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Date
: Aashwayuja Shukla Dashami
Dusserah,
also known as Vijayadashmi, is celebrated on the tenth
day, which follows nine days of Durga Pooja, some
time in September / October.
The
Tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of
Aashwayuja.
This
is among the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar
and comes as the finale of the nine-day festival,
Navaraatri. This festival of victory is preceded by
worship of Saraswati the Goddess of Learning and of
Durgaa the Goddess of Strength. This is among the
most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar and comes
as the finale of the nine-day festival, Navaraatri.
This festival of victory is preceded by worship of
Saraswati the Goddess of Learning and of Durgaa the
Goddess of Strength.
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Various
have been the names of the Goddess of Strength - Durgaa,
Mahaa Kaali, Mahishasura Mardini etc., under which that
supreme protectress of the good and the holy put to
rout, time and again, the demoniac forces and established
the supremacy of the righteous.
The
story of how Mahishaasura Mardini took birth is striking
for its unique message. At one stage the Gods felt powerless
against the onslaughts of the demoniac forces headed
by Mahishaasura. In answer to their prayers for protection,
they were ordered to part with a portion of their divine
powers to form into a new Goddess. It was thus that
Mahishaasura Mardini took on a physical form as the
combined might of 33 crores of Gods. The dreaded demon
Mahishaasura was slain by Chaamundeshwari after a ceaseless
fight of nine days and nights.
The
lesson of this legend is so beautifully clear. Even
the good and the righteous can succeed against the evil
forces only when they come together in an organized
endeavour. Could there be a more telling message to
the present-day disorganized Hindu people - many of
them individually good and pious but who have remained
incapable of overcoming the forces inimical to them
and their culture? Truly has it been said, 'Sanghe shaktih
kalau yuge' - Organization holds the key to strength
in Kaliyuga. And this is the one single, most important
lesson which the Hindu people have to learn today.
Every
page of our past history bears testimony to the shocking
phenomenon of how the Hindus, though immensely superior
in culture, wealth, armies, territory and sheer numbers
to the foreign aggressors, were defeated and enslaved.
And all this tragedy because of their fatal drawback
of disorganization. Now, it is high time the Hindus
learnt the bitter lesson of the past and realize that
"Organization is life and disorganization is death".
The
unique concept of worship of strength in the Hindu tradition
is far, far removed from that of accumulation of aggressive
power. This strength is termed nigrahaanugraha shakti,
i.e., while on the one hand it destroys the wicked,
on the other it protects the good and the holy. That
is how we find that the rise of Hindu power was never
attended by aggression and exploitation of other countries.
Probably the only nation on the face of the earth to
display this rate restraint has been the Hindu Nation.
The world history is replete with the blood curdling
stories of nation after nation, whenever they became
powerful, embarking upon barbaric invasions of other
countries and liquidating whole native races. It was
given to the Hindu Nation alone to live up to the famous
saying of Jesus Christ, "I have come to fulfil,
and not to destroy".
Vijaya
Dashami is resplendent with many an inspiring episode
reflecting the victorious culmination of deeds of valour
of our illustrious ancestors. The tradition in southern
parts depicts Sri Rama's triumphant return to Ayodhya
after fourteen years of banishment entailing endless
hardships, dangers and mental anguish like separation
from Sita and finally the slaying of Raavana, as coinciding
with this day. Symbolic of the victorious occasion,
Raama-Leela is observed with great enthusiasm and eclat
in the northern parts.
Shree
Raama, it is said, worshipped Shami tree before proceeding
to Ayodhya. On the same day, the Paandavas too, took
out their arms hidden in the Shami tree and revealed
their identity after their one year of Ajnaatavaasa
(living incognito) after twelve years of exile to a
forest. That marked their preparation for the victorious
war of Kurukshetra. Invoking these inspiring memories
the Shami is worshipped on this day and the holy leaves
are distributed by one another as an auspicious omen
for the coming year. The following couplet is repeated
on the occasion:
Shamee
shamayate paapam shamee shatruvinaashinee|
Arjunasya dhanurdhaaree Raamasya priyadarshinee||
(Shami,
the remover of all sins, the destroyer of all enemies
bore witness to Arjuna taking his bow and Shree Raama
coming back to his near and dear ones.)
The
Hindu kings and chieftains in the medieval period like
Vijayanagar kings and Maratha Peshwas continued this
tradition of worshipping the Shami tree and marching
in royal procession. Many a time they would sally forth
against their foes - Seemollanghana - on this day. Even
to this day, amidst the heartrending ruins of Hampi
in Karnataka - the site of the once worldfamed Vijayanagar
stands the Vijaya Dashami pedestal on which Krishna
Devaraya, the celebrated monarch, used to stand and
receive the salute of his half-a-million strong army.
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