| Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and the consort of Lord Vishnu,
or Narayan, who represents the power of sustenance. In order to
sustain life, one must possess wealth. Wealth in this context does
not only mean money, it also includes the nobler values of life,
the power of the mind, intellect, moral and ethical qualities etc.
which constitute the spiritual wealth. According to a story in the
Bhagwat Purana, the Gods (Devas) and the demons (Asuras) churned
the ocean of milk (Kshirsagar) for obtaining the nectar (Amrit).
One of the precious things that came out of the ocean was Goddess
Lakshmi. The emergence of Lakshmi represents two things. The "churning
of ocean" implies that one needs intense efforts (Purushartha)
to acquire material or spritual wealth. Also, the emergence of Lakshmi
from the ocean symbolizes the creation and development of ethical
and cultural values of life in one's bosom when one's pure (satwik)
mind is churned by the process of reflection and contemplation upon
the higher Self.
Lord Narayan is one of the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh)
representing the Power of Sustenance. He is the One who manifests
Himself in the world among mankind at appropriate eras in the
form of various incarnations to rid life of its evil propensities
and to make the world ready for greater evolution.
Traditionally, he is described as blue in color, clothed in yellow,
wearing a crown, and standing upon a lotus divine. He has four
hands and he holds in them the Conch (Shankha), the Discus (Chakra),
the Mace (Gada), and the Lotus (Padma). Every one of these represents
a significant symbol very scientifically employed to indicate
that Narayan is none other than the Divine mighty self which is
the "Changeless Center" around all changes, the "Imperishable
Essence" in the midst of all the perishable finite things.
The "hand that holds the Conch" is symbolized as the
intellect (buddhi), the "hand that holds the Discus"
as the ego, "that which holds the Mace" as the mind
(manas), and "that which holds the Lotus" as the consciousness
(chitta). The discriminating intellect gives us the call and points
out a more rewarding way-of-life, and in case we ignore this silent
whisper of the heart and plunge into a life of extrovertedness,
the mind gives endless knocks to that personality. If even then,
we are not able to realize our folly and withdraw our selves from
the dissipating ways of living, the arrogant ego fattened by these
stupidities of the mind in revolt against the intellect, ultimately
drives the individual to its total doom.
Blue is the color of Infinity. Whatever is immeasurable can appear
to the mortal eye only as blue; thus a cloudless summer sky is
blue to us. The yellow represents the earth. Anything that is
buried in the earth gathers a yellowish hue, and in fire, earth
(mud, silica) glows yellowish. Thus, Sri Narayan represents the
Immeasurable, All-Pervading Reality (blue color) clothed in earthy
matter (yellow color), meaning Sri Narayan is the Infinite clothed
in matter. He is the Infinity expressed through a finite form.
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