Repelling prosperity - Lakshmi's insight

    Prosperity is the aspiration of every living being. We found detailed simple steps, we as humanity can do to attain and hold on to good fortune, in Attracting Prosperity – Lakshmi’s advice. In this second part, let us dive deeper to complete the picture by understanding what repels prosperity and what trends point to a definite future ruin.

Background:

    Indra aspired to know why Sree made the Danavas prosperous for a long time and more so why she was abandoning them. After giving them a long list of wonderful attributes of Danavas, the plot takes a turn. Lakshmi hinted that anger and lust began to replace the dharmic outlook of the Danavas, who now had no respect for merit or position. Dharma was not only disregarded, but openly ridiculed. To understand these self destructive attributes, it may be easier to peruse Sree’s insights.

• Replacement of dharma with Kama and Krodha. (In other words, Dharma is replaced by materialistic mindset)

   

• Meritocracy being abandoned. Qualified being replaced by unqualified. Hate being spread against those with qualifications. 

   

• No respect for elders or qualified. This included no respect for fathers by sons. (Here father or mother is addressed as the head of the family, who also happen to be the Guru in many cases)

   

• Adharma was accepted as the way, as making money became the primary goal. Wealth, however obtained, was cherished highly over dharma.

   

• Their quiet nights were replaced with a lot of din and screams. They ceased to perform their homa.

   

• Sons dominated their fathers without respect, while dharma in marriage was replaced by the women dominating the married men.

   

• Mothers, fathers, elders, preceptors, athithis, advisors were no longer held in esteem nor heeded to. Even the children were raised with little to no care (especially feeding them dharmic thoughts, correcting them when they go astray)

   

• Neither Daana nor giving ahuti or offering to Devas were part of the norm. Every person wanted to hog all the things for oneself. (Refer BG 3-12 इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविता: | तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव स: || iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ | tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||) The life was an Yagna, but fallen Danavas selfishly took everything for themselves without sharing or offering to Devas, Pitris, athithis or respectable elders.

   

• Neither they nor their cooks believed in cleanliness or purity of thought, word and deed. Thus all they consumed was tainted. This resulted in their food being contaminated and adulterated. 

   

• They didn’t keep their house tidy and all the things were scattered randomly. The women didn’t tend to the houses or their walls. Even domesticated animals were not properly taken care of. Even the children’s needs were not tended, as they were absorbed in their own.

   

• They began to sleep well into daylight, treating night as day. There was quarrel in every household, day and night. There was no respect for swadharma as they neglected them for their choice desires. The ones who chose inner peace and divine life, were identified for bigger disrespect and abuse. 

   

• Marriage was not based on guna-karma any more. 

   

• Brahmanas knowing Vedas had no value in the society. There was no censure nor guidance against Brahmanas who had abandoned the riks. The Brahmanas who knew and also who didn’t know Vedas were equally treated badly. Even the highest knowledgeable ones were reduced to menial jobs for making a living, with no respect for their wisdom or experience.

   

• The society values were so fallen that men started dressing like women and women like men for entertainment and also in their behavior. (This may draw parallels to the confused pronoun based society of today where there is so much gender abuse by abolishing the respect due for each)

   

• If the ancestors had done any charity, the heirs even canceled the bequests or undeserving were made as the recipients.

   

• Instead of turning to advisors and well wishers, when any problem arose while facing a situation, they sought the advise of friends. These friends would go on to advise and make them stop their karmas or swadharma, even if it didn’t profit them.

   

• This can be misinterpreted by the woke. The Shudras began to do tapasyas. (In Varnas – a spiritual insight, we clearly understood that it is the predominance of Tamas as guna / karma that defines one’s varna. Also the ones with their Karma rooted in Kama do not really benefit by Tapasya. This clearly is not the class or caste abuse ridden idea of today that can be anachronistically juxtaposed into the original Varna system based on gunas/karmas.)

   

• They failed to focus on sense regulation and dharmic guidance in observing Tapasya or spiritual practices. They went on to make their own unfounded rules as their guiding principles. The disciples didn’t listen or obey the guidance of their Gurus. Worse yet, these disciples were not treated as friends by the Gurus.

   

• Tired due to the grind of day today activities, parents began to scale down or even stop celebrating festivities on important days. Elders in their ripe old age lost respect and were reduced to begging for food with their own children.

   

• In the Gurukula system, the Gurus were approached every morning on the list of tasks assigned, which were assigned to improve the guna-karma of each disciple. Instead the focus was now to tend the Guru’s physical needs. 

