Lakshmi and AlakshmI

 Lakshmi and AlakshmI 

alakShmI, goddess of misfortune is lakShmI’s elder sister. The reason for this is explained in the padma purANa. Both alakShmI & lakShmI were born during the churning of the ocean. alakShmI, though born as a devI (goddess), had asura bhAva like Indra’s son, Jayanta (kAkAsura)+

This shows birth does not determine whether one is a sAttvika or not. Anyway, when lakShmI was born, viShNu seeks her in marriage. She tells him this,

असस्कृत्य कथं ज्येष्ठां त्वं कनिष्ठां प्रणीयसे | तस्मान्ममाग्रजामेतामलक्ष्मीं मधुसूदन विवाह्य नय मां पश्चादेष धर्मः सनातनः+

[lakShmI told viShNu, “How can you approach me, the younger sister, when jyeShTha is not married? Therefore, madhusUdhana! Having ensured my older sister, alakShmI, is married, you marry me. This is your eternal virtue”]+

“मधुसूदन” - “Your form attracts my senses called “मधु”. But you too cannot resist my form & want to marry me! Hence, do as I say”.

“धर्मः सनातनः” - “It is your eternal vow to protect all whether they are virtuous like me, or sinful like alakShmI. You see no difference in us”+

Due to some puNya, alakShmI was born as  devI. Due to pApa, she had asura bhAva. 

However, shrI devI deliberately became her younger sister, because she knew her sambandha would make alakShmI become the recipient of bhagavad anugraha+

Also, by becoming her *younger* sister, she ensured that her marriage with viShNu had the fruit of alakShmI gaining bhagavad anugraham too.

Whenever devI marries bhagavAn, it is only for the good of other jIvAs. Remember sIta married rAma for breaking mahAdeva’s bow!+

When shUrpaNakha desired rAma, he told her to marry lakShmaNa -  an impure person must first surrender to AchAryAs/bhAgavatAs. 

So viShNu gave alakShmI to Uddalaka.

इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा स विष्णुर्लोकभावनः.उद्दालकाय मुनये सुदीर्घतपसे तदा आत्मवाक्यानुरोधेन तामलक्ष्मीं ददौ किल+

[Hearing her words, viShNu, who having taken birth, uplifts all beings in the world by removing their sins (विष्णुर्लोकभावनः), obeying the words of shrI who is his very self, gave alakShmI to uddAlaka who was performing a long penance]+

“आत्मवाक्यानुरोधेन” - “आत्मवाक्या” - is actually referring to lakShmI’s words. Since she is like his very self, her words are referred to as his own words.

In accordance to her wishes, viShNu made alakShmI attain uddAlaka, a great bhakta+

समुनिर्विष्णुवाक्यात्तामंगीकृत्य स्वमाश्रमम् वेदध्वनिसमायुक्तमानयामास धर्मवित् . न हि वासोऽनुरूपोऽयं वेदध्वनियुतो मम … वेदध्वनिर्भवेद्यस्मिन्नतिथीनां च पूजनम् . गोवधो मद्यपानं च यत्र संजायतेनिशम् ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानि तस्मिन्स्थाने रतिर्मम+

[The muni, a knower of “dharma” - the means to please viShNu - on viShNu’s words, took her to his Ashrama resounding with  Vedic chants. 

jyeShTha said, “I do not want to stay in a place with Vedic chants…I like to stay where there is drinking, killing of cows & brAhmaNAs”]+

इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विषण्णवदनोऽभवत् | उद्दालकमुनिर्विष्णोर्वाक्यं स्मृत्वा न चोचिवान्

[Hearing her words, uddAlaka muni’s countenance appeared sorrowful. Remembering viShNu’s words to protect her, he said nothing.]

