Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance. Homes glow with diyas (oil lamps), fireworks illuminate the night sky, and families gather in celebration. But what does this "light" truly represent?
The Bhagavad Gita provides profound answers. Throughout its 700 verses, light serves as a central metaphor for knowledge, awakening, and divine presence. Understanding the Gita's teachings deepens our appreciation of Diwali's spiritual significance.
This Diwali, let the external lights remind you of the inner light the Gita celebrates – the light of wisdom that dispels the darkness of ignorance and leads to lasting peace.
The Gita explicitly connects knowledge to light:
Here knowledge is fire – illuminating, transforming, and purifying. The darkness of karmic bondage cannot survive the light of wisdom. This is Diwali's deeper meaning: the knowledge of our true nature burns away the darkness of ignorance.
The "gates" are the senses. When sattvic knowledge increases, it's as if light shines through every opening – we see clearly, hear rightly, and act wisely. This internal luminosity is the ultimate Diwali celebration.
The Gita's knowledge isn't mere information. It's:
Every external lamp we light points to the internal lamp – the light of consciousness within. The Gita describes this inner light:
Krishna, speaking as the divine presence, declares:
The divine is present as the light in all sources of illumination. When we light a diya, we're honoring this universal presence. But the deepest diya is the awareness within – always lit, never extinguished, waiting to be recognized.
Just as physical lamps need oil and a wick, the inner light needs tending:
If light represents knowledge, what is the darkness it dispels? The Gita identifies several forms:
Tamas is one of the three gunas (qualities of nature). It manifests as:
The fundamental darkness is not knowing our true nature. We identify with the body, pursue fleeting pleasures, fear death, and remain bound to samsara. Knowledge (jnana) dispels this darkness directly.
Delusion keeps us chasing what won't satisfy and avoiding what would liberate. It's seeing what isn't there and missing what is. The Gita promises that knowledge destroys this delusion "as the sun dispels darkness."
Diwali's lights symbolize victory over all these forms of darkness – not merely their temporary suppression but their complete transformation through understanding.
Diwali is associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity. Business accounts begin anew, and abundance is celebrated. The Gita offers wisdom on prosperity:
True prosperity comes through righteous action (dharma), not exploitation. The Gita encourages:
The greatest wealth is inner peace, contentment, and wisdom. The Gita declares the wise person rich regardless of external circumstances:
This doesn't mean rejecting material prosperity – it means not depending on it for happiness. True Lakshmi worship includes seeking this inner wealth alongside any outer abundance.
Diwali's deeper message isn't limited to one day. The Gita invites us to live in light year-round:
The Gita uses light as a primary metaphor for knowledge, divine presence, and sattvic (pure) quality. Krishna identifies himself with the light of sun and moon. Knowledge is described as fire that burns away karma and illumination that shines through the senses.
Diwali celebrates light over darkness – the same theme the Gita explores philosophically. The external lights of Diwali symbolize the inner light of wisdom that dispels ignorance. The Gita provides the deeper understanding of what this light represents.
The Gita identifies darkness as tamas (inertia/dullness), ajnana (ignorance of our true nature), and moha (delusion). These keep us bound to suffering. Knowledge – understanding our eternal nature and relationship to the divine – dispels this darkness.
Light diyas with conscious intention, read the Gita as part of celebration, reflect on what ignorance has lifted in the past year, practice generosity, and set spiritual intentions for the coming year. Let the external festival point to internal illumination.
Study the complete Bhagavad Gita and bring its light into daily life.
Download Srimad Gita AppGet personalized spiritual guidance with the Srimad Gita App. Daily verses, AI-powered insights, and more.