Written in 2016 on the day after Lakshmi Puja and being shared in this space on Lakshmi Puja 2018
Yesterday the temporary milkman – a man who has played many roles in many lives including that of dog handler for a neighbor – greeted me for Lakshmi Puja. On being asked if he had Puja in his home he mentioned that you couldn’t worship Lakshmi unless you worshipped Alakshmi. And they were not geared up for that (whatever that might mean in terms of ritual, I must remember to probe more). The latter is considered her “unpleasant” elder sister. Maybe I would call her a Doppelganger or the dark side of the moon. The moon-face you see depends on where you are in the course of which fortnight. Bhooma herself casts shadows that wane and wax. Perhaps that’s why some folks believe the moon is Lakshmi’s brother, working as they do in tandem.
Well who is Alakshmi? Perhaps she is the parched throat that makes you understand the blissful feel of water. Maybe she is hunger, thirst, darkness. Sounds strangely enough like another form of Devi whom we praise through her manifold attributes in the hymn Yaa Devi that defines her as hunger, thirst, sleep(a twin of darkness isn’t she?) in a list of numerous experienced feelings and occasional abstract qualities. Meanwhile Lakshmi Puja took an unusual form here at home. I felt an inner prompting to do a few things I was reluctant to take on thanks to the state of the hand. But returning from an outing to news that my friend Anasua’s twisted ankle was a nasty fracture and she was laid up on a day when she wanted to be worshipping by drawing alpanas and cooking, impelled me to do it for her.
Lakshmi has been murmuring somethings and sweet nothings
inside me. I hear soft whispers and silent nudges. Who indeed is Lakshmi?
Yesterday was Kojagori Lakshmi Puja, celebrated by East Bengalis Hindus the
world over. As we know, very few of them live “opar” (the other side of the
border) any more. It’s interesting that the sarbojanin puja pandals (now those
must consist of Bengalis from both sides) celebrate Lakshmi Puja in Durga’s
pandal after the Durga pantheon has departed via the Ganges for the Himalayas.
I have drawn upon my own understanding and inputs from friends of yore, to
explain this pandal celebration of what is essentially a family puja. I’ve been
told that those who don’t, will worship Sarasvati when her day comes up in
spring, though it certainly can’t be the same puja mandap, but of these details
another time. At any rate one of these has to be performed by those who perform a Durga Puja!
I had only just finished writing about water and its
journey. I guess water’s own travels and halts for contemplation in the course
of these complex and often intriguing journeys, have been engaging me for close
to the past ten years*. I have learnt so much about water including the
realization that its tender touch whether from the spray of a fountain, or the
touch of dew drops, or the first touch of rain on Bhoodevi (earth goddess who
is also a manifestation of Lakshmi) or the feel of the first sips of tender
coconut water on the parched throat, is indeed Lakshmi. Lakshmi is essence,
Vishnu permeation thereof. So when you consider the elements in their essential
form – water, earth, light, air – they are Lakshmi.
Yesterday the temporary milkman – a man who has played many roles in many lives including that of dog handler for a neighbor – greeted me for Lakshmi Puja. On being asked if he had Puja in his home he mentioned that you couldn’t worship Lakshmi unless you worshipped Alakshmi. And they were not geared up for that (whatever that might mean in terms of ritual, I must remember to probe more). The latter is considered her “unpleasant” elder sister. Maybe I would call her a Doppelganger or the dark side of the moon. The moon-face you see depends on where you are in the course of which fortnight. Bhooma herself casts shadows that wane and wax. Perhaps that’s why some folks believe the moon is Lakshmi’s brother, working as they do in tandem.
Well who is Alakshmi? Perhaps she is the parched throat that makes you understand the blissful feel of water. Maybe she is hunger, thirst, darkness. Sounds strangely enough like another form of Devi whom we praise through her manifold attributes in the hymn Yaa Devi that defines her as hunger, thirst, sleep(a twin of darkness isn’t she?) in a list of numerous experienced feelings and occasional abstract qualities. Meanwhile Lakshmi Puja took an unusual form here at home. I felt an inner prompting to do a few things I was reluctant to take on thanks to the state of the hand. But returning from an outing to news that my friend Anasua’s twisted ankle was a nasty fracture and she was laid up on a day when she wanted to be worshipping by drawing alpanas and cooking, impelled me to do it for her.
I ended up making kheer, cleaning and lighting the lamp,
disbanding Durga’s kalasha before welcoming a new manifestation of her – but
not making an alpana. However I do have my alpana/mandala story which was the
original intent of this post.
But first this personal savoring of the Lakshmi spirit that was all mine. I had taken a stroll outside for compulsive shopping and tucked into some tiffin at the newly discovered South Indian eatery near the park. I had kept peeking out for a twilight sky photo op but clearly Durga and her steed have departed gathering the remaining clouds as their retinue. The skies are not photogenic any more and twilight will be briefer by the day.
But first this personal savoring of the Lakshmi spirit that was all mine. I had taken a stroll outside for compulsive shopping and tucked into some tiffin at the newly discovered South Indian eatery near the park. I had kept peeking out for a twilight sky photo op but clearly Durga and her steed have departed gathering the remaining clouds as their retinue. The skies are not photogenic any more and twilight will be briefer by the day.
I hauled my now sated self (I am almost always hungry except
when I am in the thick of writing and at such times I finally give in to
deferred hunger which has gathered like angry thunderclouds into a mad rage) to
the park and found it pitch dark.
