SHRI RETURNS TO SHRI NIVASA

This story from the Padma Purana is a poignant and touching tale about Goddess Lakshmi and her consort Lord Vishnu.

Sage Bhrigu, one of the great saptarishis and one of Lord Brahma’s mind born sons travelled through the three worlds. During his travels he visited both Brahma and Shiva. Both unfortunately paid him no attention. A little annoyed at being ignored Bhrigu continued with his travel till he came to Vaikuntha. When he arrived Lord Vishnu was in deep meditation. The sage offered his obeisance but this did not register with Lord Vishnu as he was steeped in his contemplation. Sage Bhrigu, who was being ignored for the third time, lost his temper and kicked Vishnu in the chest exactly where Goddess Lakhsmi resides within him. Lakshmi was furious. Bhrigu’s kick certainly broke Vishnu’s contemplation. Lakshmi was sure her husband would punish Bhrigu for his insolence. Instead, to her surprise, Vishnu on opening his eyes and seeing the sage standing before him begged forgiveness of the sage and apologized saying, “I hope your foot did not get hurt by kicking me?”

Then to make matters worse, Vishnu began to press Bhrigu’s feet to reduce any pain he might have caused. While doing so he removed from the sage’s foot an eye that was the source of his anger. As soon as this was done, better sense prevailed and the sage prostrated before Lord Vishnu and begged for forgiveness.

Goddess Lakshmi was by now seething with rage. She felt that her husband had not even considered her feelings. In a huff she left Vaikuntha and Lord Vishnu.

Lord Vishnu was desolate without his beloved wife and decided to go in search of her. He took the form of Srinivasa, a forest dweller and continued His search. When He reached the Venkatadri Hills in the Tirupati area, he settled down and began to perform severe penance.  

In the meanwhile Raja Akasha who reigned over the region close to Tirupati  yearning for a child performed a grand yagna propitiating the Gods for the blessing of a progeny. As the rituals reached its zenith, something wondrous occurred. A shimmering, golden lotus in full bloom emerged and within its large petals it cradled a delicate, cherubic baby girl. The king, overwhelmed with joy, knew at once that this was no ordinary child. She was a gift from the heavens, a living embodiment of grace and beauty. With reverence, he named her Padmavati after the flower and the manner in which she had been born.  

This ethereal child was none other than Goddess Lakshmi, incarnate in human form, born as the enchanting Padmavati. She radiated unimaginable divine beauty and was the epitome of love and grace.  When she grew to a marriageable age the King began to search for a suitable match among Padmavati’s many suitors.

One day when Padmavati ventured out into the forest a large elephant charged at her.  Fortuitously Srinivasa saw her and with no thought of his own safety rushed to protect her and did save her. When Padmavati turned to look into the eyes of her savior she instantly fell in love with Srinivasa. Srinivasa too mesmerized by Padmavati’s  divine beauty fell deeply in love with the princess.

When Padmavati returned home to the palace she immediately informed her father that she wished to marry Srinivasa. The king was certainly not happy to discover that the man his daughter had chosen was nothing more than a mere forest dweller. He tried his best to dissuade her but Padmavati remained adamant. There is a familiar saying that “marriages are made in heaven” and this proved to be so true in the case of Srinivasa and Padmavati.  Through some inexplicable divine intervention King Akasha had a change of heart and agreed to the marriage of his daughter to Srinivasa.

An excited Srinivasa now hurried to make arrangements for his wedding. Penniless he requested Kubera the treasurer of the heavens for a loan for the wedding expenses and promised to pay it back at the end of Kaliyuga.  He requested Vishvakarma, the divine architect, to construct heavenly surroundings in the Seshadri hills. With all the arrangements made for a spectacular wedding Lord Srinivasa awaited His wedding day.

On that sacred day, Lord Srinivasa bathed in the purest of holy waters, his divine form adorned in shimmering garments and jewelled ornaments, radiant as a royal groom. Every gem glowed with celestial light, as if the heavens themselves had blessed his attire. With grace and majesty, he set forth in a magnificent procession, making his way to the opulent court of King Akasha. The grand hall of the palace dazzled in breath-taking splendour—its walls shimmering with gold and encrusted with precious stones, casting a luminous glow that reflected the grandeur of the divine union to come.

Yet all this grandeur paled in comparison to the bride, Padmavati, whose radiant beauty outshone even the splendour of the palace. Her presence was like the dawn breaking through a golden sky, soft and yet resplendent. Draped in silks finer than the morning mist and adorned with jewels that seemed to bow before her luminous grace, she walked with an elegance that mesmerized all who beheld her. The precious stones that adorned the hall, the gleaming gold that lit up the royal court, all seemed to dim, as though humbled by the brilliance of her divine charm. It was as if nature herself had bestowed her finest treasures upon Padmavati, but even they could not rival the sheer radiance that emanated from her being.

This was a wedding graced by the presence of all the gods of heaven who had gathered to witness the sacred union. It was Sage Vashishta, revered for his wisdom and piety, who chanted the Vedic mantras at wedding and solemnized the union.

Goddess Lakshmi is often referred to as “Shri’ because she represents good fortune, auspiciousness and success. With this divine union Shri had returned to her primary residence in the heart of the Lord – Shri nivasa.    

Lord Srinivasa took residence atop the 7 hills known as Tirumala Hills as Lord Venkateswara and assumed the form of a vigraha - stone statue.

Goddess Padmavati took residence in a small temple close by at Alamelumanga a place named in her honour - Alamelu mangai refers to her birth from a lotus.

Millions visit her temple as it is believed that her intervention is crucial in gaining the Lords favour.

LIFE LESSONS

1.     Like Lord Vishnu we too should learn to be kind even to those who hurt us.

2.     Like Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi we should always cherish our loved ones.

3.     Like Lord Vishnu we too should have the humility to offer penance to atone for our mistakes.

4.     Like Goddess Lakshmi we must always value people for their intrinsic goodness and not for their outward trappings of fame or fortune.