Laxmi Devi and Sriya Chandaluni
In Orissa people perform special worship to Laxmi Devi during the month
of Margasira. Every Thursday during this month, ladies arrange elaborate puja
to Laxmi Devi following different rules and rituals. On this day, Mother Laxmi
leaves the temple with the permission of Jagannath to visit her devotees.
Usually she visits anyone who is devoted to her, and who performs their puja
according to her rules and regulations.
One day Laxmi Devi, in the disguise of an old brahimni, went to visit
different houses on the auspicious Thursday. She found the ladies of one
merchants house still sleeping, and so the home had not been cleaned. Laxmi
Devi met the elderly lady of the house and explained to her how they should
follow certain rules on this particular day to worship Laxmi. But the old lady
did not care for the instructions of Lamxi Devi. In response, Laxmi Devi removed her
opulence from that home, and the family became very poor. They had to live by
begging from house to house. Then Laxmi Devi went to a village where chandalas
lived. She went to Sriya Chandaluni’s house. Sriya Chandaluni was observing the
vrata on that day for worshiping Lamxi Devi. She had woken up very early and
cleaned her entire house, decorating it nicely for the worship of Lamxi Devi.
Seeing this, Laxmi Devi was very pleased and blessed Sriya Chandaluni with,
more opulence, thus fulfilling all her desires. Laxmi Devi then
returned to the temple. In the meantime, the Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra had
also gone out for a morning walk. On Their way back, They saw Laxmi Devi
returning from one chandala's house. Upon seeing this, Baladeva became very
upset and spoke to Jagannath sharply.
"Your wife Laxmi Devi has been visiting the home of a chandala.
They are contaminated people, and do not follow any rules. How can she enter
our temple after visiting the home of a chandala? Our temple will be
contaminated. You must give her up." Jagannath tried to pacify Balaram,
saying that Laxmi Devi should be excused this time and told not to do this again.
But Balaram was very adamant to enforce His judgment that she should not be allowed
in the temple. "If you allow Lamxi Devi in the temple, then You will have
to give Me up. I will stay out of the temple." Since Jagannath is very
obedient to His elder brother, He followed the order of Lord Balaram. He called
for Laxmi Devi and informed her that she was no longer allowed to enter the
temple by the order of Balaram. Laxmi Devi was very surprised to hear this kind
of statement from Jagannath. At the time of marriage, Jagannath had agreed to
the father of Lamxi Devi that He will excuse ten offenses made by His wife.
Moreover, her visit was not offensive since it was agreed that on each Thursday
of the month of Margasira she can go out to visit the villages to bless her
devotees. That day was exempted for her. Still she was punished unjustly. This
made Laxmi Devi very angry. She cursed Jagannath that for the next twelve years
He would not get enough food to satisfy Him, and that He would only be able to
eat food cooked and served by her. After cursing Lord Jagannath, Lamxi Devi
left the temple, along with all her assistants. As soon as she left the temple
became bereft of all opulence. The storehouse was empty.
The next morning, Jagannath and Balaram were waiting for breakfast, but
nothing came. It was getting later and later, but still nothing had been
served. Balaram asked Jagannath, "What is happening with our breakfast?
Why is it so late?" Jagannath replied, "No breakfast has been
prepared because Lamxi Devi has left the temple, along with all her associates,
so there is no one to cook." Then Balaram and Jagannath entered the
kitchen to prepare some food. Due to their anger at the dismissal of their
mistress from the temple, Lamxi's associates had broken all the ovens in the
kitchen. Jagannath and Balaram then entered the storeroom to gather some
ingredients for cooking, but they found the storeroom empty because Laxmi Devi
had withdrawn all her opulence. By that time both the brothers were very
hungry. Being deprived of Lamxi Devi and suffering from hunger, both of Them
decided to go out for begging.
