6 days ago
Mahalakshmi's qualities
When we look for precedents for any spiritual or religious observation, we look into the Itihasas and Puranas. But above all stand the Vedas. The Vedas are the ultimate authority when it comes to seeking validation for any philosophical statement. Sri Guna Ratna Kosam of Parasara Bhattar gives us Goddess Mahalakshmi's qualities. The Vedas are the source of this work, because all Her auspicious qualities find a place in the Vedas, said T.A.K. Srinivasacharya in a discourse. So, Parasara Bhattar speaks with the authority of the Vedas when he elaborates on Her kalyana gunas. Parasara Bhattar is following the path shown by sages like Vyasa, when he praises Mahalakshmi's gem-like qualities.
Those who have earned Her blessings are fortunate, and those who have not are fools who misinterpret the Vedas and do not grasp its import. To envision Her innumerable qualities, one needs the special collyrium of bhakti. Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of the universe. It is not just the Upanishads that declare the greatness of Mahalakshmi. The Itihasas too extol Her. Even if everything that is good and auspicious in this world is put together, it will not equal even a small fraction of Mahalakshmi's wonderful qualities. You find a fortunate man seated on an elephant, beneath a pearl-studded umbrella. At the same time, you also see a poor man, dressed in worn-out and torn clothes. The reason for the difference in status of the two men is that while the former received the glances of the Goddess, the latter did not. Prosperity comes to a man only with Her grace.
