Samudra Manthan: Why Did Lakshmi Leave Vaikund?

Goddess Lakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of Earth and the universe. Lakshmi’s disappearance from Vaikund is conflicting. It is linked to the Samudra Manthan as well, and to help the gods and demons churn the ocean, Lord Vishnu took Kurma Avatar.

However, it all started when Durvasa went to heaven to present a garland to Indra. Indra accepts the flower but puts it on his elephant, Airavat, and the animal throws it to the ground. This event made Durvasa feel insulted and cursed King Indra to become fortuneless. Thus, Goddess Lakshmi disappears from the Vaikunth. Kurma Avatar.

Without Lakshmi in the Vaikund, the entire universe becomes wealthless, infertile, and poor. Therefore, the Churning of the Ocean, or Samudra Manthan, becomes required.

Devas and Asuras churned the Samudra to get her back and restore fortune, fertility, and auspiciousness in Trilokas.

Another story linked to the disappearance of Goddess Lakshmi was when Bhrigu insulted her by kicking Lord Vishnu’s chest in Indian mythology.

Let’s find out the story:

Why Did Lakshmi Leave Vishnu?

Once, a few rishis and scholars performed a holy yagna, and Sage Narada witnessed the rites. Unable to decide who the rishis were praying to, he asked Rishi Bhrigu to find out who the most worthy deity was. Bhrigu traveled the three divine worlds to know who was the most worthy deity to perform yagna for.

Bhrigu Rishi Cursed Indra, the King of Heaven | Samudra Manthan

Bhrigu Rishi decided to take a test of the gods.

The rishi went to Indra, King of Swarga, who ignored him and was enjoying ras paan and the dance of apsaras. Bhrigu cursed Indra to be known as egoistic. And selfish soul in the universe.

Bhrigu Visited Brahmalok and Kailash to Test Brahma and Shiva

After that, Bhrigu visited Brahmalokam to test Brahma. Lord Brahma was busy chanting the Vedas, performing meditation, spending cordial time with his consort, Saraswati, and creating the world.

His next stop was Kailash, the abode of Shiva. Bhrigu saw Shiva in deep meditation with his consort, Parvati, at his feet. Bhrigu cursed Shiva to be worshiped in the formless lingam.

Vaikund Dham: Bhrigu Humiliated Goddess Lakshmi

Finally, he reached Vaikund, the abode of Vishnu. Maha Vishnu was resting on Adishesha, and Maha Lakshmi was serving him. Bhrigu Rishi saw Lord Vishnu’s feet, felt insulted, and kicked Vishnu in the chest.

Vishnu awakened and was calm. He asked for forgiveness from Rishi Bhrigu, began to massage his feet, and destroyed the root of his ego. He was pleased with his hospitality and asked the scholars and sages to perform yagna and rites for Vishnu.

Lakshmi felt insulted as she resides in the heart of Vishnu, and Bhrigu indirectly humiliated her by hitting her husband. This made Lakshmi leave Vaikund.

Lakshmi Disguised as a Young Sage

After leaving Vaikund, Goddess Lakshmi settled on earth as a young boy in the ancient Indian city of Karavira. As a boy, she started meditating in the name of Vishnu.

Vishnu arrived on earth to search for his beloved consort but failed to find her and finally waited in the Seshachalam Hills.

Seshachalam Hills had a connection to the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu from pre-Satya Yuga. Lord Varaha saved Goddess Bhudevi from the clutches of the Hiranyaksha. He raised her from the deep waters of the ocean in the universe, rested at Seshachalam Hills, and taught Karma Yoga to people till the start of the Kali Yuga.

Vishnu rested at the same place in disguise under a tamarind tree and chanted his wife’s name.

Lord Shiva and Brahma as Cow and Calf

After the disappearance of Goddess Lakshmi, the entire earth turned gloomy. Asuras started to wreak havoc on heaven and earth. Parvati and Saraswati were worried.

Thus, Goddess Parvati and Saraswati requested Lord Shiva and Brahma to incarnate on earth as cows and calves.

They incarnated as cows and calves. The old Chola King hired a shepherd to take care of them.

He took them to the Seshachalam Hills to graze daily. The cow poured her milk into the anthill to satisfy the thirst of Vishnu. It happened regularly, and soon the cow and calf turned pale and sick.

Shepherd noticed it and felt something was wrong.

The next day, he took them for grazing. The animals again poured the milk into an anthill. This time, Shepherd saw.

In anger, he threw an axe at the animals. A boy came out of the anthill to protect the cow and calf and got hit by the axe on his head (namam or tilak area) and started to bleed.

A Curse to the Shepherd and a Boon to the King of Chola by Lord Vishnu

The furious Vishnu cursed the shepherd to die immediately with a blow of his axe. It happened, and the news reached the entire Chola Kingdom. The King wanted to know how this happened and where the corpse of the shepherd was. He visited the grazing fields and witnessed the cows pouring their milk into Vishnu. He was in disguise so that the king did not recognize him.

The unaware King strung his arrow, thinking the milk should serve the people of Chola and the Kingdom more than the boy. Vishnu emerged, took his virat roop, and stopped the arrows.

He cursed the king for not understanding his dharma as king of his kingdom. The king surrendered when he came to know the boy was Vishnu himself and fell into the lord’s feet.

The king was sorry for his mistake. Lord Vishnu blessed him with a boon so that the Lord himself would marry his daughter in his next incarnation.

Vishnu was born Srinivasa, and Lakshmi was born Padamavathi

As promised, Lord Vishnu was born as Srinivasa to a woman, Vakuladevi. Vakuladevi was Yashoda in Dwapara Yuga, the mother of our beloved Krishna. It is believed that Krishna gave her a boon and that he would give birth to her again in the Kali Yuga.

Meanwhile, the goddess Lakshmi was born to Akasha Raja, the king of the Chola Dynasty. Vishnu loves dwelling in the forest. In Treta Yuga, he dwelled in the forest with his consort Sita. In Dwapara Yuga, he dwelled in the Vrindavan and Mathura forests with his shakhas, gopis, and Radharani.

In Kali Yuga, he again took the avatar of Srinivasa, a forest dweller, to meet his beloved Lakshmi as Padmavati.

Wedding of the Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi

Princess Padmavati immediately fell in love with Lord Srinivasa and decided to marry him. Vishnu fulfilled the boon granted to the King of Chola and brought Lakshmi to Vaikund after marrying her.

Srinivasa asked Kubera to give some of his riches to marry Padmavathi. Lord Vishnu, as Srinivasa promised, would return his wealth with interest at the end of the Kali Yuga, the darkest era of the earth.

Also Read: Kurma Avatar to Know the Story of Samudra Manthan