Tales Of Hindu Gods & Goddesses

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Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fortune and beauty. She is described as a beautiful woman standing on a lotus. She has four arms and wears a garland of unfading flowers around her neck. In two hands, she holds lotus flowers. With the third hand, she bestows gold coins and with the fourth, she blesses the worshipper. According to the Puranas, she was incarnated as the daughter of Sage Bhrigu and his wife Khyati. She was later born out of the Kshirsagar when it was churned for nectar. As she arose from the ocean, heavenly elephants poured pitchers full of water on her. Lakshmi’s consort is Vishnu, the preserver. Whenever Lord Vishnu took a human incarnation, Lakshmi too was born as his spouse. When Vishnu was Vamana, Lakshmi was Padma; when he was Parasurama, she was Dharani; when he was Rama, she was Sita and when he was Krishna, she was Rukmini. Her vahan is the owl. She is also known as Haripriya (beloved of Hari), Jaladhija (ocean born) and Lokamata (mother of the world). Lakshmi had an elder sister named Jyeshtha, also known as Daridra. She, too, was born during the churning of the ocean, but by nature was absolutely the opposite of Lakshmi. While Lakshmi bestowed fortune, Jyeshtha bestowed misfortune and bad luck. Here is an interesting folk-tale about the two sisters. A Pole Full of Gold Coins One day Jyeshtha visited Lakshmi and complained, “I am more beautiful and more powerful than you. Yet, you are the one who always gets the respect and honour. You are the one who everyone prays to. No one bothers about me! If I go somewhere, people start looking uncomfortable and unhappy.” Lakshmi smiled and replied, “Dear sister, respect can’t be commanded; it has to be earned. Being beautiful or being a relative is also not the right criterion to win someone’s respect.” “Well, then what is?” asked Jyeshtha with irritation. “Being kind and having a generous nature, I spread wealth and happiness, wherever I go. Out of gratitude, people sing my praises and want me to stay with them for longer. You, on the other hand, spread poverty, disease and misfortune. If you really want to be respected, then for once, try and spread happiness,” suggested Lakshmi. “What stuff and nonsense!” exclaimed Jyeshtha. “All this attention that you have been getting has gone to your head. My powers are stronger than yours.” Lakshmi smiled when she heard the arrogant words. This angered Jyeshtha no end and she cried, “If you have the power to turn an ordinary person into a millionaire, then I have the power to turn the same millionaire into a beggar, and that too in a matter of a few minutes.” “Really?” asked Lakshmi. “Yes, and stop being condescending! A few kilometres from here is a small village called Haripur wherein lives a brahman named Parmanand. Let’s try our powers on him. That will settle the matter once and for all.” Lakshmi accepted her sister’s challenge. Dressed like village women in simple cotton sarees, the two sisters reached Haripur. Holding a kamandal (small drinking vessel) in his hand, Parmanand was on his way back from the Vishnu temple. Jyeshtha spotted him and remarked, “Lakshmi, your chance first. Help him whichever way you can!” There was a bamboo pole lying on the path. Lakshmi snapped her fingers. Immediately, the pole filled up with gold coins. Parmanand spotted the pole and said, “Oh! What a sturdy thing. It will definitely come in handy.” He tucked the pole under his arm and started walking. “My turn now,” announced Jyeshtha. Just then a young boy came running towards Parmanand. “Hello Mangal! Where are you off to?” asked Parmanand. “My grandfather is making a new charpoy (stringed cot) for me. He has asked me to get a long and narrow piece of wood for the same,” replied Mangal. “Uncle, that’s a lovely pole you have. It’s exactly what I am looking for. Will you sell it to me? Please, Please.” “All right,” replied Parmanand. “Uncle, this five-rupee coin is all that I have right now. Will it do?” asked Mangal. Parmanand took the coin and gave Mangal the pole. He dropped the coin in his kamandal and walked on. Jyeshtha looked at Lakshmi meaningfully and mocked, “A pole full of gold coins sold for five rupees! But I’m not through with him yet. Just wait and watch. Ha!” As Parmanand came near the village pond, he saw lovely pink lotuses blooming in the water. ‘I’ll string these flowers into a garland and offer it in the temple in the evening,’ he thought. Keeping his kamandal under a tree and hitching up his dhoti, he waded into the water. A young seven-year-old boy was grazing his goat nearby. He saw the five-rupee coin shining in the kamandal. He looked around stealthily. Parmanand had his back towards the boy and was knee-deep in the muddy pond. The boy quickly pocketed the coin and ran off. Parmanand returned with an armful of lotuses and started on his way back home. Jyeshtha laughed wickedly, “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho!” Lakshmi just smiled. Parmanand was about to enter his hut, when Mangal came rushing by. “Uncle, this pole will not do. Grandfather says that it’s much too heavy to be used for a charpoy. Could you kindly return my coin?” Parmanand took back the pole and peered in the kamandal, only to find it empty. “I seem to have dropped the coin somewhere,” he said apologetically. “Can you come and take it some…….” Parmanand had not even completed what he was saying when a man walked up to him, pulling a little boy by his ear. “Here is your five-rupee coin,” he said returning the coin to Parmanand. “This son of mine is turning into a real rascal. He pick-pocketed your money so that he could buy ice lollies. I’ve boxed his ears real hard. Sorry for what happened.” “Don’t be too harsh on him,” said Parmanand as he returned the coin to Mangal. After they had left, Parmanand picked up the pole. “It sure is heavy. It’ll be ideal as a beam in my roof. The old one has nearly worn off.” Jyeshtha was chagrined by the unexpected turn of events. Lakshmi continued to smile. “I won’t let Lakshmi win. I am more powerful. I’ll kill that brahman if I have to, but I will not lose,” raged Jyeshtha. She clenched her fist in anger, waved her hand wildly in the air and within seconds turned into a long, black snake. With a loud hiss, she made off towards Parmanand. The poor brahman froze with fear when he saw the deadly reptile. The snake’s tongue flickered in and out as it raised its hood to strike Parmanand. Just then, Parmanand remembered the pole in his hand. Using all his strength, he brought it down hard on the snake. CRACK! The pole broke into two and the gold coins spilled out. Writhing with pain, the snake slithered away into some bushes. Parmanand’s mouth fell open. Wide eyed with shock, he goggled at the booty that lay in front of him. Lakshmi quietly walked up to Jyeshtha who was nursing her bruises with a downcast face. She comforted Jyeshtha and said, “Didi, I know you are feeling bad. But do accept the fact now that true happiness comes from giving, be it wealth or love. A person who only believes in taking and making others miserable can never be happy.” Hurt and humbled, Jyeshtha kept quiet. During the festival of Diwali, prayers are offered to Goddess Lakshmi. It is a common belief that Lakshmi and Jyeshtha have a pact that if one of them is present in somebody’s house, the other will not enter. Jyeshtha loves squalor and dirt while Lakshmi likes just the opposite. In order to welcome Lakshmi on Diwali, special efforts are made to clean, illuminate and decorate the homes.

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