Acharya Prashant explains the celebration of Diwali from two perspectives: historical and psychological. Historically, India has been a land of farmers, and Diwali coincides with the post-harvest period when farmers have money and leisure, making it a time for celebration. While the return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya is a central reason, especially in North India, different regions and even other countries and religions like Buddhism celebrate Diwali for various other reasons. The more important perspective, he states, is the psychological one. Most people are hedonistic and materialistic, constantly seeking pleasure and new experiences. Simultaneously, they wish to appear religious and moral to satisfy their ego and find security. Festivals like Diwali become a way to merge these two conflicting desires. People use a high religious cause, like Shri Ram's return, as a pretext for indulgence and consumerism. He points out the irony that while celebrating Shri Ram, who represents sacrifice and simplicity, people engage in rampant shopping and pleasure-seeking, with no real thought given to him or his values. Acharya Prashant elaborates on the true meaning of the symbols associated with Diwali. If the festival is religious, its symbols must also have a spiritual meaning. 'Light' (Prakash) does not just refer to external lamps but to the removal of inner darkness—the ego, attachment, fear, and greed. Similarly, 'prosperity' (Sampannata) is not about material wealth like gold and silver, but about inner wealth, which is the devotion to truth and simplicity that makes life blessed ('dhanya'). He quotes Kabir Saheb to emphasize this point. By indulging in greed and consumerism, people are bringing more darkness, not light. He concludes by highlighting that Shri Ram is the embodiment of 'maryada' (self-restraint), which means keeping the ego within its limits. In today's age of unrestrained ego and self-will, there is a great need for Ram's values. The true celebration of Diwali should be a 'Ram-vaapsi'—our own return to Ram. This means understanding his life and character, as depicted in texts like the Ramcharitmanas, and imbibing his ideals of sacrifice, duty, and self-restraint, rather than getting lost in the market and shopping.