Narada's Wit: A Feud between Lakshmi and Shani
Eastern Wisdom Weekly #9: Story about Narada's wit and how it gives a subtle message on fortune and misfortune.
Happy Tuesday everyone 🌞 Let’s go through a story on fortune and misfortune, and a subtle message with this. Once there was a quarrel between Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth, fortune, and good luck) and Shani (the god of delays, misfortunes, and bad luck) on who was greater.
Lord Shani is the god of misfortunes, karma, bad luck, delays, and patience. He is depicted as looking down, as his gaze is dangerous.
Lakshmi: When I have blessings on someone, I make the person rich, fortunate, and prosperous. I play an important role in anyone’s life so I am greater.
Shani: When I have my crooked gaze upon someone, no matter if the person is royal he will fall, egoists and bad leaders will have a toll on their prosperity, name, and wealth. This is important to create a balance and make everyone understand the values of patience, delays, and overcoming obstacles. I play an important role in maintaining the order of Karma and therefore I am greater.
Lakshmi: Let’s see Lord Vishnu for this matter, maybe he is wise enough to judge.
Goddess Lakshmi is the bestower of wealth, good luck, fortune, and prosperity. She is the wife of Lord Vishnu.
Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Shani went to Lord Vishnu who was deep in a meditative state. He knew what was coming…
Lakshmi: Lord, can you tell us which one of us is greater in a person’s life.
Vishnu: Oh, that’s a simple one. It’s so simple, that even my devotee Sage Narada can tell this. I think you both should go to him and ask what he thinks.
Lord Vishnu avoided the question and was relieved but also knew beforehand Narada would be able to tackle the quarrel. Now it was up to Sage Narada to solve the quarrel. Sage Narada thought this was a tricky situation as if he were to take the side of Shani, Goddess Lakshmi would be infuriated as she was Lord Vishnu’s wife and her mother, if he were to take the side of Lakshmi, Shani would have his crooked gaze on Narada and this will bring havoc in his life. He gave it a thought and then replied with his wit.
Narada: You both are equally important and greater in different situations.
Lakshmi and Shani: How so? Watch your next words very carefully…
Narada: Yes, I am certain. Both are important, not only that both are very pleasing and beautiful. It is just that, Goddess Lakshmi looks beautiful and pleasant when she comes, and Lord Shani looks beautiful and pleasant when he goes.
Both were satisfied with the answer. The subtle message here is, that in our lives wealth, good fortune, and prosperity (symbolized by Goddess Lakshmi) are always better when it comes to us, whereas misfortune, and bad luck (symbolized by Lord Shani) give relief when they leave the life of a person. But one thing is sure, both fortunes and misfortunes teach us the realities of life and open the door for self-realization either by being completely satisfied or by realizing that there is not much to the material life altogether. So, let our lives welcome good luck fortune, and wealth and at the same time bid farewell to the tough times, misfortunes, and delays. Let good things happen to us all, and bad things go away from our lives. Until next time…
शं चमे मयश्च मे प्रियं चमेऽनुकामश्च मेकामश्च मे सौमनसश्चमे भद्रं चमे श्रेयश्चमे
Happiness and Peace are with me, Friends and Relatives are with me, Auspiciousness is with me, Success and Prosperity are with me.
— Rudram Chamakam Verse 3, Shukla Yajurveda Taittriya Sanhita