WHAT IS THE LIGHT WITHIN US?
I often wonder that "What is the light that a person has?" and recently came across a philosophical discussion between Raja Janak of Mithila and sage Yajnavalkya. In the Brihadaranyaka Upnishad, Janaka asks Sage Yajnavalkya: "When the sun has set, the moon has set and there is total darkness, what light does a person have?". To this Yajnavalkya says:"The fire indeed is the light for Human Beings at that time".
Traditionally on the night of Deepawali there is total darkness due to Kartik amavasya and also due to weak position of Sun in the zodiac sign of Libra and it is believed that on this darkest night of the year a mystic light shines like a single lamps flame and to imitate this light thousands and thousands of lamps are lit. I believe this is the fire sage Yajnavalkya was talking about, but Raja Janak again asks him:" If this fire also goes out, what light does a person have?". To this the sage answers:"One can make his existence felt in darkness only through sound". This is I presume what the bursting of crackers on the darkest night of the year Diwali symbolises. But further Janak again asks;"If sound also stops, what light can a person have?" and finally Yajnavalkya answers:"The atman, the self is his ultimate light".
Thus finally I believe our Atman, our Inner self is our ultimate light, it is what shines within us, guides us and defines us!
I often wonder that "What is the light that a person has?" and recently came across a philosophical discussion between Raja Janak of Mithila and sage Yajnavalkya. In the Brihadaranyaka Upnishad, Janaka asks Sage Yajnavalkya: "When the sun has set, the moon has set and there is total darkness, what light does a person have?". To this Yajnavalkya says:"The fire indeed is the light for Human Beings at that time".
Traditionally on the night of Deepawali there is total darkness due to Kartik amavasya and also due to weak position of Sun in the zodiac sign of Libra and it is believed that on this darkest night of the year a mystic light shines like a single lamps flame and to imitate this light thousands and thousands of lamps are lit. I believe this is the fire sage Yajnavalkya was talking about, but Raja Janak again asks him:" If this fire also goes out, what light does a person have?". To this the sage answers:"One can make his existence felt in darkness only through sound". This is I presume what the bursting of crackers on the darkest night of the year Diwali symbolises. But further Janak again asks;"If sound also stops, what light can a person have?" and finally Yajnavalkya answers:"The atman, the self is his ultimate light".
Thus finally I believe our Atman, our Inner self is our ultimate light, it is what shines within us, guides us and defines us!
