Suratacandrikā

Suratacandrikā was the queen of King Bhadraśravas of Saurāshṭra in the Dvāpara Yuga. She is remembered for an act of pride and disrespect. Lakshmī came to her palace as an old brāhmaṇa woman to remind her of the Guruvāra vow (the Thursday vow) that she had forgotten. The queen struck her, and all the wealth of the royal house vanished at once. Her daughter Śyāmābālā was kind and kept the Lakshmī vow faithfully, and this brought the family’s wealth back. Suratacandrikā herself kept the vow at Śyāmābālā’s urging. After that, Lakshmī restored her house to its former splendour.

Her family and her earlier birth

Suratacandrikā was the queen of Bhadraśravas. She was the mother of seven sons and a daughter, Śyāmābālā. Lakshmī told the palace doorkeeper about the queen’s earlier birth. In that birth Suratacandrikā was born in a vaiśya family. Lakshmī herself had taught her the Guruvāra vow. She kept it faithfully and reached the world of Lakshmī. She was now born in a royal family to use up her remaining puṇya (merit). But in her pride she had forgotten the vow. Lakshmī came to the palace to remind her.

The old woman at the palace

Lakshmī appeared as an old brāhmaṇa woman and was brought before the queen. Suratacandrikā spoke to her with pride and contempt. She was not keeping the vow on the day of Lakshmī. The old woman reproved her: “Today on Lakshmī’s day you are not observing the vow… who will (dwell) in your house?”

Suratacandrikā grew furious, with red eyes, and struck the old woman. Lakshmī fled in tears, and at once all the wealth left the royal house.

Poverty and the vow

Suratacandrikā then knew poverty. She suffered great hardship and secretly ate what young animals had left. In time her daughter Śyāmābālā brought her to keep the Thursday Lakshmī vow for four weeks in a row. When the fourth Thursday was done, she returned to her city. She found her house fully restored by the grace of Lakshmī to its former splendour.

Later, Śyāmābālā came to visit again. Suratacandrikā still held resentment, so she hid and refused to see her daughter’s face.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 11