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Vijayadashami (Dussehra) – A Celebration of the Victory of Good over Evil
Kamlesh Tripathi
Vijayadashami, aka Dussehra, is one of the most lesson-imparting festivals of India. It symbolises the victory of good over evil, truth over falsehood, and righteousness over injustice. The festival is celebrated with great devotion, enthusiasm, and joy across the country. According to the Ramayana, Lord Rama defeated the demon king Ravana to rescue his wife, Goddess Sita. This victory represents the triumph of truth, courage, and virtue over arrogance and evil. On this day, tall effigies of Ravana, along with those of Meghnath and Kumbhkaran, are burned in many parts of India. It reminds people that evil and wrongdoing will eventually be defeated. In many regions, Vijayadashami also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. It celebrates the power of the divine feminine and the triumph of good over evil. The festival marks the culmination of Navratri, a period of prayer, fasting, devotion, and celebration. Dussehra is celebrated through Ramlila performances, processions, fairs, prayers, and cultural programmes. In some parts of India, the day is considered auspicious for beginning new ventures, learning new skills, and starting important activities. The true message of Vijayadashami goes beyond religious celebrations. It teaches us to overcome negative qualities such as anger, greed, pride, dishonesty, and hatred. It inspires us to follow the path of truth, kindness, humility, and justice in our daily lives. In conclusion, Vijayadashami reminds us that no matter how powerful evil may appear, goodness and truth will ultimately prevail. It inspires hope, courage, and faith in the realm of righteousness.
The victory of good over evil is a universal phenomenon of goodness. Dussehra celebrates Rama’s victory over Ravana and, symbolically, the triumph of dharma over adharma. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, signifying the triumph of life over death, hope over despair, and divine promise over apparent defeat. Ravana’s defeat and Christ’s resurrection are different religious narratives, but both inspire faith that evil, suffering, and apparent darkness do not have the final word.
In Christian scripture, Revelation 12:7–9 describes Michael and his angels fighting the dragon, identified with the Devil or Satan, and defeating him. This offers a particularly direct parallel with Rama’s defeat of Ravana and Goddess Durga’s destruction of Mahishasura.
In Greek mythology, Perseus defeats Medusa, a terrifying Gorgon whose gaze turns people to stone. Like Rama confronting Ravana, Perseus must face a seemingly overwhelming adversary through courage, intelligence and divine assistance.
Both stories explore the hero’s struggle against a destructive power. However, Medusa’s story is more complicated than a straightforward good-versus-evil conflict, so the comparison works best around courage and overcoming fear.
Dussehra is more than the burning of Ravana’s effigy. It is a reminder that arrogance, greed and injustice, however powerful they may appear, contain the seeds of their own destruction. This timeless message resonates beyond India. Christianity finds hope in Easter, when resurrection triumphs over the apparent finality of death, while the biblical account of Saint Michael’s battle against Satan depicts the defeat of a force that challenges the divine order. Greek mythology, too, celebrates heroes such as Perseus, who confront terrifying adversaries through courage, intelligence and divine aid.
These stories belong to different religious and cultural worlds, and their meanings should not be confused. Yet they meet at a profound human aspiration: that darkness must not prevail forever, that evil must be resisted, and that courage and righteousness can restore hope. Whether Rama’s arrow strikes Ravana, Christ rises from the tomb, or Perseus confronts Medusa, the enduring question is the same: what must humanity overcome to make the world a better place?
Perhaps the most important lesson of Dussehra is that the Ravana we burn in effigy is not merely an enemy from an ancient epic. He is also a symbol of the pride, anger, dishonesty and hatred that can take root within us. The real victory begins when we recognise and conquer these inner adversaries.
(Kamlesh Tripathi is an author, poet and a columnist)
Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi
Author, Poet, & Columnist
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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com
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