The Divine Mother

Nothing could possibly be more familiar to us than the word `Shri’, which gets prefixed to  our names as a matter of course. Yet this familiarity does not carry with it the corresponding volume of knowledge, meaning and content of this small, but weighty word. `Shri’ is that inseparable denomination borne by the divine Mother, Goddess Lakshmi, the presiding deity over wealth, affluence and plenty. The Sanskrit word Sri lends itself to different meanings. Firstly, if we take the derivative, `sriyate iti srih, it would connote one who is sought after by all finite beings – isvraim sarva bhutanam. Another derivative, srayate iti srih, would refer to the Mother as one who leans solely on Lord Narayana and does not get parted from Him under any circumstance. The third variation, srunoti iti srih, highlights one who grants patient audience to the moans and groans of all suffering creatures. The fourth variant, sraava iti srih, represents the Mother at her best, as one who puts in a word to the Lord at the most opportune moment, so as to secure for her devotees the desired results,  advocating the cause before the Lord in the most effective manner with admirable success.

The idea of interceding partner in Godhead is not confined to our theology alone. Even Jesus Christ is represented as interceding  on behalf of suffering humanity with the Heavenly Father for their redemption. It would, of course, be compromising the mercifulness of The Lord, if those who seek protection suffered under His very eyes, If Gajendra, the elephant, cried for help during the titanic struggle with the crocodile, it presupposes the  existence of a savior. It is difficult to believe in a `higher power `that remain indifferent to our woes. That is why Lakshmi, the eternal spouse of Lord Vishnu, functions as the intercessor on behalf of those who are suffering. Intercession would naturally imply a dual role for her – dealing with mankind on the one hand, and with the supreme Lord on the other.

Goddess Lakshmi exhorts us to shed all fear of a strict and unrelenting judge who keeps count of every little action and to seek refuge in His Lotus Feet, since our salvation lies there and there alone. Thus did Mother Sita advise Ravana in the Ashoka Vana, to seek Rama’s friendship for sheer survival and avoidance of a gruesome end.

Lakshmi’s sweet disposition and solicitude weans us away from our age-old apathy and mental stupor and turns us towards the Supreme Lord. Having made us God-conscious and ready to receive His bounty, the compassionate Mother has no doubt won the first round of the battle.

Next comes the veritable battle of wits between the omniscient, all powerful Lord, ahs his most beloved consort, the divine Mother. The petitioner is at the door-step of the supreme Lord, but the unrelenting judge from whose scrutiny none of our vices and foibles can ever escape, keeps the door shut against the offender. The mother pleased with him and points out that if he started separating the sand from the food that had slipped and got mixed up with sand, he would be attempting the impossible. To thinks of the jivaatman seeking His protection  at the moment, apart from his sins would be just as futile. If the supplicant were to be disowned and thrown out, all he efforts put forth by the Lord during  his avataras to recline the sinners would be a colossal waste.

At this juncture, the Lord in his role as the supreme judge, protests that the universal laws of course and effect cannot be thrown to the winds by conditioning the countless transgression of the petitioner. The Lord is , however, effectively silenced by the Mother who beseeches thus, “ My Lord! If you really mean to exercise your qualities of mercy, love and kindness, you have now an opportunity , which you  cannot allow to slip away. As regards justice and retribution, you can very well invoke those norms in dealing with those who are straying away from you. In this case of those who seek your protection by falling at your feet. Like the petitioner now at your door-step, you should acknowledge them with open hands in vindication of your qualities of love, mercy and grace, which would otherwise get rusted through disuse!” The softer touch of the Mother who is grace first, grace last and grace thoroughly, that is grade personified, thus secures our salvation. This sociological preference for approaching the female for the forgiveness of our wrongs is seen in the world-a-day world also.

Lakshmi is the Mother of the swords, even as Hari (Vishnu) is the Father – tvam mata sarva lokanam devadevo harih pita. In the Saiva tradition, Parvati is the feminine counterpart of Lakshmi; she comprises half of the body of Siva, who is accordingly called Ardhanarishwara. If Vishnu holds her in his own heart, Siva gives her pride of place by assigning half his being to her.

The fact that Lakshmi and Vishnu are complementary to each other can also be seen from the fact that Vishnu’s permanent abode is the milky ocean, which happens to be the birth place of Lakshmi. She emerged when the milky ocean was churned and to find her again in the form of Mother Sita, the sea had to be restrained and bridge over.

Only when our senses are restrained, we can find the Mother and only  when the intellect is churned in contemplation, can we discover her grace that leads us to the Lord in meditation.

*Taken from Tapovan Prasad, the  magazine of Chinmaya Mission, India