   

• The bride of the household took charge of the house and began to dominate her in-laws. Reduced to a power struggle, she would dictate the terms to her husband, thus eliminating dharma and peace in the household. Aged parents, either out of fear or hope divided their wealth amongst their sons, still living a life filled with misery and affliction.

   

• The distressed were laughed at. They became ungrateful, nonbelievers, developed a penchant for adharma, hence papa oriented. They partook food that was not sanctioned in shastras, violated every dharma to fulfill their kama.

    Sree’s exhaustive list of her reasons to abandon the once favored Danavas gives us more than a pause, as there is a lot of commonality with it. Are we headed towards the same fate as the Danavas?

    She said where she resides all the other eight forms her also grace their presence. The eight one referred as Jaya along with the other seven – asha(hopeful expectation), shraddha (faith), dhruti (intellect), kshanti (contentment), vijithi(victory), sannidhi (advancement) and kshama(forgiveness). Indra and Narada gave her a splendid reception and honored her duly. Vayu spread gentle fragrance with a breeze bringing pleasure to on the denizens. The citizens of Swarga gave a proper welcome to Lakshmi, who was accompanied by Indra and Narada. The impact of Devas was felt on earth as well, as the abundance of prosperity overflowed everywhere.

Phalasruti: Ones aspiring progress, Bhishma recommends approaching an assembly of Brahmanas (by their Guna, Karma and Sadhana), read this glorification of Sree with Indra as the head, along with the Devas, will attain lasting prosperity.

Practical applications:

GunaKarma: Lakshmi’s entire advice and reasoning for prosperity revolves around Guna and Karma. The duration or height of prosperity has no connection to its future longevity. The Danavas fell from their zenith, as their Karmas got incongruent with Dharma. The same idea was explored in Ailing Hinduism- inversion of values.

 

    The fact that Phalasruti recommends this to be read in an assembly of the learned as subtle insights can be given on this gunakarma transformation, is sufficient for us to realize that this is the central message of this narration. This also implies that the story is not a mere incident but as as vehicle to propagate this deep wisdom.

    As Dharma loses primacy, the natural tendency of all beings is to be driven by Kama. As the objective of Kama is the object of desire, at any cost, the first compromise is Dharma, which results in calamitous results at our own cost. Thus anything that obstructs the free flow towards this doom is expressed as disrespect, anger, hate for anything that represents Dharma which includes the elders, preceptors, advisors or even parents.

 

Individual responsibility: Sree’s personification in the form of qualities expressed in a prosperous being makes us ponder the importance of us monitoring our own Guna Karma. While a lot of these are subtle attributes to observe, she lays them as simple expressions in our actions and attitude.

    As we imbibe the wisdom of the sages and be bold enough to act only in the Dharmic way, our current situation has no bearing on our future. Such dharmic Karma not only brings punya, but also a gradual transformation in the gunas, making it naturally sattvic. The reduction of Rajas and Tamas and the increasing Sattva results in greater clarity in our buddhi, attitude and direction. Thus our default nature is always intent on Dharma as its foundation, not Kama.

    Depending on the choice of Dharma or Kama as the driver, we end up as the architects of our destiny, be it prosperity and fortune or desperation/stagnation/poverty. This is the individual responsibility. The cards we are dealt with now is a factor of our Prarabdha, but our future is solely dependent on our individual Purushartha, which is dependant on our Guna-Karma.

    Sree promises not mere wealth, but all the glorious attributes like victory, faith, hope, aspiration, achievement and much more. To attract or repel her is a factor of our gunas and Karma. She has made it amply clear with both the directions. It is Lakshmi’s grace that we are fortunate to listen to this wonderful narration of Bhishma. If we can not only retain this deep message, but also reflect upon it periodically and let it become our life’s expression, then we are putting the lessons we have learnt into practice it. May Sree’s inspiration provide us the strength to understand her advice and the strength to implement. May our lives be filled with her grace, which includes leading our hearts to the lotus feet of Sreepati.

ॐ तत् सत

Attracting Prosperity - Lakshmi's advice

     Prosperity is at the core of every living being. Though we have reduced its meaning to mere riches, it encompasses the overall well being, including health, living long life, achieving meaningful ambitions worked for besides wealth. The word “aishvarya” aptly expresses this nature, inherent in every living being. The Goddess who empowers and embodies aishvarya is Sree, popularly known as Mahalakshmi or Lakshmi. Today’s Bhakti has reduced to transactional one, driven incessantly by our desires. Since our ahamkara is at the helm, we are unable to lock on to even the coveted prosperity. The Itihasapuranas are filled with wisdom on how to attain prosperity and make it last across generations. This civilizational wisdom for this article is from the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata. Mahalakshmi herself gives a list of things to do that attract prosperity. In part 2, we will dwell on her insights on activities that repel prosperity.

