Re:Gunas ......................

[Guest guest]

Dear Advaitins,

 

Our beloved member Srdhar has started a wonderful thread on the Three

GUNAS ... TAMO, RAJO AND SATTWA.

 

The hindu goddesses are supoosed to be Guna-nidhis (yreasure house of

guunas)

 

howver, broadly speaking ,

 

1) Kali ma is associated with Tamas

 

2) sri Lakshmi is associated with Rajas

 

3) Saraswati devi is associated with Sattwa.

 

now take sri lakshmi, for instance... is it fair to say she is

fully 'rajasic' ?

 

Lakshmi grants 'porul' (material wealth) to those who approach her

desiring 'material' wealth.

 

Then there are dinabandhus like shri muthuswamy dikshitir who

approach the lotus feet of Mahalakshmi desirous only of oobtaining

her infinite 'arul' (compassion ) in fact. dikshitir's

composition 'hiranmayeem' is ample proof of this. in the very first

line of the song, dikshitir addresses the Devi thus ...

 

Hiranmayeem Lakshmeem sadaa Bhajaami

 

Heena Maanava Aashrayam Thyajami

 

 

I always the praise of Lakshmi of golden hue ("hiranmayeem") and

renounce("tyajaami") the company ("aasrayam") of the rich and mean

("heena") people ("maanava").

 

SO, DEVOTEES LIKE SRI MUTHUSWAMY DIKSHITIR APPROACHED devi

mahalakshmi only for spiritual wealth. not material wealth.

 

Also, Mahalakshmi is supposed to give 'bhukti' - material enjoyment .

Adi shanakara's kanakadhara stotra demonstrates this. Devi blesses

her devotees with 'gold and riches' . But, Mahalakshmi is also

a 'mukthi' dayini... she grants liberation as well . " bukthi mukthi

dayini."

 

so, it all depends on which bhava a devotee approaches the

Goddess ... the goddess also reflects the 'bhava' of a devotee! ..

 

so, it is not fair to conclude that a particular goddess has only

this guna or that... All goddesses are 'gunatitas' - beyond gunas...

 

i stand corrected !

 

OM sri mahalakshmiyaii namaha!