Vijayadashmi: The Meaning of a Victory

My dear Parth, Viyanka,and Veyd,
Vijayadashmi, one of the most auspicious days in the Indian calendar. The word itself offers a clue to its significance: vijaya means victory, and dashami refers to the tenth day. Across India, people celebrate this day with prayers, festivities and the hope that what is good will ultimately triumph over what is evil. Many also believe that a new undertaking begun today carries a special promise of success.
But I wonder whether the real significance of Vijayadashmi lies not merely in the victory it celebrates, but in what that victory asks of us.
Let me explain.
Across India, Vijayadashmi recalls the story of Lord Rama and Ravana. You may remember that Ravana, the powerful king of Lanka, abducted Sita, Rama's wife. Rama, with the help of his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman and an extraordinary army of allies, fought a great battle to rescue her. On the tenth day, Rama defeated Ravana. The victory came to symbolise the triumph of dharma—the principle of righteousness and right conduct—over arrogance, injustice and the misuse of power. At countless places, enormous effigies of Ravana are burnt on this day, accompanied by celebrations and the crackle of fireworks.
Yet there is another equally important story associated with Vijayadashmi. This day also  marks the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, a powerful demon who had become a menace to the world. The gods, unable to defeat him individually, combined their powers to create Durga. After a fierce battle lasting nine days and nights, she vanquished him. The festival thus celebrates the triumph of divine feminine power over destructive forces. In eastern India, the day brings the great Durga Puja festivities to their emotional conclusion, as devotees bid farewell to the Goddess.
Isn't it remarkable that one day can carry these different stories and yet speak to people across the country? India's festivals often bring together many regional traditions, stories and ways of worship. Their expressions may differ, but they frequently return to questions that concern us all: What is right? What makes us strong? How should we use our power? And what must we overcome to live well?
There is something else about these stories that I find worth thinking about. Ravana was no ordinary villain. He was learned, powerful and accomplished, yet his pride and his inability to restrain his desires led to his downfall. Mahishasura, too, possessed great strength, but strength without wisdom became destructive. Perhaps the stories remind us that knowledge, talent and power are valuable only when accompanied by humility, self-control and consideration for others. Our greatest victories are not always over adversaries outside us. Sometimes, they are over the anger, selfishness, envy or vanity within us.
That may also explain why Vijayadashmi is regarded as an auspicious day to begin something new. People traditionally start a course of learning, undertake a new venture, worship their tools of work and even their armaments,  or renew their resolve to pursue a worthy ambition. The belief is that a beginning made on such a day is blessed with success. Of course, no date can guarantee that everything will go as we wish. Every worthwhile undertaking demands patience, effort and the courage to persist when things become difficult. Perhaps an auspicious beginning is best understood as a reminder to begin with hope, work with sincerity and persevere with faith.
My dear ones! As you grow older, you will discover that victory does not always arrive with the sound of trumpets or the burning of a great effigy. It may be the quiet courage to admit a mistake, the strength to stand up for someone who is being treated unfairly, the discipline to keep a promise, or the generosity to put another person's happiness before your own. These victories may go unnoticed by the world, but they matter enormously.
So, on this Vijayadashmi, I wish you more than success in whatever you choose to do. I wish you the wisdom to choose well, the courage to do what is right, and the humility to remember that there is always more to learn. May you have the strength to overcome difficulties, but also the kindness to understand others; the ambition to achieve great things, but also the grace to remain grounded.
And whenever you celebrate Vijayadashmi in the years ahead, I hope you will remember that the victory worth celebrating is not simply the one in which we defeat another, but the one in which we become a little better than we were before.
With all my love and blessings,
Dadu

(Uday Kumar Varma is an IAS officer. Retired as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)