Background:

    Yudhishtra was taking advantage of his last few days with Bhishma who was pouring the wisdom of the ages to dispel doubts related to Dharma. These are captured in the Shanti Parva and the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata. Yudhishtra wanted to know how one can predict one will be prosperous or not in the future. Are there any indicators that we can observe which can indicate the trajectory?

    Bhishma narrated an age old incident, when Maharishi Narada and Indra were performing their rituals on the banks of the Ganga. As the dawn gave way to the bright shining sun, they found an equally effulgent object heading towards them from the opposite direction. Attended by numerous apsaras, they found the divine beauty, Sree. Indra inquired who she was, where she was headed and what was the purpose of her visit.

 

    Sree gracefully responded that she is desired by all beings as they aspire to make a strong connection with her and thus to all auspiciousness. She gives a long list of names, but these are attributes that indicate at the highest best.

अहं लक्ष्मीर अहं भूतिः शरीश चाहं बलसूदन | अहं शरद्धा च मेधा च सन्नतिर विजितिः सथितिः ||
अहं धृतिर अहं सिद्धिर अहं तविड भूतिर एव च | अहं सवाहा सवधा चैव संस्तुतिर नियतिः कृतिः ||

ahaṃ lakṣmīr ahaṃ bhūtiḥ śrīś cāhaṃ balasūdana | ahaṃ śraddhā ca medhā ca sannatir vijitiḥ sthitiḥ ||
ahaṃ dhṛtir ahaṃ siddhir ahaṃ tviḍ bhūtir eva ca | ahaṃ svāhā svadhā caiva saṃstutir niyatiḥ kṛtiḥ ||

    I am known as Lakshmi, Bhooti, and Sree. I am Shraddha (faith), medha(intelligence), sannidhi (influence), vijiti (victory), sthithi (changeless/immutable), dhruthi (patience), siddhi (achievements), (sam)bhoothi (prosperity). I am Svaha, svadha and samstuthi (reverence). I am niyati (preordained fate) and krithi (memory).

• I reside in flags, victory, dharmic government, homes, cities and settlement.

• Also in those thirsting and working hard for victory and one who doesn’t withdraw from battlefield.

• I reside in those who are rooted deep in dharma, one endowed with great intelligence, firm in their faith in Brahman, ones immersed in Satya, humble and charitable.

    Formerly, as the Danavas were the embodiment of these qualities, I resided with them. Now that there is grave misalignment with these virtues, I am abandoning them and choosing to reside in you (Indra). Indra politely wanted to know what were the virtues of Danavas that made them prosperous and what they have adopted to make Sree abandon them abruptly?

    Sree took time to assiduously impart the wisdom of how to attract prosperity, an expression of her presence. (We will see in part 2 of this article – Repelling prosperity – Lakshmi’s advice, on what makes her to desert us)

• Danavas did their swadharma with utter dedication, never lost patience and took pleasure in treading the path that lead to Swarga.

• I (Shree) reside in those who excel in charity, Shastra knowledge (that is expressed in action not mere rote memory), Vedas, Vedic rituals, worship of Pitrus, Devas, teachers, elders and athithis.

• In the times bygone, Danavas gave tremendous emphasis on shaucha (cleanliness), which reflected in their clean homes; had their women abide in dharma, poured libations in yaga-yajnas, served elders with respect, kept fierce lid on their desires, respected Brahmanas (not the modern caste flavor, but ones immersed in Brahman) and always spoke truth.

• They were rooted in faith (in Brahman, the paths that led to it and shastras), had a firm grip over anger, practiced charity, never harbored hate, never envied others and protected their friends, women and advisors. They never attacked anyone in anger, remained contented, and were never disturbed in seeing other’s affluence and prosperity.

   

• They were rooted in virtues, economical in their spending, not prone to flaunting, having respectable conduct and compassionate. They exhibited grace, simple conduct, steadfast in faith besides having complete control over kama (desires).

   

• Endowed with sweet agreeable speech and being grateful, they valued the contributions of their servants (dependents) and advisors, whom they aimed to please, thus earn their loyalty by providing adequate compensation. They were ashamed to violate Dharma and maintained rigid vows.

   

• They performed ablutions on sacred days. They smeared themselves with perfumes, unguents and decorated themselves pleasantly. The observed fasts, performed tapasyas and sang Vedic hymns.

