Lakshmi Devi ji, deity
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
The deity
Dynamic Potential Of Vishnu
Shardha Batra, Lakshmi, The Dynamic Potential Of Vishnu, March 11, 2019: The Times of India
The quest for beauty starts at the physical level. The desire for beauty evolves with man. It graduates from a concept of physical magnetism to compelling vitality to more refined zones of precise creative thought and higher intuition which can impact the world and act as a ‘game changer’.
Beauty and charismatic power are not just external. They exude from a consciousness which upholds all that preserves the sanctity of the fabric of life. This inner attribute of nurturing and protecting is followed by prosperity and power, much like a faithful spouse who follows and stands by his partner.
This is aptly illustrated in the symbolic interpretation of mythology. Vishnu, the Vedic deity, is the universal principle which nurtures and holds the cosmos together as a seamless, perfect, synchronised whole.
Vishnu’s consort is Lakshmi. Symbolically, she is shakti, the power which enables Vishnu to fulfil his arduous task of maintenance of the cosmic energy matrix so that living beings can exist and live in harmony. Lakshmi is the dynamic potential of the Consciousness of Preservation which is Vishnu.
The word Lakshmi has the same root as the word ‘lakshya’ meaning ‘goal’. Lakshmi, true to her name, is the universal goal of every human and contains the seed which blossoms into ‘Sri’ – transcendental perfection and ecstasy.
To hold and manifest the energy of Lakshmi one needs to be Vishnu – a pioneering leader, a warriorhero, a fierce protector of one’s people, a catalyst of team cohesion, an adept guide and role model to one’s followers.
A human who personifies Vishnu has illuminating wisdom, an electricity which jolts to awaken and a righteousness which incorporates largeheartedness. Much like Krishna whose name is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘krish’ which means ‘to attract’, a true leader has an irresistible charisma by virtue of his inner beauty and strength. Regardless of his country, religion or language, he is allied with divine forces for preservation of social and cosmic order and protection of the weak and deserving.
In such an individual’s life, dawns the golden splendour and richness of Mahalakshmi, representing higher knowledge born of the faculty of discriminating intellect. This facilitates all dealings with friends and adversaries to be negotiated with skilled diplomacy and a farsighted vision of ‘svasti’, the well-being of all.
A person who embodies the archetype of Sri Vishnu has a mind which has been silenced by deep meditation to reach a level of consciousness where he is not a slave of his fixed ideas, beliefs or preconceived notions. Such a chitta is clear and perceives accurately the need of the hour without allowing personal conditioning to cloud his vision and decisions.
Such a meditative mind, steadily follows the counsel of his ‘prajna’, intuitive wisdom, and the person is called a ‘sthitaprajna’ as stated in the Gita. Once such a state of equanimity is attained, he remains steadfast on the path of service, motivated by global progress rather than narrow personal concerns Such a person is a true karma yogi, who moves with single minded resolve to establish dharma, integral righteousness. He is a faithful instrument in the hands of the cosmic Divine. According to a mantra of the Rig Vedic Sri Suktam extolling Lakshmi, “The will of such a leader manifests spontaneously into reality, his speech is verily true, his environment reflects beauty and prosperity and his success has the fragrance of the grace of ‘Sri’, Vishnu’s consort and shakti.”
Shree
Shardha Batra, Nov 2, 2021: The Times of India
Our collective consciousness is conditioned to associate material wealth with greed, arrogance and bloodshed. The more refined souls covet the intangibles of wisdom, peace and creativity rather than material profits.
The Mother, Mirra Alfassa, says that it is not money but the attitude to money which is evil. Wealth is a divine power which should be earned with skill and diligence for the collective good. It is a power of the divine which one should earn to uphold the sanctity and beauty of life.
The Vedic rishis worship and invoke integral wealth as Mahalakshmi, Shree. They pray to her for a full life with wealth, children and beauty. The akshar, imperishable sound, ‘Shree’ is magical in its phonetics and meaning. When prefixed to somebody’s name it elevates the person to an exalted status, as ‘shreeman’ or the possessor of prosperity. When the anusvara, nasal sound, is added to the Sanskrit word ‘shree’, the bija mantra, acoustic seed, for Lakshmi ‘shreem’ is created.
Even Krishn is referred to as Shree Bhagwan in the Bhagwad Gita. The core ingredient of the ‘bhag’, splendour, of Bhagwan is Shree, transcendental bliss of consciousness.
Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity; lakshya, goal; and lakshan, mark, have a common phonetic root. Lakshya is that which we have recognised as our material destination and Lakshmi is the cosmic power, being endowed with which you get renowned. The one who is possessed by her, is blessed with divya lakshan, a divine glow.
Goddess Shree is the presiding deity of the Lalita Sahasranam, a text eulogising the Cosmic Feminine as the ultimate power and sweetness of Lalita, the empress of the universe, who creates, nurtures and dissolves the multiverse playfully as a lila, sport. She is Radha, the beloved of Krishn; Kameshwari, the consort of Kameshwara, in eternal amorous pursuit with her spouse; and Gayatri, the pure vibration of the father of the universe.
The most celebrated hymn dedicated to Shree is the Rig Vedic Shree Suktam. Each word of the 15 mantras of this melodious incantation is loaded with deep meaning. The first sukta, verse, has the Rishi praying to jataveda, the knower of all births, seated in the heart as Agni, the divine guide who makes you evolve. The prayer is: ‘O Jataveda, invite into my life all prosperity’. The string of epithets used for Lakshmi creates a beautiful form of the Devi in the consciousness of the devotee.
‘Hiranyavarnam’, the first word to describe Lakshmi not only means goldenhued, born from hard work, it also means beneficial and beautiful wealth. Wealth which creates wellness and not disease.
‘Harinim’ means as gentle as a deer, when wealth settles and establishes in your life without rustling ill feelings. Harinim also denotes the spouse of Hari, alluding to the wealth which upholds dharma, being the Shakti of Vishnu, the nurturer.
The golden and silver ornaments of Lakshmi are symbolic of the glow and purity of tapas, the discipline which gives excellence in the skills of earning such wealth, which can be shared with family and society.
True wealth is openly proclaimed, bhadram, auspicious and not hidden in dark places. Going on to describe Shree as generous and perennially content, the devotee prepares a ground for imbibing these qualities in his own psyche, making him a Lakshmi putra or son of the goddess of beauty, harmony and prosperity.
