The Cosmic Ocean’s Advice to Daughter Lakṣmī dēvī

Retold by DKM Kartha

The context is: Lakṣmī dēvī has just arisen from the Cosmic Ocean’s churning and She is the most beautiful Goddess in all the various worlds! Many of the Gods are waiting with their necks slightly arched forward to receive the wedding garland that She had in Her hands hoping She might choose one of them as Her Consort.

Lakṣmī dēvī’s father the Ocean sees the difficulty of choice that faced His daughter and He sees the physical signs caused by mixed emotions — nervous shaking, palpitation, sighing, etc. in Her. Then He utters (or the poet fancies that He uttered) the following verse:

वत्से मा गा विषादं श्वसनमुरुजवं सन्त्यजोर्ध्वप्रवृत्तम् ।
कम्पः को वा गुरुस्ते किमिह बलभिदा जृम्भितेनात्र याहि ।
प्रत्याख्यानं सुराणामिति भयशमनच्छद्मना कारयित्वा
यस्मै लक्ष्मीमदाद्वः स दहतु दुरितं मन्थमूढां पयोधिः ॥
vatsē mā gā viṣādaṁ śvasanamurujavaṁ santyajōrdhvapravr̥ttam .
kampaḥ kō vā gurustē kimiha balabhidā jr̥mbhitēnātra yāhi .
pratyākhyānaṁ surāṇāmiti bhayaśamanacchadmanā kārayitvā
yasmai lakṣmīmadādvaḥ sa dahatu duritaṁ manthamūḍhāṁ payōdhiḥ ..

“Darling daughter, do not become sad; give up heavy breathing shown by your exhaling; do not have that frequent shaking of your body; do not get into that weakening sighing.” Under the pretext of calming the fearful hesitation of Lakṣmī, dizzy after the Big Churn, the Ocean is really asking Her not to choose to go to Śiva, Vāyu, Varuṇa, Br̥haspati, and Indra because he wants Lakṣmī to choose Viṣṇu as her groom. May that Viṣṇu burn up all your suffering.

What is the second message hidden behind the apparent message ?

मा गा विषादं = Do not go to the poison swallower, namely, Śiva.
मा गा श्वसनमुरुजवं = Do not go the very fast air, namely, Vāyu
कम्पः = Do not choose the constantly shaking god, namely, Varuṇa
गुरु : = Do not choose Br̥haspati.
बलभित् = Do not choose the slayer of Bala, namely Indra.
अत्र = Here, that is, near Viṣṇu to choose Him as your groom.

Using the double meanings of words (e.g. विषादं = sadness and Śiva) the father was able to deliver His real message to the daughter while keeping up the pretense that He was only asking Her to calm down Her nervousness. Perhaps the Ocean was afraid of the wrath of those whom He was suggesting not to choose. Perhaps He wanted to keep up the façade of a swayamvaram = choice made by the bride on her own.

Who can tell what the poet truly intended in this enjoyable stanza ?

References : ध्वन्यालोकः dhvanyAlokaH 2.23 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Note : Lakshmi is holding a srag (garland), and the meter is srag-dharA, which is holding words stringed into a garland, which resemble flowers in beauty, and the meter is another, Lakshmi both in terms of beauty and abundance (21 syllables) -- perhaps ready to garland the right rasika who grasps not only the meaning, the dhvani meanings, and the SlEsham but also the beauty of sragdharA meter. (स्रग्धरा छन्द sragdharA Chanda info 1, 2, 3)