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(Revised draft- 9 Sept 2010)

The Yoga of Indian Festivals

In a world of changing realities or “ritam”, Indian Yogis have always tried to unearth and
experience the unchanging Truth or “satyam”, leading them into realms of experiences that are
non-empirical, in which the true nature of the Self and of the forces of nature are experienced.

Every level of Creation is a manifestation of a certain combination of elements and forces of


Nature. The various Godheads in India represent these forces and elements, the multiplicity of
which may now be easily appreciated.

To further reduce confusion, Adi Shankaracharya has resolved this multiplicity into five basic
aspects of Divinity. These aspects are Ganapati, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Surya. These are in
correspondence with the science of Yoga.

The sequence of Indian festivals too corresponds with Yogic science. First in the sequence is the
Ganesh festival. Invoking Ganesha prepares one for being progressively endowed with the
attributes that Ganesha represents viz. effortless success in all human endeavour, brought on by a
huge intellect, the art of listening and riding the fearful, vacillating, mouse-like mind that gnaws
at success.

In Yoga, the human astral body, which drives the physical body, has six main Energy Vortices.
At the base is Mooladhara Vortex, presided by Ganapati, which receives first attention.

The next festival in line is the nine day Navratri, which in reality is Nature’s time for invoking
Divine Power or Shakti within us. Yoga teaches the aspirant that dissolving the mind into this
Universal Shakti, slowly results in the uprooting of the negative and self-destructive tendencies
of the mind.

These tendencies are a result of one’s karmic past and the entire potential lies stored up in the
next vortex known as Swadhisthan Chakra, presided by Vishnu. It is the storehouse of one’s
karma that needs to be continually cleansed. It is Shakti that does this cleansing when the mind
disengages from the physicality. Even in hatha-yoga, after assembling a pose, one simply has to
forget the body by becoming a mere witness to that breathing which automatically takes place,
thereby allowing shakti to flow and cleanse.

Such a cleansing amounts to becoming more deserving in all respects. Nature gives generously
to such persons. So Diwali, the Festival of Lights is the time for thanksgiving and celebration.

The real aspirant seeks only the Unchanging Absolute. Shiva represents this Absolute or Spirit
Consciousness, which is free from the fetters of the mind and body. Needless to say, if body and
mind awareness is transcended, the soul which was till then jiva becomes shiva. For this, the
aspirant’s own inner Shakti must reach his own inner Shiva. Come Shivaratri and Nature
reminds man of his ultimate goal.

Coming to the last divine aspect Surya, it is not just a ball of fire that is being worshipped. It
represents the fountainhead of all energy, physical, psychic and spiritual. It is aatman that surya
represents. For the Yogi, realizing aatman or one’s true nature is everything. For, in the process,
the Yogi has transcended body, mind and even karma. Such a liberated soul continues to exist as
totally free and boundless.

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