When fear hounds the corridors we know,
When lamps sway as strong winds blow,
But know when they flicker, small but bright,
They whisper softly, "Darkness ends with light."
Keep faith when the night is long,
When even the moon forgets its song.
Keep faith, not loud, not blind, not vain,
But the kind that stands firmly again and again.
Keep faith when truth feels small, unheard,
When even silence trembles at the unspoken word.
Keep faith when justice walks too slow,
When hearts are heavy, let kindness glow.
So light your lamp, though eyes may sting,
Let compassion and courage be the prayer you sing.
When hearts grow weary, shed a tear,
But let hope outshine the dark of fear.
For even the longest night must part,
When hope is carried within the heart.
For every battle born of strife
Becomes a song restoring life.
Diwali holds myths galore
That speak of ethics through timeless lore.
Remember Nachiketa’s quest for truth from Yama even,
Remember Satyabhama’s defeat of Narakasura — upholding right, not relation.
Faith is no temple carved in stone,
It flickers, it falters, yet carves paths its own.
This Diwali, let courage rise,
In faith, we find our sunrise.
- Written on 19 October 2025.
- This Diwali feels quieter, heavier, not because the lamps are fewer, but because the shadows feel nearer. When fear hounds the corridors we know, keeping faith is no longer ritual; it becomes resistance.
Across our myths, light has never been a simple metaphor, it is courage questioned, tested, and kindled anew.
In the Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa, a young boy, is offered every comfort by Yama, the God of Death, if only he will stop asking about the truth of existence. Yet he persists, seeking knowledge over reward, truth over consolation. He practices faith as inquiry, not submission.
And in the Bhagavata Purana, Satyabhama, Krishna’s consort, rises to fight Narakasura, the tyrant who imprisoned thousands, 16,000 women to be precise. Her act was not revenge but resolve: to restore dignity and freedom, even when power stood close to home. Narakasura, you see, was her, Bhumi's, son.
Both these lores remind us that faith is not blind obedience or silence; it is the flame of conscience that refuses to die out, even when the winds are harsh.
This poem was written in a week when courage feels both fragile and necessary; a week when the word faith carries the weight of justice, fear, and collective hope.
References:
At least 10 TISS students booked over G N Saibaba death anniversary event | Mumbai News - The Indian Express https://share.google/NyqyQWJvtOBy4fbD2
https://thewire.in/rights/mumbai-police-detain-tiss-students-gn-saibaba-event
https://www.outlookindia.com/national/student-crackdown-in-tiss-raises-alarm
https://www.newslaundry.com/2025/10/17/tiss-saibaba-case-complainant-says-fir-imposed-cops-named-her-without-consent
https://m.thewire.in/article/education/full-text-teaching-a-lesson-academic-freedom-and-the-indian-state
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