The Enduring Power of Mythology and Tradition

The significance of mythology in all traditions throughout the world has been immense in holding humans to the core thread represented by that particular tradition, while allowing them to dynamically participate in various modes of phenomenal living in this world. Mythology ensures that the highest essence of human life, as discovered by the wise masters, is passed on from generation to generation.

They have been designed with such meticulous & noble intention, keeping in mind all kinds of temperaments in the human society, that each kind finds meaning in their own accord. A devotional person holds reverence for the face value of the narration. He is touched with divinity by his beloved god’s physical acts in this very world, which he is fortunate enough to inhabit. And a person of philosophical bent goes for the hidden symbolism.

The auspicious Diwali has been my favourite festival since childhood. This masterpiece of Hindu mythology is also replete with deep symbolism. And as many of you might already know the story behind it, let me quickly summarise for the benefit of leaping beyond something that we know already.

The Narrative and Face Value of Diwali

It is the festival of light to commemorate the return of Shree Rama to Ayodhya after having gone through an arduous 14 years of exile, and at the end of which he had to fight a terrible war with Ravana to free Mata Sita.

The kidnapping of Mata Sita was the result of a cleverly planned, deceptive act of Ravana, the demon. Maricha, the maternal uncle of Ravana, lured Sita with the illusive beauty of a transformed golden deer. She fell for it and asked Shree Rama to capture the deer.

Shree Rama chased the deer for a long time and, having failed to catch it, he shot an arrow. Marich shouts out in Shree Rama’s voice, O! Sita, O! Lakshman! Hearing this, Mata Sita gets restless as she reckons that her husband is in trouble. She sends out Lakshman, Shree Ram’s younger brother, for his help.

This was the perfect moment for Ravana to execute his evil intention of kidnapping Sita. He pops up as a monk with his begging bowl, and when Sita approaches him to donate some food, he captures her. For about a year, she was in captivity until Shree Rama, with Hanuman, Lakshman, and others, rescued her by killing the demon.

The Hidden Symbolism: Consciousness, Attention, and Liberation

Diwali is the festival to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, but the hidden symbolism of Diwali goes much beyond this.

Shree Rama is the personification of our consciousness. It is what makes every experience possible and gives life to this universe. Mata Sita is the embodiment of attention. Attention gives meaning to consciousness, to life.

Although you are listening/reading to this piece, your attention is here, but you are also broadly conscious about everything around you, sounds around you, visuals around you, etc. However, if your attention is lingering somewhere in the past or you are anxious about the future, then there may be a consciousness of the environment, but nothing of it is of any value. When Mata Sita is taken away from Shree Rama, life becomes hollow, incomplete, deprived, and unfulfilled.

Every moment, the demons of anger, jealousy, lust, greed, and fear, much like Ravana, are eyeing opportunities to abduct our attention. The mind also comes up with many schemes, as the disguised Maricha, to lure our attention. When it falls for it, the demons mercilessly capture it.
When Sita was in Lanka, she went through countless tortures. Similarly, when our attention is all caught up in the agonies of the past or the fear of the future, we are tortured. The suffering is beyond expression.

It is our consciousness alone that can bring back our attention to the present and get reunited. The tools of meditation, mindfulness, devotion, etc., are like brother Lakshman, Hanuman, and the monkey army that are going to help us bring attention back to the present.

Until Mata Sita comes back to Rama, it’s all darkness. This festival of light is a remembrance to bring light into our lives by rescuing our attention from the clutches of darkness. May this auspicious occasion teach us to safeguard Mata Sita with all our might and never let her suffer in darkness.