Acharya Prashant explains that one must earn the right to celebrate Diwali. He posits that if Shri Ram were to witness the current celebrations, he would be angered by the spectacle. Shri Ram would question why people invoke his name when their lives have no relation to his, pointing out that their lives are in firm opposition to his principles. For 364 days, people live one way, and on the 365th day, they engage in a pretense of honoring him. The speaker contrasts Shri Ram's character with modern life. Shri Ram never cared for worldly things, having renounced an entire empire and accepted exile without protest. He was indifferent to palace comforts, power, and a materialistic life. In contrast, modern Diwali has become a festival of shopping, shoppers, and shopkeepers—an "orgy of sales and discounts." Shri Ram, who was never a buyer, seller, or consumer, represents that which cannot be bought or sold. For most people, Diwali should be a festival of austerity and repentance. It should be a day to offer prayers to Shri Ram and express sorrow for not living by his teachings. The speaker likens every festival to an examination day; only those who have prepared well throughout the year by living righteously have the right to celebrate. He calls it a wicked and perverse logic to celebrate after failing the "exam" of life, as it's an attempt to convince oneself of having passed. Acharya Prashant advises that since the current Diwali is already lost for most, they should start preparing for the next one. This preparation involves cleaning up one's life, not just the house, over the entire year. One must strive to live a life of excellence, embodying Shri Ram's values of detachment, fearlessness, compassion, and Dharma (doing what one must do). Only by bringing these qualities into one's life can one truly earn the right to celebrate Diwali.