   

• They always woke up at dawn. (They respected waking up early and going to bed on time). They abstained partaking curds and pounded grains (flour) at night.

   

• They saw auspicious things like clarified butter in the morning. Having good sense control, they began the day with chanting Vedas and honoring the Brahmanas with some charitable donations.

   

• Their conversations were always centered on Dharma. They were never the recipients of daana. They went to bed by midnight and they never slept during daytime.

   

• They took delight in showing compassion to the distressed, the helpless, the aged, the weak, the sick and women, with whom they enjoyed sharing their riches.

   

• They comforted the distressed, dejected, ones drowned in sorrow, terrified, sick, weak, emaciated, the ones who were robbed and the afflicted. They helped others tide over their misfortunes.

   

• Always following the dictates of virtue, they never harmed each other. They were enthusiastic and ready to commit to their tasks they aspired to complete. They served with reverence all their elders.

   

• They revered Pitris, Devas and Athithis and partook what was left after gratifying them. They were firm in Truth and their penances.

   

• They never are without sharing and were never after another person’s spouse. They showed extreme kindness to all living beings, just like they showed each other.

   

• They were reputed for their gifts, intellect, simplicity, striving hard filled with faith, humility, friendship and forgiveness.

   

• The Danavas were known for their truth, charity, penance, purity, compassion, soft sweet speeches and absence of animosity towards friends. 

   

• They were free from drowsiness, procrastination, irritation, envy, want of foresight, discontent and greed.

Since the dawn of times, Danavas who were exemplars of virtues, slowly became the examples of the exact opposite qualities. Hence Sree chose to abandon them as they lost the ability to express the same opulence and virtues.

Practical applications

The biggest mistake one can make is to settle for the story plot, rather than the wisdom. An even bigger blunder will be to brush aside the entire the wisdom of the sages due to our apathy.

Guna Karma: At the root of attracting or repelling prosperity are our Karmas. Prosperity is mere Karmaphala. Yet we think of attaining it by luck, sheer mindless hard labor, snatching it from others or give up on it living in desperation. The engine that attracts lasting prosperity is our Gunas and Karma. Through the incident narrated, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishtra that Prosperity can be a planned event, not a random stroke of destiny.

    Lakshmi’s account informs us that Danavas who are normally caricatured as bad people were only having all the daivi qualities, even more than Indra. The essence of her advice is to transform our gunas and Karmas as it determines the direction of our future. Gunas are in a state of flux and can trend in any direction. That is why the prosperous Danavas fell off their peak glory due to a fall in their gunas. Karma is a mere outward expression of our Gunas, our internal composition. We see the same in case of Ravana and Duryodhana.

Individual responsibilities: Attracting prosperity comes with responsibilities predominantly at the individual level and consequently its expression in the society. From the extensive catalog of Lakshmi, we find most of her advice is centered on the individual. It ranges from shaucha to satya with an enormous emphasis on alignment with dharma.

Lakshmi’s list of suggestions are aimed doing a list of duties, swadharma with the right attitude. As these karmas are performed they begin to have an impact in the underlying Gunas. As the Gunas get more Saatvic, performing swadharma becomes second nature. Thus complimenting the positive cycle of attracting prosperity. The techniques are impeccable and so scientific that all one needs to do is their swadharma to commence their journey and the rest gets added along the way.

Social responsibilities: While the individual and his swadharma is the focus, she lays equal emphasis on sharing the fruits of prosperity with the less privileged and challenged. Repeatedly she reiterates the importance and the need for some of the actions to be oriented towards the society. If prosperity is at the cost of the society, as witnessed during most of human history, it results in deadly changes over time. Prosperity has a longer staying power when spread and shared with others as a part of one’s inner growth.

    Another important aspect is by engaging in charity, helping others, sharing, one realizes that real prosperity is not merely wealth or flaunting it, but can lead us deeper to spirituality. One doesn’t get bamboozled by the glitter of materialism, but understands prosperity from Lakshmi’s guidance.

    To aim for a prosperous society we must develop the subtler qualities of gratitude, grace, sharing, cooperation coupled with tapasya and guna-karma transformation. Lakshmi’s advice is a sure shot recipe as she is the embodiment of all aishvarya. Her grace unfolds our deeper potential. By following her advice, we will never confuse ourselves with prosperity as the mere material riches, but as a doorway to greater spiritual realms. May she protect us never degrading her eternal grace due to our ahamakara. May her grace and guidance be always with us. May the Mother’s benevolence keep us always steadfast on dharma. Jai Maa Lakshmi.

ॐ तत् सत