SRI LAKSHMI DEVI AND PADMAVATHY

Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and the embodiment of beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu. Also known as Mahalakshmi, she is said to bring good luck and is believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows.

Sri Lakshmi Devi after her separation from the Lord reached Gollapuram and had been doing penance. She had the feeling of indignity so strong that even after years she could not reconsider her decision to return back to the Lord. Sri Narada cleverly pulled the strings from behind, and caused the separation of Goddess Lakshmi from her Lord. Though the purpose of his naïve plan benefited the world sunk in the dark age of Kali for the Lord or Devi it had brought a tension perpetually. So Narada was inclined to smoothen this tense situation. Narada met Lakshmi and spoke to her of the events that followed after the Lord's departure from Vaikunta to Venkata. He asked her, "O Universal mother, should you suffer like this in these vagaries of weather leaving your beautiful Vaikuntha. How long do you think you can continue your penance in these forests like an ascetic. Will anyone invite troubles into her life? Should you suffer leaving the Almighty Lord?". Goddess Lakshmi was in her own moods. She could not utter anything other than the glaring indignity her Lord faced before an ordinary human. She spoke to Narada, "O Sage, My husband did nothing to console me. Should he not curse that Brugu Maharishi at once and save my honour? On the other hand, he praised him and consoled me, whatever happens to me, I shall never again return to Vaikuntha, until the Lord himself comes and sets right my indignity. Does not he equally suffer like me living in an ant hill in Seshachala hills?"

Narada smiled at these statements of Goddess Lakshmi and replied her, "O Devi, I deeply sympathize with you after hearing from you these words. Your Lord has no inconveniences as you have described. He is quite alright. He has remarried and is happily spending his time. Only you are leading a pitiful life here." At once Lakshmi Devi was taken aback by this news that the Lord had remarried another woman and he has forgotten his consort divine. She was dumb struck by grief for a while. She wept and fell into deeper sorrow, because expecting him at the forest, she had been performing her penance there. But contrary to her expectations, the Lord had totally deserted her. She thought her hopes of meeting him again had vanished at once. On her second thoughts she turned to Sri Narada and asked him, "Are you playing a foolish joke with me? Or is it all that you narrated are true?" Sri Narada replied, "O Mother, is it time for me to play jokes with you when your good harmony with the Lord is shaken up thoroughly by another marriage. All that I have told you are but true, nothing but absolutely correct." She requested Narada to lead her to the dwelling place of the Lord at the Venkatam hills. Both of them proceeded to the Venkatam hills at once. Goddess Lakshmi enquired about the newly wedded princess and her ancestry. But Narada replied her, "O Devi, when you are personally meeting her you can talk to her. Soon you will realize these things. But it is the Lord who should answer you first than the third person, who had interfered with your life unknowingly."


Though the life of Lord Sri Venkatasa was happy at the Ananda Nilayam in Venkata hills, he frequently thought of Goddess Lakshmi Devi and felt for her absence from him. Srinivasa had to marry Padmavathy because of his vow granted to Vedavathy in Ramavathara. He wished to see Sri Lakshmi, but it may be provoking her much more. He thought it wise to allow much more time to settle the mind of Sri Lakshmi Devi. Then one day Goddess Lakshmi Devi came up the hills with Narada. Narada pointed out to Goddess Lakshmi Devi from a distance the abode of Lord Srinivasa and directed her to approach him alone. Narada was interested to watch the flare up between Lakshmi Devi and Padmavathy. So he hid himself somewhere nearby and overheard the conversations. As directed by Narada, she went to the shrine of Ananda Nilayam. She saw Lord Srinivasa lying on a bed with a beauty close by. When she saw Padmavathy her anger rose very high. Then the Lord saw Sri Lakshmi. He was sorry to note intense anger in her eyes. She went near the Lord and saw him from toe to top and again she looked at Padmavathy. Padmavathy could not guess anything from this. However she feared that something untoward may happen to them both. Goddess Lakshmi asked the Lord, "O Lord, is it justified? Is this your affection for me? I could not still tolerate the indignity done to you by an ordinary human being, yet your actions tear me to pieces. When your wedded wife suffers in the forests, how could you think of marrying another? Is it lawful? You are the protector of the eternal law and if you would behave like this, how can there be peace anywhere? Whatever be your affection to me, don't you think I still love you? Did you ever come to the forest where I had been performing penance propitiating you? How can I blame you! It is all the fate of mine."

Lord Srinivasa could not answer her. Then Lakshmi Devi pointed her questions on Padmavathy, "Who are you? What status you have to sit with my husband ? Her voice was high pitched, charged with strong emotion. Padmavathy frankly replied, "Who are you to question my husband? I have married him and how can you question me? Don't you have even courtesy? Get back from here at once." These words intensified the feelings of Goddess Lakshmi Devi and she blamed Padmavathy further. Hot excahange of words between Padmavathy and Goddess Lakshmi made Srinivasa dumb for a while. However to compromise Sri Lakshmi Devi, He spoke to her, "Lakshmi, brush aside your anger. Listen to me. I shall tell you a truth. If, after listening to me it is meaningful, you may follow my words. It needs the power to recollect past lives and I grant you this past memory. Listen, when I was born as Rama, you were Sita, my spouse in that incarnation. To fulfill the wish of my then father, we went into the forests along with my brother Lakshmana. During our dwellings in the forest a golden deer came around. You wanted me to fetch it for you. It took long time for me to get back and then you sent Lakshmana to look for me. At that moment, Ravana came to our hermitage and begged for food.

When you came out to offer alms to him, the line of Lakshmana fired out at Ravana. Ravana then requested you to come out crossing that line of protection.When you came to cross that line, graceful Lord of Fire, Agni, took you inside the earth and brought out Vedavathy from underneath. She was mistaken by Ravana as you, real Sita and carried away her. Later with the help of the Varanas like Sugriva I won the battle against the demons. Before the eye of the masses I wanted you to uphold your chastity. I wanted Sita to walk over fire, whereupon Agni Deva brought two Sitas and asked me to accept both and when I saw two Sitas emerging out, I wondered how you doubled yourself. Then Agni explained me who the other Sita was and it was only Vedavathy who was in the captivation of Ravana, the demon King.

Sympathizing with her you suggested to me to accept her also. Since in that Avathara, it was avowed by me to observe monogamy, I could not marry her. On the other hand at your instance I consoled Vedavathy to marry her in the Kali Yuga. This Padmavathy is Vedavathy reborn as the princess. Hope your doubts have vanished from your minds now. I have just fulfilled my words promised earlier as Rama. I have not done any injustice to you. By the power of past memory granted by Lord, Lakshmi Devi recognized the reincarnated Vedavathy in Padmavathy. Goddess Lakshmi realizing the truth became happier as before. The Lord was also pleased. The he spoke to Lakshmi Devi again, "For my marriage with Padmavathy I have borrowed from Kubera. I should clear this debt. I do not know how to repay the loan. I have promised to pay the interest as well. Therefore you should do me a favour. Enrich the wealth of my devotees in this age of darkness. When they are intoxicated with riches, they will be erring or getting into problems they shall be paying the interests of Kubera." The Lord also assured that they would be returning back to Vaikuntha after the end of the Kali yuga. Until then Goddess Lakshmi may pervade your power in the Swami- Pushakarini, the lotus pond here and you can abide on my heart. Sri Lakshmi Devi agreed to this plan of the Lord. She minified her stature and joined the Lord in his heart.