JESHTA LAKSHMI OR ALAKSHMI Dear friends, I have provided the picture of Ashtalakshmi on the opening screen of my lap top. On seeing the picture of Mahalakshmi/Dhana Lakskmi in the centre, I thought today to write about her sister ALakshmi or Jeshta Lakshmi. While worshipping Mahalakshmi we should not totally neglect Jeshtalakshmi.
I searched for some information about Alakshmi. I could get some information in Wikipedia. This posting is based on the reading from Wikipedia and some other information from elders. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 2-5-2021 1 Introduction In Hinduism, Alakshmi (Devanāgari: अलक्ष्मी; from the roots अ (a): "not" and लक्ष्मी (Lakshmi): "goddess of fortune", figurative meaning "goddess of misfortune") meaning "not Lakshmi". She is described as being “cow-repelling, antelope-footed, and bull-toothed." Or she “has dry shrivelled up body, sunken cheeks, thick lips, and beady eyes and that she rides a donkey. She is not mentioned by name in the Vedic, Upanishadic or early Puranic literature, but all aspects of Alakshmi match those of the Rig Vedic goddess Nirṛti. In Padma Purana, the cosmology includes her where the samudra manthan creates both good and bad of everything that emerges. That which is inauspicious and bad emerges first, more effort creates the auspicious and good, according to Padma Purana. First Alakshmi emerges, then Lakshmi appears during the Samudra manthan. Gods send Alakshmi to go dwell amongst pernicious persons, give them poverty and grief. 2 What Alakshmi do? She as the asura of inauspiciousness and grief is the opposite of Lakshmi the goddess of auspiciousness and joy. Alakshmi is sometimes referred to be another name of Jyestha. Alakshmi is also known as Kalahapriya and Daridara, and the elder sisterly opposite of Lakshmi. According to Chakrabarty, “It was said that when she entered a household, Alakshmi brought jealousy and malice in her trail. Brothers fell out with each other, families and their male lineages (kula) faced ruin and destruction."The spouse of Alakshmi is demon Kali. 3 Other information about Alakshmi When she enter a home, Misfortune and grief starts Her mount is Donkey. She is mentioned in texts Lingaa Purana and Shri Suktam Personal information-Siblings Lakshmi and Spouse Kali (demon) 4. Given below are a few Alakshmi items 4.1. Chuttu vilakku at Krishna temple, Pandalam. While I wanted to add about Alakshmi, the first thing coming to me is the imperfection in the chuttu vilakku in my home temple. In the western nada, north side about 6’x4’ area there are no brass lamps fitted in the frame, noted in my childhood days. Chuttu vilakku is fitted uniformly on other sides in all areas. It might not have been difficult to fix the lamps in the area in the coming years, but Lamps are not fitted till date. 4.2. Unfinished entrance in Madamakkam temple In our local Madampakkam Siva temple, a temple under archeological department, the Eastern side entrance is half -completed. 4.3. Alakshmi principle Alakshmi is the elder sister of Lakshmi. The normal place of Lakshmi is in neat areas and Alakshmi in not neat and imperfect areas. In the evening when we light the lamp, it is believed, both Laksmi and Alakshmi come together. Depend on the conditions Lakshmi/ Alakshmi remains in the home. If the home is neat Lakshmi remains, other way Alakshmi remains. When we purchase a new coconut broom we do not discard the old one. We use it as Kuttichool, for rough cleanings like sumps, overhead tanks etc. If it is poonthodappam (Smooth broom) the older one is kept in portico, to clean out side areas. But they should be kept in their proper places well tied and kept. Even in cobweb stick, if the coir portion get damaged or worn of, but still we keep the bamboo, finding some use for it. Cobweb stick is necessary, but we have to keep in back side. 4.4 Coconut broom inside. Normally in all homes, a good coconut broom is kept inside, in some place like work area, the purpose is not for cleaning, but to deal with creeping beings like Pazhuthara / pooran. The day you keep the broom outside, thinking it mar the appearance, a big pooran would appear in a crucial area, so far never imagined. These brooms should be well tied and kept . The being should not be killed, but using the broom, they should be put outside. A small amount of HIT applied would make them faint for a short while. 5. Cob-web. The day we remove cobweb, if we have cleaned in the morning, evening we would see some cobweb. Cleaners also will not clean perfectly either knowingly or unknowingly giving a place for Alakshmi. Recently I read some cobweb should remain so that the spiders would eat other small creature in the home. 6. Waste box. I do not know the arrangement in other areas, but in Chennai, my area, municipality collect all wastes from house through contracted employees. Degradable and non-degradable items have to be kept in two boxes and they would collect it in the morning. These boxes ARE KEPT IN THE FRONT for collecting. Afterwards they are cleaned and kept in work area. In the evening when Lakshmi enters, she feels happy her sister is also well accommodated (Cleaned kitchen and oven and in work area dustbin with some items). 7. Lakshmi principle Where Alakshmi is not cared Lakshmi is not happy, I have read elsewhere. Lakshmi want perfection and cleanliness, with some imperfection and un-cleanliness at some areas for her sister. 8. Provision for Alakshmi Knowingly or unknowingly we give small provision for Alakshmi along with larger provision for Lakshmi. Alakshmi do not require large space. 9. Provision for Alakshmi. As I said earlier knowingly or unknowingly we make provision for Alakshmi. Cleaning cloth of Kitchen- Can any person keep it neat? Some surplus cement, broken brick are provision for Alakshmi. 10. Dust in door and window covers, tube lights and fans etched. We can periodically clean, but not perfectly any of them. Bed sheet and pillow covers – nobody can practically replace before every use- like non-tidiness non-perfection is also Alakshmi. 11. Conclusion We have to maintain things 95% neat and tidy, the 5% not possible, keep it off for Alakshmi. It automatically occurs in the most neatly maintained homes also. Lying in the bed during Sandhya, not lighting lamp before Tulsiplant, keep things haphazard in kitchen and store, all invite alakshmi reside in the home. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1223153589.2037485.1619941042706%40mail.yahoo.com.