We should know that although the Lord possesses all opulence and is the
maintainer of everyone, He went out to beg like an ordinary beggar just to
prove the greatness of His devotee through this particular pastime. Thus Lords
Jagannath and Balaram, in the disguise of brahmanas, went to the city to beg
from house to house. No one could recognize Them. Being deprived of Laxmi, They
both looked very inauspicious, and so no one would give Them alms. No one
treated them nicely, or even allowed Them on their doorstep. In the meantime,
by the order of Laxmi Devi, the sun god had increased the heat of the sun. Both
brothers had to walk on very hot sand with much difficulty. They were feeling
very thirsty, and were happy to come to a pond where They could quench Their
thirst. Suddenly, as soon as the brothers approached the pond, the water dried
up. Finally they approached a tree, thinking to eat some tender leaves. But as
soon as They approached the tree, immediately the leaves dried and shrivelled.
Both the brothers were extremely hungry. Usually They ate many times throughout
the day, as requested long ago by King Indradyumna. In fact, They ate so often
that no sooner had They washed Their hands after eating, that it was time to
eat again. Both brothers had been following this system and were habituated to
eating constantly throughout the day. Yet now almost a whole day had passed,
and still They had eaten nothing.
Soon the brothers reached a temple where there had recently been prasada
distribution. Many people were returning to their homes with prasada. Jagannath
and Balaram approached one of the ladies. Out of kindness she agreed to give
Them some food. She had some puffed rice that she had offered to the deities,
and she was happy to share it with the brothers. Just as she picked up the
puffed rice to give to Jagannath and Balaram, a strong wind blew by the
instruction of Lamxi Devi, and all the puffed rice blew away. Both the brothers
again lost Their chance to get some food. Finally They asked some people where
they could go to get some food. Someone directed them to a village of chandalas
where one very charitable personality lived. Jagannath and Balaram went to that
house and asked for some food. The householder was happy to feed them, but
Balaram did not want to eat food cooked by a chandala. Rather, He wanted to
cook the food Himself and eat. He asked the householder to provide
some raw food materials and facilities for cooking. According to Balarama's
request, all the facilities for cooking were prepared. A new oven was made, and
all the ingredients and clay pots to cook were provided. Balaram told Jagannatli
to prepare food and went to take bath. In the meantime Jagannath tried to cook,
but he could not even set fire to the wood, what to speak of cooking a meal.
After some time Balaram came back after taking His bath, expecting to
find a meal ready. He had been thinking happily about sitting down to eat at
last. Unfortunately on His arrival He came to realize that Jagannath was not
able to cook, as He could not set fire to the wood. This made Balaram very
upset. He chastised Jagannath for His incapability and began to prepare the
food Himself. But when Balaram tried to set fire to the wood, it would not
burn, but simply created a lot of smoke. The whole house filled with smoke,
making everyone's eyes burn. Tears rolled from their eyes and everyone was
coughing. Then Jagannath and Balaram requested the house owner to bring some
cooked food. The lady servants of the house served the brothers. As they ate,
They agreed the food was very tasty—in fact, as tasty as it was in temple, when
it was cooked by Laxmi Devi. At the end of the meal, some nice cake was served.
Usually in the Jagannath temple at the end of the meal Laxmi Devi served
special cake to both the brothers. Jagannath and Balaram thought that Lamxi
Devi must be residing in the house. The Lords were convinced that Laxmi Devi
herself cooked the tasty food. How else would someone know that They took
special cake at the end of Their meal ? Balaram, being the elder brother of
Jagannath, could not speak to or face Laxmi Devi, since she is the wife of His
younger brother. That is the custom of Orissa. Balaram requested Jagannath to
go to Lamxi Devi and beg forgiveness from her and bring her to the temple by
holding her hand. He told Jagannath to tell Lamxi Devi that she will never be
denied to leave the temple to visit her devotees, and that she could go anywhere
she liked as long as she always returned to the temple.
Being approached by Jagannath, Laxmi Devi was satisfied. She made
Jagannath promise that there would be no distinction between low-caste and
high-caste for honouring Jagannatli prasada. To this day, prasada in Jagannath
temple is served to all, irrespective of caste and creed. Brahmanas and
chandalas can eat prasada together from one plate.
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