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Hinduism
Chanchala Lakshmi
The Restless One!
–
Aparna
Chatterjee
November 6, 2005
In this write-up of mine, I
wish to decipher one very interesting "personality puzzle" in Hindu
Mythology - Why is Lakshmi 'Chanchala' - The Restless One..?!
Having understood the nature of wealth, Ancient Gurus in the Hindu
Mythology prescribed the
following route to richness: Do not obstruct the flow of wealth, do not
hoard, do not plunder, simply ensure wealth flows continuously in the
desired direction. Since wealth has to flow, our Hindu Goddess of
Fortune and Prosperity - Lakshmi Ji, is given the rather Unflattering
Title of 'Chanchala' - The Restless One.
Goddess Lakshmi has no favorites. She does not discriminate on the basis
of caste, creed, gender or social status. The same bowl of rice can
satisfy the hunger of a king or a beggar, the same blanket will provide
warmth to a man or a eunuch, the same roof will shelter equally the
judge and the criminal. Lakshmi will go to anyone who seeks her and
makes himself worthy of her. She even makes no moral judgements. Wealth
and Power are essentially Impersonal. They come with a position and not
with the person. People bow not to the 'Man' under the crown but to the
'King' wearing the crown and sitting on the throne.
For instance, Ravana and Duryodhana - Villains of the Hindu Epics -
Ramayana and Mahabharata - were affluent Monarchs. Ravana lived in a
City of Gold (Lanka) while the Hero-God Rama lived like a hermit in the
forest for 14 years. The unrighteous Duryodhana always lived as a King
in Hastinapur while the righteous Yudhishthira was born in a forest and
spent much of his life in exile or in hiding.
Symbols of Kingship, Crown and Throne remind us that our wealth and our
power are not dependent on us. We need wealth and power, wealth and
power do not need us. When the rich man dies, his wealth outlives him
sustaining all those who are left behind. When the powerful man dies,
the power he wielded goes to someone as worthy or gets distributed
amongst many.
The Spiritual Man therefore doesn't get carried away by the bounty of
Lakshmi. He knows that she will stay with him only as long as he makes
himself worthy of her. If he fails to keep her, she will leave him. She
stays so long as she is treated with reverence and her value is
realized. She turns her back on those who are unworthy of affection.
Legend has it that even the King of Gods - Lord Indra lost his wealth,
when he over-indulged in wine and women, ignored his Dharma, thereby
incurring the wrath of sages who cursed him with poverty and misfortune.
According to Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, Goddess Lakshmi first
lived with the demons like Hiranayaksha, Hiranakashipu, Virochana, Bali
and Ravana before the Gods acquired her. Cities of the demons like
Hiranyapura, Alakapuri, Lanka and Bhogavati have all been described as
Cities of Gold - the mineral manifestation of Lakshmi. In Vedic Times,
Lakshmi was associated with many Gods esp. the Elephant-Riding Rain-God
Indra (bestower of fresh water), The Crocodile-Riding Sea-God Varuna
(source of all water), and the Antelope-Riding Moon-God Soma (waxer and
waner of tides). Yet Lakshmi neither stayed long with the demons nor
with these Gods. The association with numerous demons and deities also
including Ganesha, Kubera and even with the world-renouncing Hermit-God
Shiva, has led to Lakshmi being viewed as Fickle, Restless and
Independent.
Her fickleness is shown by the speed with which she abandons a God or a
King in favor of another God or King. She is like the throne or crown of
a King, belonging to anyone who sits on the throne and claims the crown.
She is attached not to the man but to the position. Philosophers view
the fickleness and independence of Lakshmi as an allegory for the
restlessness of fortune. More often than not, there are no rational
explanations for fortune and misfortune. Good times come without warning
and leave as suddenly without any reason.
Just as water must flow or it will stagnate and breed diseases and food
will rot if not consumed or distributed. In the same way, wealth must
flow so that it can nourish society. For the economy to thrive, wealth
needs to be constantly created and distributed. Lakshmi enriches and
empowers only when she is in motion. Hence, She is known as The Restless
One, 'Chanchala'. She needs to be always on the move. Any attempt to pin
her down and hoard her, earns her wrath.
The only God with whom Lakshmi has formed a long-lasting relationship is
the world-affirming Warrior-God Vishnu-Narayana, the ultimate refuge of
man, the preserver of the world. She remains the eternal, faithful
consort of Lord Vishnu probably because He is the embodiment of Dharma,
and He keeps re-incarnating himself into various Avatars (like Rama for
Sita, Krishna for Radha), thus satisfying her ever restless re-birth
spirit. As by nature, Lakshmi is said to be possessive, jealous,
demanding and easily displeased, Vishnu has to constantly work towards
keeping her happy. In the process, he also domesticates her, a form that
is very beneficial to all devotees. No longer fleet-footed, She sits
demurely by his side, on his lap or at his feet. Lakshmi's long-term
association with Vishnu has confirmed her exalted status in Hinduism.
Top |
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