I spotted a faint illumination from between the gaps in the now-being-dismantled pandal and picked my way over the wooden planks of freight-crate fame to enter the pandal. All along my thoughts were on Anu (I didn’t yet know the xray verdict) and I kept cautioning myself to walk carefully. This wasn’t the blissful darkness of sleep or of the mysterious dark-night-of-the soul sort. This was Alakshmi manifest! And I needed her permission and goodwill to reach Lakshmi. It was a light bulb moment. Well literally as the lighted interior came into view. A mere ten watts for the Devi of Light. Having paid my respects I started making my plans. My altar would receive light. To greet her with, like a mirror greets a face. A simple electric light. Along the way flowers found themselves on the list and so did fruits. The evening culminated in a full fledged worship with the lamp et al.
Sharad Poornima is among other things, considered by some as Gaja Lakshmi’s birthday. And Gaja Lakshmi who is also considered by some to be the Mahavidya (the dhaki always points this out when he comes home to play) Kamala or Shakti manifest as Lakshmi, is also the presiding deity of my home altar. So flowers went to her and Ganesh(how can you leave him out, he so loves being paired with her even in Team Durga) and tulsi leaves to the copper Lakshmi who is my personal heirloom and not routed via the generation above mine. The bael leaves went to the kalasha as a farewell honor – from bael unto bael goes Durga. The honors were wrapped up with saffron kheer and yes I had to include grain - it was rice kheer. The rice grains also stood in for the kolam as I believe the kolam stands in for nourishment/food/sustenance in its choice of material, even as it opens portals by way of its design. Would you say then that a kolam or the art that Lakshmi symbolizes is in fact a Lakshmi-Vishnu pairing?
I spotted a faint illumination from between the gaps in the now-being-dismantled pandal and picked my way over the wooden planks of freight-crate fame to enter the pandal. All along my thoughts were on Anu (I didn’t yet know the xray verdict) and I kept cautioning myself to walk carefully. This wasn’t the blissful darkness of sleep or of the mysterious dark-night-of-the soul sort. This was Alakshmi manifest! And I needed her permission and goodwill to reach Lakshmi. It was a light bulb moment. Well literally as the lighted interior came into view. A mere ten watts for the Devi of Light. Having paid my respects I started making my plans. My altar would receive light. To greet her with, like a mirror greets a face. A simple electric light. Along the way flowers found themselves on the list and so did fruits. The evening culminated in a full fledged worship with the lamp et al.
Sharad Poornima is among other things, considered by some as Gaja Lakshmi’s birthday. And Gaja Lakshmi who is also considered by some to be the Mahavidya (the dhaki always points this out when he comes home to play) Kamala or Shakti manifest as Lakshmi, is also the presiding deity of my home altar. So flowers went to her and Ganesh(how can you leave him out, he so loves being paired with her even in Team Durga) and tulsi leaves to the copper Lakshmi who is my personal heirloom and not routed via the generation above mine. The bael leaves went to the kalasha as a farewell honor – from bael unto bael goes Durga. The honors were wrapped up with saffron kheer and yes I had to include grain - it was rice kheer. The rice grains also stood in for the kolam as I believe the kolam stands in for nourishment/food/sustenance in its choice of material, even as it opens portals by way of its design. Would you say then that a kolam or the art that Lakshmi symbolizes is in fact a Lakshmi-Vishnu pairing?
PS - don’t forget this stanza या देवी
सर्वभुतेषु लक्ष्मीरूपेण संस्थिता । नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै
नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥२०॥
Yaa Devii Sarva-Bhutessu Lakssmii-Ruupenna Samsthitaa | Namas-Tasyai
Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah ||20||
20.1: To that Devi Who in All Beings is Abiding in the Form
of Good Fortune, 20.2: Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations to
Her, Salutations again and again.
Good Fortune is a pretty wide and embracing concept isn’t
it? And expressed thus in English, sounds a wee bit prosaic. My mind stretches
far beyond to grasp the probable intent of the original Sanskrit. Methinks this
post traversed that pathway to understanding.
*between my leaking house and my projects - Rivers of Fortune and Project StepWell, I've had a lot of involvement with water*
Footnote: The reflections here are based essentially on my own intuitive understanding influenced by stories I've heard and read as part of folklore/mythology.
*between my leaking house and my projects - Rivers of Fortune and Project StepWell, I've had a lot of involvement with water*
Footnote: The reflections here are based essentially on my own intuitive understanding influenced by stories I've heard and read as part of folklore/mythology.
This was a very enriching read... I had no inkling that Alakshmi was part of our pantheon. I always thought of it as indiscipline or immorality as used colloquially in Bangla... I think you've flicked a switch in me - the path to Lakshmi must go through Alakshmi. Victory cannot be savoured without deprivation.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy I was able to make this discovery on my own. I was also brought up to think of Alakshmi in a negative sense - she is also called Moodevi in Tamil and there was an evil woman who lived in our area and was involved in trafficking in young women whom mom had named Moodevi. Her name was Devi. Have no idea what "Moo" means. Happy I flicked a switch. And yes as usual it was a milkman who helped.
DeleteThe milkman triggered what was already there. He was the instrument... 😁
ReplyDeleteI am smiling now
DeleteI ve learnt so much from this.my ignorance, thought Alakshmi was a negative twin. So much yo learn yet.thanks Maya
ReplyDeleteThat's the common understanding I was also brought up with. So it is not so much ignorance as what we hear based on folklore. It's interesting that a not so educated milkman's insight led to my own probing and my own reflections on why one should worship her. I should say I chanced upon this. There may really not be any scriptural basis for this but anyway what is much of scripture but myth repeated by supposedly erudite folks and sometimes inscribed on a palm leaf? Thank you for reading with your wisdom as always. Thank you for being there! Happy Lakshmi Puja!
Delete