Most of the times, we are running after money (dhan). Money is what makes the world go round, or so it appears. Many a times, this appears to be true. Money enables us to buy goods and services, food, clothing and other basic necessities of life. Since Laxmi is the goddess of wealth, we worship her to bless us with her favour and benediction. But we must understand that Laxmi also benedicts us with beauty, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation. Renunciation is also a sign of Laxmi's opulence, but since many of us are so much blinded by gross materialism, we do not credit any importance to the spirit of renunciation and detachment.
Laxmi as the Eternal Consort of Sri Narayan
The image of goddess Laxmi in the Indian psyche is one of serenity, beauty, chastity, godliness, dignity, and of course all the material blessings we can think of. Laxmi is the image of the quintessentially ideal Indian woman, venerated by one and all. Every traditional Indian householder lady desires her daughter or daughter-in-law to be like a Laxmi, having all her qualities, believing that the home will then be filled with peace and opulence.
However, the goddess Laxmi is the eternal consort of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Narayan (one of the Vishnu tattva expansions of Lord Sri Krishna). In His spiritual planet Vaikuntha, the Supreme Lord Narayan resides with His eternal consort Laxmi, in His satchitananda vigraha (eternally full of knowledge and bliss) form. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan, desires nothing from Laxmi, since He is complete by Himself.
However, the goddess Laxmi is the eternal consort of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Narayan (one of the Vishnu tattva expansions of Lord Sri Krishna). In His spiritual planet Vaikuntha, the Supreme Lord Narayan resides with His eternal consort Laxmi, in His satchitananda vigraha (eternally full of knowledge and bliss) form. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan, desires nothing from Laxmi, since He is complete by Himself.
The Independence of Narayan
In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (3.22), the Lord declares: "O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in work."
When the Lord desired to create Brahma, the first living being, Brahma was born from the lotus stem growing out of the navel of the Lord in His Garbhodakasayi Vishnu expansion, while He was lying down in the vast causal ocean, on the bed created from the body of Seshnag. The Lord could very well have begotten Brahma or other living beings from the womb of Laxmi, who is serving Him eternally and most lovingly, but He created Brahma independent of her, proving His total omnipotence and independence. Hence the Lord is fully self-sufficient and does not need any benediction or boon from the goddess Laxmi.
When the Lord desired to create Brahma, the first living being, Brahma was born from the lotus stem growing out of the navel of the Lord in His Garbhodakasayi Vishnu expansion, while He was lying down in the vast causal ocean, on the bed created from the body of Seshnag. The Lord could very well have begotten Brahma or other living beings from the womb of Laxmi, who is serving Him eternally and most lovingly, but He created Brahma independent of her, proving His total omnipotence and independence. Hence the Lord is fully self-sufficient and does not need any benediction or boon from the goddess Laxmi.
Please Narayan to Retain Laxmi
It is surprising that most persons, while worshipping or aspiring for Laxmi, either forget or ignore her most well beloved husband, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan Himself, whom she cannot be separated from for even an instant. If you were to revere and invite a self-respecting lady to come to your home, and at the same time, ignore her dearly loved husband, do you think that this lady will be pleased with you or visit you at all? Besides, even if a devotee of Laxmi directly asks her for some boon, that material opulence is short-lived, as Laxmi is by nature capricious (chancala).
Srila Prabhupada states (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.4.25 purport): "When the goddess of fortune, Laxmi, desired to make the bosom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan, her residence, the Supreme Lord conceded to her request and made His bosom her permanent residence... The karmis also worship Laxmi, but their opulence is flickering and temporary, whereas the opulence of the devotees of Narayan is as permanent as the opulence of Narayan Himself."
During His pastimes on earth, the Supreme Lord Krishna showed how a poor and penniless brahman like Sudama, by pleasing the Lord immensely by offering just a few grains of chipped rice, made the goddess Laxmi so much obligated to Sudama, that she would have to benedict him with opulence unimaginable even by Indra. When one offers Narayan some simple service and the Lord is pleased, the goddess Laxmi becomes immediately obligated to the devotee and has to perforce travel to the devotee's home. If you want to ensure Laxmi never leaves your home, you must ensure that Narayan Himself resides in your home, imprisoned by your pure love and devotional service (bhakti).
By Gautam Saha
Srila Prabhupada states (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.4.25 purport): "When the goddess of fortune, Laxmi, desired to make the bosom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan, her residence, the Supreme Lord conceded to her request and made His bosom her permanent residence... The karmis also worship Laxmi, but their opulence is flickering and temporary, whereas the opulence of the devotees of Narayan is as permanent as the opulence of Narayan Himself."
During His pastimes on earth, the Supreme Lord Krishna showed how a poor and penniless brahman like Sudama, by pleasing the Lord immensely by offering just a few grains of chipped rice, made the goddess Laxmi so much obligated to Sudama, that she would have to benedict him with opulence unimaginable even by Indra. When one offers Narayan some simple service and the Lord is pleased, the goddess Laxmi becomes immediately obligated to the devotee and has to perforce travel to the devotee's home. If you want to ensure Laxmi never leaves your home, you must ensure that Narayan Himself resides in your home, imprisoned by your pure love and devotional service (bhakti).
By Gautam Saha