Today we are celebrating festival of Diwali. Hence it is not
out of place to understand that the festival came to be celebrated after what
followed a momentous sentence by someone thousands of year ago. What was that
sentence? It was, “Country of my birth is better than Heaven” जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी. Do you know, who
was that ‘someone’ who said that? What prompted him to say that? Where is it
recorded?
It was recorded by Sage Valmiki, in his book, THE RAMAYAN. It was spoken by Bhagavaan Raam. He uttered this famous sentence when younger brother Lakshman requests him to go and look at the territories won by them as its towns were rich, beautiful and studded with gold. In response, Raam says, “Yes I know it, but look Lakshman, it does not appeal me, I want to go to my country. Country of my birth is like my mother and is better than heaven” ”अपि सुवर्णमयी लंका, न में रोचते लक्ष्मण, जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी”
It was recorded by Sage Valmiki, in his book, THE RAMAYAN. It was spoken by Bhagavaan Raam. He uttered this famous sentence when younger brother Lakshman requests him to go and look at the territories won by them as its towns were rich, beautiful and studded with gold. In response, Raam says, “Yes I know it, but look Lakshman, it does not appeal me, I want to go to my country. Country of my birth is like my mother and is better than heaven” ”अपि सुवर्णमयी लंका, न में रोचते लक्ष्मण, जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी”
Bhagavaan Ram, who does not even enter the Lankan town,
leaves for Rameshwar and then on to Ayodhya soon after winning the war and
according respectful cremation to defeated king Raavan. People of Ayodhya
became ecstatic with arrival of their hero who had defeated evil king. Citizen
of Ayodhya celebrated the occasion by lighting up streets, their community and their homes with
series of lamps.
Upon his return, Raam was coroneted as King of Ayodhya by another virtuous king Bharat, who never really accepted kinghood. Bharat had promised himself to remain a 'care-taker-king' till return of his brother, the prince Raam.
Diwali is celebration of victorious return of a virtuous hero. Victory of good over evil. An occasion kept alive for thousands of years by the
followers of world’s oldest living culture.
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