Goddess Lakshmi Is the Epitome of Tolerance

Mata doesn’t leave Sri Hari’s vaksha sthala even for a moment. We humans keep on committing some offence or the other. She is the mother. She has to keep Sri Hari cool. She has to mediate between us and him. So she doesn’t go away even for a moment.

She is kindness itself. She is the mother of the universe. It is out of this kindness only that she took avatara as Seetha Devi, to relieve everyone from the atrocities of Ravana. Such is her kindness, her mercy.

Once in Chitrakoota a very fatigued Lord Rama was sleeping with his head on the lap of Seta Mata. Suddenly a crow attacked. She tried to shoo it away, but it kept on attacking her. When the Lord woke up he saw her bleeding because of the attack.

The Lord got so angry that he picked up a blade of grass and made it into brahmastra. The crow was Jayanta, the son of Indra. Brahmastra started chasing him. He went to everyone for help. Nobody could save him from brahmastra. Finally, he went to the Lord himself and begged for pardon.

Mata intervened. She asked Bhagawan to pardon the crow. Such is her mercy. Bhagawan said brahmastra once employed cannot be withdrawn without hitting a target. So one of the eyes of the crow was taken. This is her kindness.

We are all offenders – knowingly, unknowingly – and we all depend on this merciful mediation of hers to protect ourselves from the anger of justice of Sri Hari Paramatma. She intervenes everywhere. After Ravana was killed, Hanuman wanted to take revenge on the rakshasis for having given pain to Mata. She intervened even there and stopped him.

It is very clear. When Seta Mata was away, this kindness was not there with Lord Rama when he was dealing with Vali. He was not kind towards Vali, just because Seta Devi was not with him. It is obvious. Vali had done nothing wrong to the Lord per se. Rather he was a devotee, still he did not get any mercy from him, because Mata was not present by his side then.

In the heart of every being Sri Hari is present, in his heart, Goddess Lakshmi, in her heart nothing but kindness. Powers for nigraha and anugraha are equal in Sri Hari. But, when she is with him, his blessing nature precedes, supersedes.

One merciful glance from her is enough to attain indrapada, brahmapada or shivapada. She does not just remove daridrya – she gives birth in a noble family, she gives the budhi to follow the vedamarga, she gives bhakti, she gives prosperity that never goes away, she gives good progeny and she gives kavitva, poetic skills.

You may be close to the most affluent and powerful people, you may own a gold mine, you may have the best financial brain and prudence, but if her kataksha is not there, then nothing works. If her kataksha is there, then nothing else is required.

That is Goddess Lakshmi. Wherever Sri Hari is there she is also there. They are always together.

If Lakshmi is words, Sri Hari is their meaning, inseparable.
If Lakshmi is good deed, then Sri Hari is the goodness in that deed.
If Sri Hari is the creator, Lakshmi is the creation.
If Sri Hari is a mountain, then Lakshmi is the earth on which the mountain rests.
If Sri Hari is yajna, then Lakshmi is dakshina.
If Sri Hari is agni, then Lakshmi is swaha.
If Sri Hari is surya, then Lakshmi is his rays.
If Sri Hari is moon, then Lakshmi is moonlight.
If Sri Hari is the ocean, then Lakshmi is the waves in it.

• Why does compassion matter if justice already exists?
  Justice restores order; compassion restores relationship. Without compassion, justice becomes cold and breeds fear. With compassion, correction leads to growth, not bitterness.

• How can mercy operate without weakening law?
  Mercy addresses the person while law addresses the act. You uphold the rule, but you adjust the consequence to heal the cause. That keeps both fairness and reform intact.

• Why would the divine take a human form at all?
  To make virtues visible. When ideals walk, speak, and suffer like us, we learn by example, not theory. Embodied virtue becomes a living standard.

• What is the role of a mediator between humans and the divine?
  A mediator bridges the gap between flawed action and perfect order. The mediator invites correction without despair and brings help without entitlement.

• Is prosperity only about wealth?
  No. True prosperity includes clarity of mind, stable family, devotion, right guidance, and creativity. Money without these collapses under stress.

• What does grace add that skill and planning cannot?
  Grace aligns conditions beyond your control. Skill opens the door; grace keeps it open by arranging timing, support, and inner steadiness.

• Why are some deities presented as inseparable pairs?
  It teaches that power needs purpose, and purpose needs power. Principle and expression, cause and effect, justice and love are meant to function together.

• Why do some stories show strictness when compassion is absent?
  They warn that power without compassion tilts toward severity. The takeaway is not cruelty, but the need to keep strength tempered by care.

• Can a single act of kindness really change the outcome?
  Yes. A timely merciful act can prevent cycles of retaliation, reopen dialogue, and redirect a life. Small pivots compound into large results.

• How do prayer and personal effort work together?
  Effort proves sincerity; prayer invites alignment. Do what is yours to do, then seek grace to cover blind spots and soften hard edges.

• Is suffering punishment or a signal?
  Often a signal. It exposes misalignment and invites course correction. Treated wisely, it becomes a teacher rather than a sentence.

• What does it mean that the divine dwells in every heart?
  It means conscience is not an accident. Moral intuition, the tug toward truth, and the sting of guilt are signs of an inner witness.

• Why do traditions use images like rays, waves, words, and meaning?
  They translate metaphysics into daily experience. Rays show source and spread, waves show motion from depth, words and meaning show inseparable unity.

• How should a person seek favor ethically?
  By honest living, gratitude, and service. Ask for help, accept correction, repair harm quickly, and use gains for the common good.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi