Six Lamps, One Light: From Cosmos to Consciousness
On Diwali evening, a hand cups a diya against the breeze. It is a small, almost unnoticed gesture: someone tending to a flame. Long before eyes could see it, light filled the young universe. For nearly 380,000 years after the Big Bang, it could not travel far without being scattered. As the universe cooled, light could travel freely. That image says something to us. Sometimes an old resentment gets in the way of what we already know is right.
Quantum physics describes light through both wave and particle behaviour. Even the light falling across our doorstep is stranger than it seems. The Rig Veda ’s Nasadiya Sukta asks who truly knows how creation began. The seer leaves room for doubt. We could do with some of that humility.
The Gita speaks of the “light of all lights”, present in every heart. We repeat this before the deity. Can we remember it when we meet someone we dislike? The test comes later, over a family disagreement, in the way we speak to a domestic worker, or when an old friend asks for our time.
Diwali gives us six occasions to try.
Vasu Baras begins with a cow and her calf. Before buying anything, we remember what keeps us alive. Dhanteras brings Dhanvantari into our homes. Caring for our health helps us keep caring for others. On Naraka Chaturdashi , the morning bath can be a quiet moment to admit the anger or unkindness we have been carrying.
Lakshmi Puja brings the family together. Alongside the prayer for prosperity, there should be a place for the person who cannot afford a festive meal. Padwa, Bali Pratipada and Govardhan Puja remind us of the care that relationships need, and the responsibility that comes with strength. Bhaubeej gives brothers and sisters a reason to sit together again. A phone call after months of silence may mean more than an expensive gift.
The Upanishadic prayer , “Lead me from darkness to light”, asks something of the person who utters it. We may owe an apology, hold a prejudice we have never questioned, or have an elderly relative waiting to hear our voice. Tonight, we could call someone we miss but have been stubbornly avoiding. When we cup our hands around a diya, we know how easily a flame can be lost. May we learn to care for one another with the same care.
Authored by: Shashank R Joshi & Shambo Samrat Samajdar
Quantum physics describes light through both wave and particle behaviour. Even the light falling across our doorstep is stranger than it seems. The Rig Veda ’s Nasadiya Sukta asks who truly knows how creation began. The seer leaves room for doubt. We could do with some of that humility.
The Gita speaks of the “light of all lights”, present in every heart. We repeat this before the deity. Can we remember it when we meet someone we dislike? The test comes later, over a family disagreement, in the way we speak to a domestic worker, or when an old friend asks for our time.
Diwali gives us six occasions to try.
Vasu Baras begins with a cow and her calf. Before buying anything, we remember what keeps us alive. Dhanteras brings Dhanvantari into our homes. Caring for our health helps us keep caring for others. On Naraka Chaturdashi , the morning bath can be a quiet moment to admit the anger or unkindness we have been carrying.
Lakshmi Puja brings the family together. Alongside the prayer for prosperity, there should be a place for the person who cannot afford a festive meal. Padwa, Bali Pratipada and Govardhan Puja remind us of the care that relationships need, and the responsibility that comes with strength. Bhaubeej gives brothers and sisters a reason to sit together again. A phone call after months of silence may mean more than an expensive gift.
The Upanishadic prayer , “Lead me from darkness to light”, asks something of the person who utters it. We may owe an apology, hold a prejudice we have never questioned, or have an elderly relative waiting to hear our voice. Tonight, we could call someone we miss but have been stubbornly avoiding. When we cup our hands around a diya, we know how easily a flame can be lost. May we learn to care for one another with the same care.
Authored by: Shashank R Joshi & Shambo Samrat Samajdar
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