On
Vishnu's chest is a beautiful curl of golden hair called Shreevatsa. It is the
symbol of Shree-Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune, his consort.
When
the goddess rose from the ocean of milk, she found only Vishnu the detached
guardian of the cosmos, the upright keeper of dharma to be worthy of her
affection. She became his Shakti, source of his strength and splendor,
invigorating him with her presence. Vishnu became Shreenath, her lord.
Vishnu
is the soul of the universe; Lakshmi its substance. He is the protector; she
the provider. They are the divine couple who nurture life.
Lakshmi Leaves Vaikuntha
Whenever
Vishnu returned to Vaikuntha, tired after his battles with demons, Lakshmi
would invigorate him with her affectionate touch.
Once,
while Vishnu was resting, the sage Bhrigu entered Vaikuntha. Neither Vishnu nor
Lakshmi saw him arrive. Insulted, Bhrigu kicked Vishnu on his chest shouting,
"How can you sleep when someone is calling on you?"
Bhrigu's
insolence horrified Lakshmi. To her surprise, the lord placed his hand on
Bhrigu's foot and asked, "Did you hurt yourself by kicking me?"
The
sage was touched by the lord's concern. Lakshmi was not. "Bhrigu kicked
you on your chest, on Shreevatsa, and by doing so kicked me. Avenge this
insult." She demanded angrily.
"I
cannot harm one who is my guest," said the lord. Considering this an
affront to her dignity, Lakshmi disappeared from Vaikuntha.
The Separation
Without
Lakshmi beside him, Vishnu could not bear to live in Vaikuntha. He descended
upon earth and waited for her under a banyan tree, refusing to move until she
returned.
As
time passed termites built a hill round him, covering his body completely.
Birds
and beasts were stunned by the lord's plight. Cows rushed to the banyan tree
and began shedding milk over the termite hill to nourish the lord. Touched by
their devotion, Vishnu promised them eternal grace.
The Reunion
The
cows cried out and Vishnu rushed to their rescue, striking the offender with
his mace.
"Ah,
the lord has punished me for hurting Lakshmi whose spirit rests in every
cow," shouted Bhrigu.
Hearing
this, Lakshmi was pleased and she reappeared to join her husband in Vaikuntha.
Lakshmi's Promise
Lakshmi
said to her lord, "Wherever you are in the three worlds, I shall always be
by your side."
"Should
anyone try to take you away from me, I shall fight and win you back," said
Vishnu.
When
Vishnu descended upon earth, Lakshmi joined him as Rama's Sita and as Krishna's
Radha and his Rukmini. And when the lord was Yagna-purusha, the god of
sacrifice, she was Dakshina, goddess of charity.
Shreedevi and Bhoodevi
Vishnu's
chief consort Shree-Lakshmi, goddess of power, fortune and splendor was fickle
and demanding. In contrast, Vishnu's other consort, Bhoodevi, the
earth-goddess, was faithful and submissive.
Both
vied for Vishnu's attention.
When
Indra gifted the parijata tree to Vishnu, both wanted it to be planted in their
respective gardens, separated by a very high wall.
Bhoodevi,
proud of her generative powers, argued that as she was the earth-goddess only
she had the right to nurture the plant.
Vishnu
gave her the celestial tree, but decreed that its flowers would always fall on
the other side of the wall into Shreedevi's garden.
Shreedevi
was delighted with her lord's decision. She taunted Bhoodevi, "The lord
has given you the responsibility of the plant, while making sure it is I who
derive real pleasure from it."
To
humble Shreedevi, Vishnu said, "This plant will only bloom when I enter
Bhoodevi's garden. Each time Shreedevi finds the parijata in bloom, she will
have to endure the knowledge that her husband is with someone else."
Saraswati, Ganga and Yamuna
Ganga
and Yamuna, the river-goddesses, disagreed. "Vishnu is Jalashayin, the
keeper of the cosmic waters. He loves us most."
Lakshmi
said, "The whole world knows Vishnu as Madhava, consort of Ma, that is me,
the mother of the three worlds. He may be your guardian, but he loves none but
me."
The
goddesses began arguing when the lord appeared before them and said,
"Saraswati, the goddess of sound and speech, sits on the tip of my tongue.
Ganga flows out of my right foot, Yamuna out of my left. Lakshmi resides in my
heart."
Thus
did Vishnu make peace with all the goddesses.
Abduction of Lakshmi
The
demons once found Vishnu in deep meditation. "Let us carry Lakshmi away to
Patala. With her by our side we will be rich and powerful," they said.
"So
long as there are tears in the eyes of Lakshmi, there will be misery in
Patala," revealed Shukra, preceptor of the demons.
"Why
is she crying?" asked the asuras.
"You
have wrenched her away from her lord. She can give you all the material comfort
you want, but without Vishnu, she cannot give you any peace of mind."
Realising
their foolishness, the demons let Lakshmi return to Vaikuntha. As she went
away, they lost their wealth and power, but there was joy in their hearts.
Those
who seek both spiritual bliss and material delight, worship both the lord and
his consort, taking her name before his: 'Sita-Rama, Radhe-Shyam,
Lakshmi-Narayana'.
Writer Name:- Devdutt Pattanaik
0 Response to "Consort of Vishnu"
Post a Comment