“How can I ensure that the purpose of my task does not get destroyed? How shall I avoid mental disparity, and how do I ensure that my crossing of the ocean does not go for naught?” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.41)

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न विनश्येत्कथं कार्यं वैक्लब्यं न कथं भवेत् |
लङ्घनं च समुद्रस्य कथं नु न वृथा भवेत् ||

na vinaśyetkathaṃ kāryaṃ vaiklabyaṃ na kathaṃ bhavet |
laṅghanaṃ ca samudrasya kathaṃ nu na vṛthā bhavet ||

1. Those trying to separate Lakshmi from Narayana

This is the mentality of Ravana, the king of Rakshasas from Lanka. Described in the Ramayana history, Ravana tried to defy the laws of nature. He thought he could become more powerful and wield more influence than the origin of everything.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Bhagavan since He possesses different opulences at the same time. For each one of these opulences, the magnitude is in full. If it were possible to measure the greatest amount of wealth, that numerical value would belong to God, who is Bhagavan.

Since He is the most fortunate, Bhagavan always has the goddess of fortune by His side. There is the image of Lakshmi and Narayana worshiped in temples, depicted in paintings, and described in sacred, transcendental literature like the Puranas.

Since the material world is a place of illusion, due to ignorance a person might think that the entire description is make-believe. There is no Supreme Lord, you see. There is no goddess of fortune. There is no reason to follow righteousness. The entire concept of good and evil is flawed; a system created by the weak to be able to withstand the influence of the strong.

Of course, the same sophistry does not extend to the elements of nature. The atheist does not deny the existence of the sun, the moon, the earth, the clouds, the oceans, and the mountains. These were all here long before the atheist arrived, based on what they can remember.

The factual concept of God is merely an extension of these fixtures. The source of the sun and the moon. The illumination of the entire universe. The origin of everything. That is God.

रसो ऽहम् अप्सु कौन्तेय
प्रभास्मि शशि-सूर्ययोः
प्रणवः सर्व-वेदेषु
शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु

raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

Since there is a flaw in the premise, since the foundation is on shaky ground, the ensuing steps are sure to end in peril. Ravana’s pursuit of the goddess of fortune is what eventually did him in. It led to the destruction of both Ravana and the people under his protection. Sita Devi, who is an incarnation of the goddess of fortune, herself wondered why someone would behave so foolishly. She resolved the discrepancy by attributing the madness to the imminent arrival of death.

यदा विनाशो भूतानां दृश्यते कालचोदितः।
तदा कार्ये प्रमाद्यन्ति नराः कालवशं गताः।।

yadā vināśo bhūtānāṃ dṛśyate kālacoditaḥ।
tadā kārye pramādyanti narāḥ kālavaśaṃ gatāḥ।।

“When the time for the destruction of living entities arrives, people are seen to perform activities that endanger themselves due to the influence of that all-devouring time.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.16)

2. Those trying to keep Lakshmi and Narayana together

This is the way of righteousness. This pursuit aligns with dharma. It is something like seeing an important item dropped from a person’s pocket, without them knowing. The saintly person tries to find the original owner; they do not keep the item for themselves.

The opposite of Ravana in this regard is Shri Hanuman. He tries his best to bring Lakshmi back to the side of Narayana. He understands that fortune is always in service of the Almighty. There is no other utilization. To think in the way of Ravana is to flirt with danger.

The entirety of Vedic culture aligns with this purpose. Some people earn more money than others. Some are born into circumstances of wealth, while others know only poverty. One person is rich today, based on a successful business venture, and that same person is later destitute, fortune having abandoned them.

Whatever the case, the principle remains: Lakshmi is for Narayana. If I have an abundance of wealth, I should utilize it in a manner of sacrifice, yajna. I should try to please Narayana, who is the source of men. If I do not have much, I can still make a basic offering, like fruit or water, which will be greatly appreciated.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं
यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
तद् अहं भक्त्य्-उपहृतम्
अश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

The human beings are like God in quality. This means that there is a spirit of independence. I have a choice in how I act. It might be that my nature better aligns with a particular activity, but I can always choose to abstain or move forward.

I have the choice to be like Ravana or to follow in the footsteps of Hanuman. We see that Hanuman, though sacrificing everything, does not become poor. He does not end up a loser for trying to help Sita join again with Rama.

In Closing:

Through that work done,
Never a loser to become.

Principle with dharma to align,
That Sita for Rama to find.

Not like atheist for separation,
To extend illusion desperation.

That pursuit for destruction bound,
Since Lakshmi only with Narayana found.

Categories: the two

Tags: god, good and evil, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry