Laxmi is Loyal to Whom…?

Laxmi is the daughter of Puloman, the king of Asura. That is why she is also called Pulomi. She is daughter of Puloman and sister of other Asura. Asura`s dwelling place is netherworld. Everyone needs Laxmi. Laxmi is Chanchala, she can`t stay at one place for a longer time. Deva (gods) and Asura are always in conflicts. Asura want to hold Laxmi and gods want to release Laxmi from Asura. Asura never allow Laxmi to go away with gods. And, without Laxmi, both gods and humans lose their splendor. In order to get Laxmi, Asura need to be attacked and defeated by gods. Gods attack on Asura lead by Indra with the help of lord Vishnu. They defeat Asura either by vigor or trick to get Laxmi. 

Laxmi comes out from netherworld, in the form of crops, fruits, minerals, chemicals, petroleum etc. For that, soil need to be toiled, rocks to be melted, ocean to be churned out, crops to be yanked and thrashed. This process of violent is symbolized as killing the Asura to let Laxmi come out from the subterranean. To get crops or minerals etc come out… Indra (rain god), Vayu (wind god), Agni (fire god), Sun, moon etc. are required. These gods are Vedic gods, the Devas. 

When Laxmi comes out, she clings to the feet of Vishnu. Vishnu is epitome of skills, vigor and leadership quality. But Indra wants her to be in his dwelling place, Amravati. Reluctantly, she goes with Indra, in the form Sachi, but she is not loyal to a person. She is loyal to position. Whoever becomes the king of Amravati, she becomes the wife of that person. Hence, Indra remains in fear to lose Sachi. In this way, Laxmi is wife of Devas.

Devas distribute the prosperity in the form of Laxmi to the humans to be fed. In this way, Laxmi is mother of humans. Humans are dependent on Devas for releasing Laxmi from Asura.

You can have Laxmi in three ways:

Asura method: You can be wealthy, if your lineage and relatives are wealthy. You can claim that. Asura are arrogant, always fights with gods, try to dominate others. They never allow his sister Laxmi to go out. Without creating Laxmi, due to blood relationship, they show their proprietary over her. This gives the birth of bad qualities, and hence the lost of the peace.

Deva method: They take the help of Vishnu to get Laxmi come to their side. Laxmi is taken out forcefully. Hence, Laxmi is not happy with Devas. And Devas are in fear that anytime Asura can attack Devas and can take her sister away from them.

Both Deva and Asura are neither happy nor secure, no matter; whether Laxmi is with Devas or Asura.

Humans favor none. Whoever helps humans to get Laxmi, favors them. Gods help them, that s why humans worship gods. If Asura distribute wealth and their survival, humans would worship Asura. Humans are not loyal to gods or Asura. Hence, humans live in confusion.

Vishnu method: Vishnu never chases Laxmi. He never forces Laxmi to come to him. This attitude of Vishnu attracts Laxmi towards him. Laxmi is loyal to Vishnu. Vishnu always keeps Vakdevi (form of Sarsawati) on his tongue, which helps him to control him tongue, not to be pompous and arrogant at anytime. Vishnu is happy with Laxmi and Vakdevi. Vishnu is skill. Where there is skill, Laxmi follows and remains loyal to it.

Laxmi plays a very crucial role in anyone`s life. But the method of attaining her determines whether you live in peace and happiness or in fear and insecurity.

Ganesha`s Immersion Annoys his Mother

Lord Siva chopped Vinayak`s head and replaced it with Indra`s elephant head. Vinayak was a creation of Shakti (Parvati) without lord Shiva`s intervention.  Since Vinayak was created by Shakti, hence no one was able to control or defeat him except lord Shiva. Once he was guarding his mother at her order, and he had defeated all Gana and gods who tried to fight with him. Lord Shiva has capability to control Shakti. That s why Shiva got into the matter, and in order to control petulant Vinayak, who ignored to recognize his father, and angered Shiva severed his head. Neither Shakti nor her creation wants to be domesticated by anyone. Vinayak was created by matter. Parvati symbolizes as matter. Vinayak was only associated with the matter, which Shiva did not like and chopped his head. 

What it symbolizes …?

Chopping his head and replacing it with bigger one, the elephant head, means, replacing his thought. By replacing his thought, he becomes the leader of Gana, he becomes the first god to be worshiped. He got the combination of the both matter and spiritual, he became very popular for the both householders and ascetics. Parvati, the matter, is for householders and Shiva, the spirit, for the ascetics. Only paying attention on the matter and ignoring the spirit make you to degrade.

This is the power of changing the thought from smaller to bigger. Anyone can convert himself from hatred to loved one, from average to achievers by changing his thought.

Every year, Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated for 10 days. We bring Ganapati along with celebration..WHY? Why not calmly?

Ganesha comes to your home to say “Tathastu” (so it be). We bring Ganesha with celebration to show our mood. Whatever the mood we carry, he only says “Tathastu”. He is god, cannot be unjust with anyone. It is up to bearer what the thought he keeps.

Ganesha is brought at home as a guest, and treated as a guest. .. But he is a special guest. Normal guest … while serving. .he observes WHAT you serve…. But Ganesha as a god..observes HOW you serve.. not WHAT. He sees the “Bhav (faith and respect) “and “Bhav(Price)”. Whatever you keep your “Bhav” you get the result accordingly in the coming days.

 Immersion, which might Ganesha does not like, the way people perform. The idol should be made of clay which should dissolve in water without making any harm to the environment, the nature. The nature is his mother. But now a day, POP is being used for idol and other colors made of mercury and cadmium, which is detrimental to the nature. 

The same Ganesha fought with his father and his head was severed for saving his mother, the nature. If due to our ignorant and blind ritual, we are making Ganesha and his mother annoyance and unhappy, we should be ready for the consequences.  Ganesha would not save you, if her mother takes the form of ferocious Kali and stretches her tongue to suck the blood for those who try to domesticate and vitiate her.

Not understanding the deep meaning of the festival, tradition, custom and ritual, make us to fall spiritually, which causes for our miseries.

An Employee with Five Bosses

In the Mahabharata, Draupati had five husbands, the Pandavas. Arjun, one of the Pandavas, won the hands of Draupati in the competition of archery. Draupati`s exaltation had not bound, because she was going to be the wife of the most valiant and vigor archer and warrior in the world at that time. Later, she realized that she is not the wife of one husband but five husbands, the Pandavas. She was aghast, and in this indignation, she remonstrated lord Krishna. Lord Krishna pacified her, saying, do not blame anyone, if you want to blame someone…., blame yourself. You got exactly what you wanted to get. 

Lord Krishna elucidated …. In your previous life, you did a severe penance to lord Shiva and had asked for a husband with fourteen distinct qualities. Getting those fourteen qualities, what you had asked for, in a man in this mortal world is not possible at all. That`s why, you got five husbands, who, all together, possess those fourteen qualities. 

She understood, and as dictated by lord Krishna, she provided her services with diligence, honestly, chastity and equally to all her husbands. Each and every Pandavas had different expectations from Draupati. By her effort, loyalty and integrity, she met their expectations; she made them happy and satisfied. She had unflagging faith and trust on her husbands. Nevertheless, they were incomparable, unraveled and unparalleled. 

Once, Yuddhisthir, the elder of the Pandavas, wager Draupati out in the game of dice. She was gambled out even without her consent! She was dragged out in the court of Duryodhan, the elder of the Kauravas. Dussasan, the younger brother of Duryodhan, started disrobing her, started humiliating her in the front of Pandavas and other great personage. She was crying, screaming, grudging, beseeching for help, whining and, requesting to save her modesty. She looked for the help from each and every Pandavas, but they turned their faces away from her. She requested Bhishma, Dronacharya, Kripacharya and Vidura, but of not use. All were bounded by their own words, vows, oaths, promises and pledges. They had delineated the confinement for themselves. They could not muster the audacity to cross that confinement. The flagrant injustice and heinous crime was taking place in the court, but no one broke his reticence. In distraught, she cursed everyone there.

At last, she remembered and prayed lord Krishna, and lord Krishna appeared in disguise and saved the modesty of Draupati. 

Our position as an employee in an organization is not better than Draupati. We pass through tough competition, we join some organization, and we think that we will have one boss. But later, we realize that we are not reporting to one boss but multiple bosses. In the language of management, an employee does not have less than five bosses. These five bosses are … de-facto boss, de-jure boss, direct boss, doted boss and reporting boss. Each and every boss has different expectation from us. We as an employee work with diligence, honesty, integrity, we put extra effort, we extend our time, and we take arduous task and work assiduously for its execution to meet their expectations, to make them happy and satisfied.

If something goes wrong, might be market is not good, the business model is not successful, the business is not thriving, financial precipice, the organization is sinking in losses etc … In that situation we become the victim. The ordain come from the board of director, in order to save the organization, we need to fire some of the employees; we need to cut down head counts. In this tough situation, we become the victim like Draupati, and like Pandavas, our bosses turn away their faces. They care only about their positions and jobs.

In the similar situation, the modestly of Draupati was saved by lord Krishna. But who is going to save you….. ?  Lord Krishna ….?

This is a symbolic story, here lord Krishna signifies….. Your skill, knowledge, knack, niche, prowess, intelligence, intellectuality, wisdom, expertise, mastery, determination, dedication, devotion, honesty and purity.

If you become sycophantic, obsequious or flattering to your bosses, and forgot to work on your skill development and knowledge enhancement, in your dire need, no one can save you. Only your skill, knowledge …..etc are the best savior of yours. This is also mentioned in Bhagawat Geeta chapter 4 verse 38 ---- “there is no more sublime than knowledge”.

Prosperity without Perspiration is not Possible

Everyone in this world wants to be prosperous without any exception. But how many people are able to acquire the prosperity and enjoy that prosperity? In fact, very few persons. The majority has always misunderstood the meaning of the prosperity. Generally, people think that prosperity, means, lot of property against your name, heavy bank balance, powerful position in the society and nation etc. In sooth, this is not the meaning of the prosperity.

The worldly persons understand, by earning heaps of money, they can be the owner of the prosperity. No… by this they can accumulate the arrogance, which is not the insignia of prosperity. Some understand, by holding powerful position, they can acquire the prosperity. No.. They can develop policy of discrimination among the humans, which drag away a person from prosperity.

Some understand, by building numerous temples, by travelling pilgrimage, performing rituals and worship etc, they can be prosperous. No… even this is not sufficient. These people may start considering themselves pious and others the sinner.  

Then … what is the insignia of a prosperous person?

The prosperous person always remains equi-poised in all kind of situation. He is free from all kinds of doubts and negativities. He always looks happy and content. He enjoys blessings of God, and never covets what belongs to others. If anything wrong happens with him, he never incriminates others, rather, find the cause of it in him. He knows well, no one can make anyone unhappy or distress without his permission. 

The prosperity does not have the direct relationship with property, bank balance, powerful position etc. These can be the means to acquire prosperity by proper utilization of the aforesaid.

You can have your bequeathed property and wealth without your perspiration. But, you cannot get the prosperity without perspiration.

You attract the prosperity by getting the awareness of all of your activities, being honest in your work, performing your prescribed duty scrupulously without expecting anything in return.  You will be getting exactly what you deserve for, so, you need not to worry about that. Just give your 100% to your chosen activities. There is no alternative of hard work, honest try and sincere effort. Remember, prosperity without perspiration is not possible. The prosperity can never take place in the presence of impurity of any kind. Perspiration in right direction helps here. Perspiration keeps you physically and mentally healthy, and washes away all the impurities of you mind, heart and soul, which is the dwelling place of the prosperity. 

Panchmukhi Hanuman, A Symbolism

On the behest of the Ravana, his younger brother Mahiravan, who was the king of subterranean, took Rama and his brother Laxman to the netherworld while they were in deep sleep. In the search of Rama and Laxman, Hanuman approached to the Mahiravan`s kingdom. Mahiravan was about to sacrifice the duo in the front of the netherworld goddess. Hanuman started fighting with Mahiravan to get released Rama and Laxman, but Mahiravan was looking invincible due to one boon. 

There, the five lamps were placed in five directions. In order to kill Mahiravan, the five lamps should be blown out at the same time. That was the boon, Mahiravan had. It was not possible to blow out all the five lamps in five directions at the same time with one mouth. To save the lives of Rama and Laxman, and to kill Mahiravan, Hanuman took five headed form and blown out all the five lamps at the same time and killed Mahiravan and rascued Rama and Laxman from his clamp.

Why five lamps…? These five lamps signify the five senses (sight, smell, hear, taste and touch) of humans. Only Hanuman had the capacity to do that, as he had conquered over five senses. Also these five lamps signify the five elements of the body (earth, water, ether, fire and air) and these five elements represent the five senses. Hanuman transcends these five elements. He has wholly controls over these five elements. How … ? He is the son of Vayu ( wind god), He crosses the ocean (water), He uses the sky (ether) path for that, He meets with Sita (earth , Sita is incarnation of Bhudevi), and He burns (fire) Lanka. 

He has control over five elements; that is why, he is considered one of the Chiranjivis in Hindu mythology. The Panchmukhi Hanuman`s idols are kept south facing. It is believed that this form of Hanuman saves the devotees from evil and untimely demise. Why south ….? South is the direction of Yama ( the god of death) and Rakhasa ( Ravana was also living is south). And, Hanuman  conquered the both, hence his this form kept south facing.