Diwali is the festival of lights. It is said that on this day Ram Chandra returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, and the city’s residents welcomed him by lighting ghee lamps and distributing sweets to celebrate their happiness.

The Upanishads say, ‘Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya’ – which means praying to God to lead us from darkness towards light. Lighting a lamp outside our homes on Diwali symbolises that we have lit a lamp of knowledge and love in our hearts.

On this day, people worship Lakshmi. Lakshmi Puja is a significant part of Diwali celebrations. There are eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi, also referred to as Ashtalakshmi – Adi Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi, Vijay Lakshmi and Vidya Lakshmi. By performing Lakshmi Puja on Diwali, devotees pray that the eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi should grace their lives.

The first form is Adi Lakshmi – ‘I am the soul, not the body, and this soul exists from Adi or the beginning. I am also from the beginning’. To gain this wisdom, one must have guidance from a spiritual master, otherwise one does not realise the purpose of existence and gets caught in the cycle of rebirth. 

The second form is Dhana Lakshmi – Wealth and prosperity are important for happiness. However, along with wealth, there should be contentment too. It entails self-sufficiency of wealth; one shouldn’t require monetary help from others. 

The third form is Dhanya Lakshmi – If there is wealth, it should also be manifested in various material forms. Money should be used properly for procuring food, essential items and other activities of life. There should also exist a responsibility for sharing with less fortunate fellow beings by using wealth for charitable activities. 

The fourth form is Gaja Lakshmi – Animals provide support for sustenance and impact human life in many ways. Hence, it is considered auspicious to have livestock. This form symbolises that one should have a calm mind and a powerful gravitas, like that of an elephant.

The fifth form is Santaan Lakshmi – There should be love in the family and children should not be the cause of sorrow. One should be ready to share the knowledge gained from the guru to those who desire it.

The sixth form is Dhairya Lakshmi – One should have the virtue of patience so that one can understand the deep complexities of life.

The seventh form is Vijaya Lakshmi – May the devotee have strength, happiness, enthusiasm and health. One ought to have the power to face any adversity and overcome all forms of negativities like laziness, desires and disorders.

And the eighth form is Vidya Lakshmi – This form celebrates literature, music, art, sat shastra, satsang, and sat varta. Self-knowledge should be imbibed in one’s life.