the whirlwind of our worries and emotions.
“That’s why it said that during the several days of Diwali celebrations, devotees are allowed, even encouraged, to express their hopes, fears and aspirations to God to ask for things. Knowing that God cares may ease my worries, pacify my heart, and enable me to look outward to what I can do in service to him and others.
“I hope this Diwali might see a settling down of our country’s politics. Too many people are struggling with a light dimmed by their stress and despair. Too many others are straining the flame of their spirit far beyond what should be expected of them. They need the beacon of good governance to relieve and support their exertions.”
Rishi lit diyas in Downing Street when he was chancellor. Perhaps he will do so next year as prime minister.