Vijayadasami - Spiritual Significance

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 13:29

Vijayadasami or Dasara falls on the tenth day of Navratri. Navratri festivities culminate with Vijayadasami.

What is Vijayadasami?

Vijayadasami is the day when the victory of the good over the evil after nine days of worship is cherished. The nine days of Navratri is celebrated with the first three days dedicated to Goddes Durga, the second three days to Goddess Lakshmi and the last three days to Goddess Saraswati. Vijayadasami is celebrated on the tenth day invoking the blessings of Goddess Saraswati.

On Vijayadasami, people make an auspicious begining of art and learning. Children who are to start their education are admitted in a school on Vijayadasami. People who also want to pursue the learning of any art and craft forms commence their studies on Vijayadasami. Vijayadasami forms an auspicious day to start any process of learning as it is dedicated Goddess Saraswati, the source of all knowledge.

People place their books and tools before the picture of the Goddess for worship. This practise also throws light on the fact that any knowledge is to be revered and cherished.

Dasara, the tenth day of Navratri is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Rama over Ravana. The reign of good over evil is again portrayed symbolically.

Spiritual Significance

Goddess Durga is worshipped on the first three days of Navratri. She is the One who instills one with noble virtues, a prerequisite for a pure mind. The second three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi who is the source of all forms of wealth. She is the bestower of spiritual wealth which makes one's mind pure. Only a pure mind is subtle enough to attain Self knowledge which is bestowed by Goddess Saraswati who is worshipped on the last three days of Navratri.

Vijayadasami forms the day of victory of the self (Consciousness) over the non-self (the association of one's identity with the body, mind complex) The nature of the true self is bliss and unalloyed joy is experienced by a true seeker on Vijayadasami.

Navratri worship is observed in the night which allegorically stands for the darkness of ignorance of one's true self. The festival is thus a clarion call to shake out of one's ignorance for the spiritual awakening of pure awareness which is experienced on Vijayadasami.

Realising the spiritual significance of Vijayadasami and Dasara leads one on the path of acquiring self knowledge.

Let us thus seek the blessings of Goddess Saraswati, the pure one, to bless us with self knowledge to awaken in the bliss of one's true self.