Eclipses, both solar and lunar, have been the focus of human attention since ancient times. Thousands of years ago, when people used to live in the wild, the disappearance of sunlight and moonlight was a reason to be afraid.
Today too, people also take great interest in seeing an eclipse, with the same amazement and curiosity. Since the eclipse is related to darkness, some people used to attribute negative things due to fear and horror.
There is a lot of significance of eclipses in Hinduism. According to the holy Vedas, goodness, truth and honesty are associated with light. An eternal battle between good and evil forces has been going on since day one. The sun, symbol of light, is the greatest gift by God to humankind. Sunlight is the guarantee of life on earth. Similarly, absence of sunlight results in the spread of many diseases.
The forces of darkness have been struggling to extinguish the light to fulfill their vested interests. At the time of the eclipse, the forces of evil achieve temporary success. They manage to eclipse the sun to create panic among human civilization.
In Sanskrit, the word used for eclipse is “grahanam”, which describes the negative effects of planetary possession and its unpleasant influence. The eclipse is not only limited to planets but on many occasions, humans also have to face it in their lives. It is widely believed that the destiny of a person is directly linked with the past. That’s why sinful karma is a major cause of chaos, bringing hurdles and eclipsing happiness in our lives. However, wise and sensible people understand the need of time and repent to seek forgiveness of past sins. Due to tireless struggle by serving humanity, the blessings of God start to shower once again in the form of honour, dignity, satisfaction and eternal peace.
On the other hand, arrogance over mistakes transforms a person into the follower of dark forces, bringing more and more problems in his/her life. There are countless examples of such leaders in world history. God has blessed them with great power, honour and fame, but they preferred to follow the path of evil. Thus, today nobody would like to remember them with good words.
Keeping the above in view, we should learn at least three lessons from the amazing event of solar eclipse. First, the battle of good and evil is everlasting. Darkness may prevail on a temporary basis but the final victory is always of light and truth. Second, we must not be afraid of the terrifying darkness. We must ensure transforming ourselves beneficial for the entire humanity on the same pattern like the sun, whose light is equally available to all the universe, regardless of any bias or prejudice. Finally, in order to defeat forces of darkness, we should stay away from sins as much as possible, and perform prayers, charity and good deeds to please God.
It is obviously a great achievement that Vedic astrologers had succeeded to develop the lunar calendar thousands of years ago. The calculation of planetary movement and prediction of the occurrence of eclipses are very accurate, even in the modern era. All Hindu holy festivals including Holi and Diwali are being celebrated every year with the help of this ancient calendar. The next lunar eclipse, according to the Hindu calendar, will be on July 5.
Unfortunately, serious differences on the issue of moon sightings can be observed every year in Pakistan at the start of the holy month of Ramazan and Eid. In my views, we should use ancient and modern astrology knowledge to resolve the matter amicably. The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee should hold meetings in areas where the moon is most likely to be visible. In my view, the power of darkness in the present age is the novel coronavirus. However, the forces of light will soon be able to defeat Covid-19 with the help of God Almighty.
The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.
Twitter: @RVankwani