He decided to give her another chance by testing her+

सोऽगच्छद्यत्र तत्रास्य पूजामालोक्य साब्रवीत् नायामीति

[He went here & there collecting materials for yaj~na. Seeing his worship of viShNu by yaj~na, she said, “I will not help you in your worship, like other wives”]+

uddAlaka was sad seeing her asura-bhAva. But knowing bhagavAn resolved to protect her, he tested whether she would be willing to help him in his sAdhana (yaj~na, tapas etc) like a sahadharmachAriNI, for being a dutiful wife, even if she was innately averse to sat-kArya+

The point is, even if one hates sat-vishayas, if one involves him/herself in it simply to please their AchArya, it can still purify. But this didn’t work either. She refused to help him with his Vedic duties+

उद्दालक उवाच | अश्वत्थवृक्षमूलेऽस्मिन्नलक्ष्मि स्थीयतां क्षणम् | आवासस्थानमालोक्य यावदायाम्यहं पुनः

[uddAlaka said, “alakShmI! Stay for a moment at the root of this ashvatta tree. I will come back after finding a place to stay.]

He abandoned her and never came back+

A husband cannot do sAdhana without wife’s help. So, he left her. But he was not cruel & deliberately left her at an Ashvatta tree’s root as it is said,

स एव विष्णुर्द्रुम एव मूर्तो महात्मभिः सेवितपुण्यमूलः . यस्याश्रयः पापसहस्रहंता भवेन्नृणां कामदुघो गुणाढ्यः (~skanda purANa)+

[The Ashvattha tree is viShNu, ie, he is it’s self. It is viShNu’s body (pratIka). Noble ones worship it’s purifying root. He who has that tree (viShNu) as his refuge destroys 1000s of sins. He milks all desires & guNAs like shama/dama etc.]

So, uddAlaka’s act bears good fruit+

तदा रुरोद करुणं भर्तृत्यागेन दुःखिता तत्रस्थां रुदतीलक्ष्मीर्वैकुंठभुवनेऽशृणोत् . तदा विज्ञापयामास विष्णुमुद्विग्नमानसा

[alakShmI cried pitifully due to sorrow at being abandoned by her husband. lakShmI in Vaikuntha, heard her crying & with a sorrowful mind, appealed to viShNu]+

Now, alakShmI was helpless. She was left with no refuge other that tree. Hence, mahAlakShmI considered her as fulfilling the criteria of Akinchanyam (helplessness) & ananyagatitvam (seeking no gods other than viShNu) - required for sharaNAgati.

Thus, she mediated for alakShmi+

स्वामिन्मद्भगिनी ज्येष्ठा भर्तृत्यागेन दुःखिता तामाश्वासयितुं याहि कृपालो यद्यहं प्रिया

[lakShmI - “Swami! My older sister jyeShTha is sad as her husband left her. Merciful one! If I am dear to you, comfort her”]

Seeing alakShmI as a prapanna, Hari with shrI went to see her+

अश्वत्थवृक्षमासाद्य सदाऽलक्ष्मि स्थिरा भव | ममांशसंभवो ह्येष आवासस्ते मया कृतः .

[viShNu: “alakShmI! Attaining this ashvattha tree, become firm in resolve (that I am your husband in it’s form). I have made this abode for you from a portion of my splendor, ie, it is my vibhUti]+

alakShmI did not intend to perform sharaNAgati. But due to lakShmI & bhAgavata (uddAlaka) sambandha, viShNu took her state of helplessness as sharaNAgati & saw her as a prapanna.

She is impure & cannot attain Hari directly but was married to him in his form of ashvattha tree+

प्रत्यहं येऽर्चयिष्यंति त्वां ज्येष्ठां गृहधर्मिणः | तेष्वियं श्रीः कनिष्ठा ते भगिनी निश्चलास्तु वै

[“jyeShTha! Those gR^ihastha-s who worship you (ie, this ashvattha tree) daily, let your younger sister, shrI devI, remain steady with them, ie, grant them prosperity”]+

“येऽर्चयिष्यंति त्वां ज्येष्ठां” does not mean they worship jyeShTha. They worship Hari, in the form of the ashvattha. 

Due to his generous nature, he calls it her worship, since the merit of a husband is shared by his wife. By that association, she will be purified eventually.+

This is another instance of lakShmI’s compassion for all, irrespective of their faults. Her elder sister, despite having a sinful mind, is renowned as “jyeSThA devI” - the older sister of lakShmI - thus displaying her sambandham with jaganmAtA.//

Source: Copy pasted with permission

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