THE GODDESS
LAKSHMI – by Barbara Wilder
The
Goddess Lakshmi is the expression of the Great Mother that represents all the
luscious abundance that the Earth offers to humanity — nurturing abundance that
flows with ease and grace from Her for the benefit of All. The legends say that
all women of the world are forms of Lakshmi, and that where Lakshmi presides,
there is prosperity, virtue, righteousness, truth, and compassion.
In one of the Lakshmi myths, Devendra, King of the
Gods, carelessly allows his horse to trample Lakshmi's lotus blossom necklace.
The great sage Durvarsa is so incensed by this lack of respect for the gracious
Mother of All, that he puts a curse on Devendra so that he might never
experience Lakshmi’s abundance again.
Inadvertently, this curse on Devendra deprives the
entire Earth of Lakshmi's presence. Without the Goddess of abundance and
compassion, the land becomes barren, bringing about great suffering. As food
supplies begin to dwindle, only the wealthy kings who have great stores of food
are unaffected. As the people across the land starve, the kings continue to
feast from golden plates. This division between the rich and the poor pleases
the demons that partner with the kings and celebrate and fuel their greed.
Eventually, of course, even the stores of food in the
palaces begin to run dry. When they start to go hungry as well, the kings
realize their folly and appeal to the gods to intervene and bring Lakshmi back.
The gods, recognizing that the Earth cannot survive
without Lakshmi and her gracious abundance, send out search parties to find
Her. They learn that she now resides under the Sea of Milk. The gods know she will
not be brought back easily. They know she will not just come because the gods
who had so easily shunned her want her back. Nor would the wishes of the
powerful kings be enough to convince her to return. It will, they realize, take the power of all the gods, all the
mortals, rich and poor, and even all the demons working together to churn the
Sea of Milk to bring Her back to the Earth. The mortals are quickly convinced
to join in the effort. But it takes much politicking for the gods to convince
the demons to join. Only when the gods promise
that when Lakshmi is restored to Earth the kings will regain their wealth and
once again turn to them to support their wars and greed do the demons
reluctantly agree.
Everyone gathers on the shores of the Sea of Milk and using
whatever implements they have brought with them, they all begin to churn. And
they churn and churn for many days, but to no good outcome. Lakshmi does not
appear. The demons are gleeful, and begin to depart rejoicing in the failure of
the gods. But just at that moment
Lakshmi rises up out of the Sea of Milk, standing on a great fuchsia colored
lotus blossom, golden coins, all the abundance of her sacred realm pouring from
Her hands. She also brings the ambrosia to heal the land and infuse the Earth
with Her riches once more. But, as the people and gods celebrate with great joy
to honor and give thanks to their great Mother, the demons steal the ambrosia. Lakshmi, disgusted with the gods’ and the
peoples’ carelessness with her sacred gifts prepares to return to the Sea of
Milk.
The great God Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe, has
been watching, He cannot stand by any longer. He knows the immense worth of the
Great Goddess and he also loves the people very much. So, disguised as a
beautiful a seductress, Vishnu arrives, and Lakshmi recognizing Vishnu in
feminine form, delays her departure. Vishnu coaxes the ambrosia from the
demons, with the promise of sharing it equally between the gods, the mortals,
and the demons. The demons give in, seduced by Vishnu’s feminine charms. Vishnu
fills everyone’s cups with the ambrosia. But as gods and mortals celebrate the
demons collapse in death. The ambrosia was the essence of pure love, and evil
cannot withstand that powerful elixir.
At last, Lakshmi reigns as Mother of the Earth once
more, bestowing all Her riches on the people of the Earth, Her beloved
children. Instantly springs gush up through the parched earth, streams begin to
flow, grass, trees, flowers, and vegetables grow, bloom, and bear fruit. The
animals that have been dying in the wasteland drink from the new lakes and rivers
and revive. Lushness abounds throughout
the earth.
I must note here that the demons, so easily foiled in
the Lakshmi myth, have yet to be overcome historically. But we all hold the
ambrosia, which is pure love, in our hearts.
