The ninth canto o Srimad Devi Bhagwat has it that once the great sage Durvasaja was on his way from Vaikuntha to Mount Kailash. Indra, the king of gods bowed his head in reverence as he saw him coming. Indra showed devotion and paid due respect to the sage’s disciples as well. The sage Durvasaji and his disciples blessed Indra and also gave him a beautiful pārijāta flower that was given to them by Lord Vishnu. Puffed up by the pride of royalty, Indra placed the flower, capable though it was of granting salvation, on the head of his elephant Airavata. As soon as Airavata received the touch of that flower, he became akin to Lord Vishnu in attractiveness, virtues, luster and state. Suddenly, he left Indra and made his way to the deep and dense forests. Indra was unable to have dominion over Airavata, equipped as he then was with great luster.
When the sage Durvasaji noticed Indra’s action of showing disrespect to that divine flower, he flew into a rage. In a fit of anger, he swore a curse on Indra, ”Oh you! I gave you this flower of the great pārijāta tree, the prasāda from Lord Vishnu. Our of conceitedness, you didn’t use it yourself and placed it on the elephant’s head! Propriety demands that one should immediately consume the sweetmeats, fruit or water that after being offered to Lord Vishnu is given to one prasāda. One, who rejects the sweetmeats etc. offered to Lord Vishun that one receives with great good fortune, is deserted by wealth and good sense. Indra! Because of the sin you have committed, may Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth desert you and go to Lord Vishnu.’’
Thereafter Indra saw that his kingdom, Amravatipuri was overwhelmingly dominated by ogres and demons. In view of the circumstances, he went to his Guru, Brihaspatiji and placing his head on his feet started crying bitterly.
After some tome, following Brihaspatiji’s advice, Indra meditated upon Lord Vishnu and alone with Lord Brahma and all gods went to Lord Vishnu’s abode. With tears in eyes, all gods started singing Lord Vishnu’s praises. Finding the gods in piteous conditions, Lord Vishnu said to them “Gods! Don’t be in fear. I will grant you freat wealth with all splendour that will never desert you. But I want to tell you something appropriate to the present occasion. Listen carefully.
“I along with Lakshmiji can never be I the house of one who displeases my uninhibited devotee that ever is engaged in adoring and contemplating Me – this is absolutely beyond doubt. If Lakshmiji is kind toward somebody and he maligns My devotees, Lakshmiji gets severely enraged and deserts him.
“One who doesn’t worship Me and eats on Ekadashi and Janmashtami, Lakshmiji deserts such fool as well. One who eats food offered by coward people, who without purpose splits straws or digs the earth with his nails, who is a pessimist, who eats at dawn, who sleeps or copulates in the day, who is devoid of virtue; my consort Lakshmi deserts such fools as well.
“Lakshmi that grants auspiciousness to all auspicious things resides at a place where account of My divine play are recited and the praises of My glory are sung. Lakshmi is always present where the conch is blown and where conch, Shaligram and Tulsin are kept and are cared for, worshipped and meditated upon. The lotus-faced saintly Lakshmi abides where virtuous Brahmins are served and where gods are worshipped.”
After sometime, with Lakshmi’s grace, gods were relieved of Durvasaji’s curse and recaptured their kingdom from the demons.
Pujya Bapuji says, “Success depends not on your resources but on sattwa. Those, who want to be successful with the help of guile and deceit or by sapping up others, may get money or funds but Lakshmiji doesn’t shower Her grace on them,. Those who engage themselves in japa, meditation, prānāyāma, who give a part of their income in charity, who reverently listen to satsanga in order to know the high purport of scriptures, get entitled to salvation.”
Such wise and God-loving people, who have faith, are blessed with a salvation be – stowing intellect equipped with divine bliss, divine knowledge and divine love. They become the redeemers of seven generations in their lineage. Blessed are those people who have faith!”
When the sage Durvasaji noticed Indra’s action of showing disrespect to that divine flower, he flew into a rage. In a fit of anger, he swore a curse on Indra, ”Oh you! I gave you this flower of the great pārijāta tree, the prasāda from Lord Vishnu. Our of conceitedness, you didn’t use it yourself and placed it on the elephant’s head! Propriety demands that one should immediately consume the sweetmeats, fruit or water that after being offered to Lord Vishnu is given to one prasāda. One, who rejects the sweetmeats etc. offered to Lord Vishun that one receives with great good fortune, is deserted by wealth and good sense. Indra! Because of the sin you have committed, may Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth desert you and go to Lord Vishnu.’’
Thereafter Indra saw that his kingdom, Amravatipuri was overwhelmingly dominated by ogres and demons. In view of the circumstances, he went to his Guru, Brihaspatiji and placing his head on his feet started crying bitterly.
After some tome, following Brihaspatiji’s advice, Indra meditated upon Lord Vishnu and alone with Lord Brahma and all gods went to Lord Vishnu’s abode. With tears in eyes, all gods started singing Lord Vishnu’s praises. Finding the gods in piteous conditions, Lord Vishnu said to them “Gods! Don’t be in fear. I will grant you freat wealth with all splendour that will never desert you. But I want to tell you something appropriate to the present occasion. Listen carefully.
“I along with Lakshmiji can never be I the house of one who displeases my uninhibited devotee that ever is engaged in adoring and contemplating Me – this is absolutely beyond doubt. If Lakshmiji is kind toward somebody and he maligns My devotees, Lakshmiji gets severely enraged and deserts him.
“One who doesn’t worship Me and eats on Ekadashi and Janmashtami, Lakshmiji deserts such fool as well. One who eats food offered by coward people, who without purpose splits straws or digs the earth with his nails, who is a pessimist, who eats at dawn, who sleeps or copulates in the day, who is devoid of virtue; my consort Lakshmi deserts such fools as well.
“Lakshmi that grants auspiciousness to all auspicious things resides at a place where account of My divine play are recited and the praises of My glory are sung. Lakshmi is always present where the conch is blown and where conch, Shaligram and Tulsin are kept and are cared for, worshipped and meditated upon. The lotus-faced saintly Lakshmi abides where virtuous Brahmins are served and where gods are worshipped.”
After sometime, with Lakshmi’s grace, gods were relieved of Durvasaji’s curse and recaptured their kingdom from the demons.
Pujya Bapuji says, “Success depends not on your resources but on sattwa. Those, who want to be successful with the help of guile and deceit or by sapping up others, may get money or funds but Lakshmiji doesn’t shower Her grace on them,. Those who engage themselves in japa, meditation, prānāyāma, who give a part of their income in charity, who reverently listen to satsanga in order to know the high purport of scriptures, get entitled to salvation.”
Such wise and God-loving people, who have faith, are blessed with a salvation be – stowing intellect equipped with divine bliss, divine knowledge and divine love. They become the redeemers of seven generations in their lineage. Blessed are those people who have faith!”
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