Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya

16th October 2009. My 200th post. Deepavali celebrations all around me.

More than a thousand million people all over the country will light lamps with a thousand million pairs of twinkling eyes. A thousand million pairs of hands and feet are moving with alacrity to embellish their homes with all the festoons they can find - plantain stems, mango leaves, marigold petals, jasmine, rose, colour paper...

Rangoli designs before every threshold, the humble and the grand, will patiently await all the good that is to enter the door...

They all have a hundered reasons to worry about, to cry; but they know its a part of life. Life is a festival and the celebration has to go on...

Its a country of true wealth. As it has always been. And it will always be.

On this occassion, here is a verse from Gitanjali by Tagore, a man who knew his country and who loved his country for all its worth.

Thy gifts to us mortals fulfil all our needs and yet run back to thee undiminished.
The river has its everyday work to do and hastens through fields and hamlets; yet its incessant stream winds towards the washing of thy feet.
The flower sweetens the air with its perfume; yet its last service is to offer itself to thee.
Thy worship does not impoverish the world.
From the words of the poet men take what meanings please them; yet their last meaning points to thee.


Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya. Happy Deepavali.
May there be light. In you. Around you. And forever.