GOOD VERSUS EVIL

 GOOD VERSUS  EVIL

From time immemorial the universe is afflicted with the conflict between good and evil. Evil tries to win over Good but eventually it loses!Even during the Krutha Yuga gods were tormented with demons! Vishnu had to take different avatars to retrieve the Vedas and even mother Earth from the clutches of Hiranyaksha who rolled it like a mat and escaped! His brother  Hiranyakasipu was no less evil and challenged the Lord who killed him emerging as Narasimha. Vamana sent emperor Bali to the nether world. In Treta Yuga Sri Rama killed the ten headed Ravana and Kumbhakarna and established Dharma. DwaparaYuga brought out innumerable demoniac kings like Kamsa, Sisupala, Dantavaktra, Jarasandha and above all the fiendish Kauravas who had to be exterminated to revive the sinking path of Dharma! Thus once again Lord Vishnu came down as Krishna to punish the evil and save the good! “ Parithranaya sadhunam vinasayacha dushkrutham dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavamiyuge yuge!”

According to legend, Naraka was the son of Bhudevi and ruled over the kingdom of Pragjyotisha. With long life and power as a boon he conquered all kingdoms and invaded the heaven! Stealing the earrings of Aditi and kidnapping sixteen thousand women, he terrorized Indra and other Gods! The Lord promised to deal with Naraka in his avatar as Krishna during Dwapara Yuga. Later Aditi, mother of Devas approached Satyabhama, spouse of Krishna and requested her to save them. Satyabhama grew angry and with the help of Krishna waged a war against Naraka! Krishna killed the eleven divisions of Naraka's army with ‘agneyastra’. Mura, the general was killed. Naraka sent ‘brahmastra’ which was neutralized by the same astra. Naraka’s ‘Nagastra and Vaishnavastra’’ were neutralized by Krishna’s ‘ Garudastra and Vaishnavastra''.    respectively!  Finally Naraka attacked Krishna with the trident when krisna beheaded him with his Sudarsana Chakra! In his last moments Naraka requested a boon that his death anniversary should be celebrated by all on earth with colorful lights! That day is being celebrated as “Naraka Chaturdasi”  and Dipavali all over India  and other parts of the world where Indians are settled!

Mere lighting of lamps shall not dispel the gloom and darkness that has enveloped the world today! Evil and adharma is rampant everywhere. It is Kaliyuga now where Dharma stands on one leg. People have strayed from righteousness beyond the point of return! We have God men everywhere and people are confused regarding their bonafides! Society has lost its moorings and morality and ethics are totally lost! We have no demons of the previous Yuga's but modern men and women are the embodiments of demoniac qualities! It was the saint Ramalinga Swamy who said that wild animals are moving in society in the garb of people. Gross materialism has permeated into the fabric of society. Cruelty, violence, fraud, hypocrisy, greed, bigotry, lust and rape have entrenched themselves very strongly. Are not these the demoniac traits that we have to discord?

It is now during the Festival of Lights that we have to resolve to turn over a new leaf! The illumination of lights should brighten not only the outward world but illuminate the inner self and fill it up with lofty thoughts and righteousness. This Dipavali should not end with mere explosion of crackers but that of our ignorance! Our love and compassion should go out for the needy and downtrodden who have no money for crackers and no proper food for the day! We should also make them happy and assure them of our helping hand! Good has to overcome evil at any cost and it will surely happen as in the previous Yugas. Opportunities  are  many and we have to catch them by the forelock! Let this Dipavali cleanse us of all evil  and achieve the good that is direly needed!