Today is the glorious day of the celebration of the victory of 'good' over 'evil' — Mother's Victory. It is a day of victory, when all mankind have received the supreme assurance that so long as they turn to the Mother in their distress, there will be no lack of support and of strength. For, Mother is the champion of those in distress and those who seek refuge at Her divine feet. The supreme victory over all the forces of darkness and ignorance is achieved and we partake with the Mother the joy of Victory. Vijayadasami is a supreme day of confidence, strength and courage for all seekers.
On this day of the Vijayadasami, which culminates the nine-days worship of Devi or Shakti in the form of Mahakali (Durga), Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati, respectively, let us all pray to Her that She may illumine our hearts as Buddhi and as Smriti. Let us all pray to Her that as Smriti She may ever keep alive these great truths in our hearts so that we may base our life, mould our life, and conduct our life upon a vivid consciousness of these truths. For mysterious is Her power as Avidya-Maya that even though we know these truths, we hear of them again and again, and we try to remember them, yet somehow She makes us forget them; She makes us be aware only of the external objects of the sensual world. We forget the great truths the moment Her veil is thrown over our consciousness. We become conscious only of things to indulge in and things that give us momentary pleasure and bind us to this external world of names and forms.
Therefore, we must pray again and again: "Mother, manifest to us as the Vidya-Maya. May our consciousness be illuminated by Thy Vidya-aspect." We should, therefore, fold our hands, bow at Her feet and pray: "Mother! Manifest Thyself to me in Thy illuminating aspect and save me from the aspect of Thy Avidya-Maya." She will be propitiated; She will be pleased; and She will open Her radiant eyes upon us; She will smile upon us. Then all our delusion, all our sorrow, all darkness will come to an end; and we shall see Her as the Satchidananda.
These ten days we have tried to touch a tiny fringe of the garment of the Mother. We have tried to see if we may understand a little particle of the Nature of the Mother. We may go on speaking for hours and hours through all eternity, yet we shall not be able to gain even a fraction of an idea of the unknowable nature of the Mother. All scriptures, all sages from eternity, have failed to express Her in Her entirety. Therefore, it will be presumptuous for us to think that through a few words, we have understood even a little fringe of the garment, which the Mother has thrown over Herself and through which She hides Herself. What we have known is only a drop; what remains unknown of the Mother is like the vast ocean.
But, it is the love of the child that would make it approach the Mother and try to grasp Her hand and to know Her. Therefore, these ten days our attempt at trying to speak about the Mother has not been in the form of an endeavour to know Her — if She reveals Herself, then only can we hope to know — it is an attempt at a little flower-offering, a little worship at the feet of Divine Mother. Worship has been carried on during these nine days in various ways. There has been music, songs, dance, decorations, and Puja. We have offered our adorations in the form of Her own aspect as Vak, which She Herself has given to us. We have tried to adore Her with words. And, upon this supreme day of Vijayadasami, we conclude this worship through words by offering at Her divine feet and praying to Her: "Mother, accept even this. Thou art love. Thou art compassion. Thou art illumination. Thou art release. Why to say all this? Suffice it to say: Mother, Thou art Mother. Therefore, as Mother, accept this humble offering of love at Thy Feet. May we all be blessed by Your Grace. Smile upon us, Mother; banish the darkness of Thy Avidya-Maya."
Vijaya greetings to all who come here to be with Mother in the Courtyard. May Mother's all-accepting love spread throughout our raging world, blanketing it in peace and understanding.
Our heartfelt appreciation goes to Vriju for his beautiful explanation and inspiring words of encouragement and insight.
