Śrī Sannidhāna

The Śrī Sannidhāna is the pair of accounts in the Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapters 225 and 228. In both, Śrī Mahālakshmī appears to Śakra (Indra). In the first she leaves the body of Bali, after the first talk between Bali and Indra. In the second she comes in shining glory to join Indra and Nārada at the Gaṅgā at dawn.

In these accounts Śrī tells the conditions of her dwelling: the four foundations on which she stands, the eight companions who come with her, the virtues that draw her and the vices that drive her away. The second account (Chapter 228) holds the fullest list in the Mokshadharma Parva of the dharmic virtues that draw Śrī and the adharmic vices that drive her off. It uses the fall of the asuras as its example.

The first Śrī Sannidhāna (Chapter 225)

After the first exchange between Bali and Indra (Chapters 223 and 224), Indra sees a radiant devī leaving Bali’s body. She is full of tejas (splendour), wears armlets, keyūras (upper-arm bands) and a crown, and fills the space around her with her own light. Indra is struck with wonder and asks Bali who she is.

Bali is not disturbed. He says he does not know her and tells Indra to ask her himself.

Then Śrī names herself:

“I am Duḥsahā. I am Vidhitsā. I am called Bhūti, Lakshmī and Śrī. Neither Brahmā nor Vidhātā commands me. Kāla alone directs all things. Do not disrespect Bali.”

Indra asks whether she stays with him or with Bali. Śrī answers that no one, whether deva, gandharva, asura or rākshasa, can bear her presence fully.

Indra asks her to stay with him and not leave. Śrī agrees, but only if Indra can keep up the four foundations on which she stands.

The four pādas of Śrī

  • First pāda, Bhūmi (earth). The earth bears all beings with kshamā (patience). This is one dwelling of Śrī. “I have placed one pāda in bhūmi. Set up a second.”
  • Second pāda, Jala (water). The flowing waters serve all beings without choosing among them. This is her second station. “I have placed the second in water.”
  • Third pāda, Agni (fire). This is the fire kept up through the Veda, yajña and deva-upāsanā (service of the devas), where the three fires and the order of yajña are upheld. “I have placed the third in agni.”
  • Fourth pāda, Sajjanas. These are the brāhmaṇas who are fixed in Brahman (brahma-nishṭhā) and who speak only satya (truth). Their prajñā (wisdom) is steady, and neither gain nor loss of wealth can move them from the ātmā. “I have placed the fourth in such satpurushas.”

Indra accepts the conditions and promises to uphold each one. He vows to strike down anyone who breaks these four foundations.

Bali hears the “anahaṃkāra-gīta”, his own teaching of surrender to kāla (time), and goes away toward the south. Indra, now joined by Śrī, rises into the sky.

The Mahābhārata gives this in Śānti Parva, Chapter 225.

The second Śrī Sannidhāna (Chapter 228)

Chapter 228 gives a second and longer appearance of Śrī. Nārada, the great devarshi, rises at dawn and goes to the Gaṅgā at the Dhruva-dvāra (the northern gate of the cosmos) for his morning snāna (ritual bath). Indra happens to come to the same place for his own japa (silent repetition of mantra) and snāna.

Nārada and Indra sit on the golden sand of the river bank. They speak of the dharma of the devas and ṛshis, and then stand to honour the rising sun.

As the sun climbs, they see a second sun-like glow in the sky, a divine figure coming near. Apsarases surround it. It shines with its own light and wears garlands of pearls and jewels like stars. It comes down from its vimāna (sky-chariot) and stands before them: Śrī herself, fully shown.

Śrī names herself. She says she arose from the lotus that the sun’s rays open for the good of all beings. She is Padmā, Śrī, Padmālinī, Lakshmī, Bhūti, Śraddhā, Medhā, Sannati, Vijiti, Sthiti, Dhṛti, Siddhi and Svāhā-Svadhā. All of these are parts of her one nature.

The virtues where she lives. Śrī tells Indra that she lives wherever:

  • Satya (truth) is spoken
  • Dharma (righteousness) is upheld
  • Tapas (austerity) is practised
  • Parākrama (courage) is shown in defence of dharma
  • Dāna (giving) flows freely
  • Yajña is done properly
  • Atithi-pūjā (honouring guests) never fails
  • Pitṛs, devas and gurus are honoured
  • Children and servants are cared for with kindness
  • All beings, the poor, the suffering, the old and women, are looked after without distinction

She then lists, in great detail, the qualities of the asuras when she once lived with them, a golden age of the dānavas: firmness in the Veda, truth, mastery of the senses, a yajña every day, rising early, respect for brāhmaṇas, elders, gurus and guests, and kindness to the suffering. They shared food only after the devas, guests and ancestors had been served. They did no violence to one another. Their food, speech and persons were pure, and they were free from jealousy and greed.

The vices that drove her away. As kāla turned, the asuras fell into adharma. Śrī lists how they declined:

  • Young men no longer rose for elders
  • Sons took authority while their fathers still lived
  • Servants no longer came forward willingly, and began to beg without shame
  • The night was filled with inauspicious sounds, and the sacred fires grew dim
  • Daughters-in-law disrespected mothers-in-law, and sons disrespected fathers
  • Teachers were treated as friends and not honoured as gurus
  • Mixing of varṇas (saṅkara) spread, and purity was wholly missing
  • Women of the house took on the look and behaviour of serving women
  • The learned and the unlearned were treated the same
  • Food was cooked and eaten with no offering to devas, ancestors or guests
  • Grain was left scattered for crows and mice, and milk was left uncovered
  • Sounds of quarrelling filled every home at midnight
  • People who got wealth by adharma became the ones admired

When she saw this decline, Śrī decided to leave the asuras and go to the devas. She chose Indra because the devas kept their dharma.

The eight companions of Śrī. Śrī ends by naming the eight sakhīs (companions) who come with her wherever she lives:

  • Āśā (hope)
  • Śraddhā (faith)
  • Dhṛti (steadiness)
  • Kshānti (patience)
  • Vijiti (conquest of the senses)
  • Sannati (humility)
  • Kshamā (forgiveness)
  • Vṛtti (right livelihood), the eighth, who goes before all the others

Nārada and Indra received her with joy. Vāyu began to blow sweet-smelling, cool winds through the quarters of the devas. Indra gave righteous blessings to the four directions. The age of plenty and dharma returned.

The Mahābhārata gives this in Śānti Parva, Chapter 228.

What the two chapters teach

Together the two chapters give the fullest account in the Mokshadharma Parva of the nature of Lakshmī.

  1. Śrī stays where dharma is kept. Lakshmī is not the lasting possession of any one being or realm. She follows dharma. When dharma is kept, she stays. When dharma decays, she leaves.
  2. The four pādas. The four foundations of Śrī are earth, water, fire and the truthful brāhmaṇas fixed in Brahman. The sajjanas (satpurushas) are one of the four pillars of Śrī.
  3. The eight companions. The eight sakhīs of Śrī are āśā, śraddhā, dhṛti, kshānti, vijiti, sannati, kshamā and vṛtti.
  4. The asuras’ golden age. The account describes the dharmic life of the asuras before their fall, and then the vices that ruined them. It is both a picture of the right household and a warning about what destroys it.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 225 (the first Śrī Sannidhāna; follows the Bali and Indra exchange of Chapters 223 and 224)
  • Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 228 (the second Śrī Sannidhāna)