Dussehra reminds the world that goodness, courage, and clarity win, if practiced daily in small, consistent ways.

Meaning of Dussehra

Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, marks the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana and symbolizes the victory of good over evil across India’s diverse traditions. Many regions also commemorate Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura, reinforcing the festival’s theme of righteousness prevailing over destructive forces.

Celebrations include Ram Leela performances and the ritual burning of Ravana effigies, dramatizing the defeat of ego, anger and deceit.

10 learnings for today

• Choose dharma, consistently: Daily decisions aligned with values compound into character and culture.

• Courage over comfort: Progress often requires stepping into hard truths and hard tasks, as Rama’s journey shows.

• Defeat the inner Ravana: Burn ego, anger, greed and deceit before battling anything outside.

• Truth sustains victory: Ends and means both matter as righteous paths create lasting outcomes.

• Teamwork wins wars: Rama’s success relied on allies like Lakshmana, Hanuman and the Vanara sena as collaboration multiplies strength.

• Patience and perseverance: Long struggles are won through steady effort and restraint, not impulse.

• Respect and responsibility: Duty to family, mentors and community anchors wise action and trust.

• Hope in adversity: Even when evil seems powerful, goodness endures and ultimately prevails.

• Celebrate ethical victories: Rituals remind society that integrity deserves public honor and repetition.

• Begin within, act outside: Inner alignment fuels outer impact starting with self, then serve the world.

Practical actions this week

• Write down one habit to “burn” and one virtue to “build,” then track progress for 10 days.

• Plan a collaboration that needs diverse strengths, mirroring Rama’s coalition approach.

• Replace one shortcut with a value based process, even if slower, to model dharma in work and life.

• Share a story of goodness prevailing and amplify examples that reinforce hope and integrity in the community.