This is an edited version from an article by Devdutt Patnaik. Deals with Lakshmi (wealth) and its meaning and importance.
It annoys us to find Lakshmi with people we don’t like, people who deem to be criminals and sinners. We believe that Lakshmi should abandon amoral and perverse people. But there she is, with them, and we find it exasperating, irritating and so unfair. In mythology, all villains seem to be rich. Ravan lived in the city of gold and Duryodhan lived like a king till the day he died. Contrast this with Ram who had to live, for no fault of his, in the forest for fourteen years and the Pandavas who were born in the forest and had to live in the forest, in abject poverty, for most of their lives. Why is it so?
Laskhmi embodies the principles of artha, economic and political activity. She is one of the four goals of life, said the seers, the other three goals being: dharma, social order; kama, pleasurable pursuits; and moksha, spiritual practice.
To understand Lakshmi, we have to understand where wealth comes from. Wealth in its most primal form comes from under the ground. Plants come from under the ground. Minerals come from under the ground. Water comes from under the ground. Even petrol comes from under the ground. Lakshmi is therefore called Patala-nivasini, she who resides in the subterranean realm. Patala is also the realm inhabited by the Asuras.
Asura applied to all forces that that locked wealth. The sea locks wealth, the subterranean realm realms lock wealth, trees lock wealth – until it is harnessed and released. Those who release this wealth were called Devas. And Devas lived above the ground as fire (Agni), wind (Vayu), sun (Surya), moon (Chandra) and rain (Indra).
Children’s books often translate the word Asura as demons. And the word demon has a moral judgment. But this moral judgment is missing in Indian literature. Asuras are the children of Brahma, just like Devas.Equating Asuras with demons is a legacy of early European scholars, blindly adopted by later Indian academicians. Since Asuras were enemies of Devas, and since Devas were worshipped and hence considered gods, Asuras became demons, a natural conclusion for people who were obsessed with force fitting everything into the binary framework of good and evil.
The reason why Devas were worshipped was not moral, it was material; they released wealth and made it available to all – they released rain from clouds, trees from seeds, water from earth, metals from rocks. Asuras were not worshiped because they hoarded wealth, locked it away from humans. They had to be killed if Lakshmi had to be released.
The battle of Devas and Asuras is the battle between spenders and hoarders, distributors and creators. It begins with defeat of Devas and the loss of Lakshmi and ends with victory of Devas and return of Lakshmi. That it is never-ending indicates it is not a battle of good over evil. It is a fertility cycle.
The funny thing is, neither the Devas nor the Asuras are happy. They try hard to hold on Lakshmi but she slips away. In folk tradition Lakshmi is described as being squint – one never knows where she is actually going. She is also called Chanchala, the whimsical one, eternally restless. They say one should never keep the image of Lakshmi standing in the house; she will get tired and run away. One is advised to keep images of Lakshmi comfortable seated, preferably next to Saraswati, goddess of knowledge.
While Lakshmi brings prosperity into a household, Saraswati brings peace. The two goddesses are described as quarrelling sisters. Lakshmi loves to go places where Saraswati resides. But her arrival marks the end of wisdom and peace. With wealth comes quarrels, bickering over money-matters, annoying Saraswati who runs away, which is why they say prosperity and peace rarely coexist. The only god who can bring them together is Ganesha. In some scriptures, he is described as their brother. In others, Lakshmi and Saraswati are forms of Riddhi and Siddhi, wives of Ganesha.
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