The Siddhi Vinayak temple and the Mahalakshmi shrine are of popular interest in the city of Mumbai. The local Mumbaikars, as also the leisurely, holidaying tourists often visit these temples with a lot of expectation, offering their reverential worship. Such is the legacy of sentiment, and the bundle of expectations associated with these two temples. Both are centrally located in the city, easy to reach and often we find long queues seeking darshan and keen to offer worship.
Presumably, there could be some valid grounds for these sentiments and the inordinate belief in the Mahalakshmi shrine for the simple reason that the city of Mumbai for long, over the past several decades, or for that matter preceding two centuries, has been the center of commerce and trade, the abode of riches in the country. One material reason for such a historic preeminent position could be Mumbai being the virtual gateway of India, ahead of all other ports and destinations in the country.
Further, the lion’s share of the revenues for the public exchequer, where to emanate from here ever since the distant past. Even now after the 1990s liberalization a sizable portion of the tax collections accrue from this place. The city continues to be the prime mercantile center for the country attracting talent and money always. All this could be a design of grace conferring a fortuitous fusion of fact and circumstance ideally.
Nonetheless ironically glaring opulence, abounding affluence, as also lowly squalor coexist consistently in this city. Though the stories of rags to riches stories abound, as also the slumdog millionaires of the recent kind persist here and there. The implicit undercurrent of such stark contrast could be that the goddesses of fortune and fame are ever fickle. One hardly knows when they turn in the person’s favor. One plausible view could be that it is all a twist or turn of grace towards the lesser mortal either way, verily an aspect of divine dispensation.
Having been in Mumbai, for a fairly long spell! had visited this temple of the goddess of fortune a few times, alone or with others who wished to see the temple and offer their worship. This temple is very ideally located. More or less, it is perched high on a vantage point as if positioned on a hilltop. A long flight of steps lead the pilgrim to the temple precincts that open into the inner sanctum.
If one has to perambulate around the sanctum as is customary, when we get on to the rear side of the temple, the wide open scenic view of the backwaters connecting to the Arabian ocean are visible. This obvious vista looms before us that the sanctum of the goddess Lakshmi emerges out of the sea, but perched aloft for the facility of the worshiping public
While musing thus it gave me an elated feeling that it responds well to the prayer of the goddess -“Lakshmim Ksheera Samudra Raja Tanayam”. It occurred that the positioning of the shrine and sanctum with the idol are almost perfectly positioned accordingly, arising out of the ocean, which is a rare but congenial and formidable coincidence that has come on its own or because of some inexplicable reason.
These thoughts were fleeting through my mind. While reflecting thus in my circumambulation, looking across the back waters, suddenly I found AMMA emerging from the watery surface in a big blow up rising very high into the sky in a large vista.. This caused a pleasant surprise and immense delight instantly. It is as if instant communion was Torged with AMMA then and there.
This stirred my consciousness and made me think of AMMA. First and foremost as AMMA is the mother of even gods and deities as pronounced by AMMA during HER physical form, even goddess Lakshmi is but one of HER offspring.
Secondly, in one instance AMMA also unmistakably conveyed to the Jillellamudi fraternity, that even if we worship any god or goddess, those respects or tributes reach AMMA only, as SHE being the mother of all gods and goddesses. If so, my offerings or prayers reached AMMA only.
Furthermore, AMMA assured many a time that SHE takes care of everything and anything needed for the person reaching HER who is but HER child.. Viewed in this manner, even material resource, financial needs are also the lookout of AMMA for the children who surrender and cast their lot with time. AMMA. The subject need not hanker for the fulfillment of such needs before anyone else and can look to AMMA alone.
Weighing all these suggestions as also the utterances of AMMA during my continued association with AMMA, it occurred that at the instant moment, in the very same temple precincts AMMA is not far off, nor AMMA and deity Lakshmi are different or far apart, but one and the same to the extent my life’s needs are concerned and their fulfillment. The suggestion in my mind and even the conviction within were reinforced that looking at AMMA fulfills the entire lifetime. This fortified the earlier assurance given to me personally by AMMA in one crucial moment and critical time of my life.
For a moment, setting aside this personal equation with AMMA, or the experiential personal moment, the generic issue is what is the source of riches or fortune in this world and how are they accessed. These are the very difficult posers that concern everyone all the time.
To ponder over this issue all material riches emanate from the earth. That is the crops, fruits, grains, minerals, gems, for that matter all precious elements are only yielded by the earth. Thus mother earth is the one and only giver of material abundance in the physical sense. Given so, the earth augments all material abundance if ecologically well conserved.
If we dwell on this issue a little more deeply, liquid cash, the other element of riches flows from the society. To elaborate, whatever be one’s calling in life, he receives cash from the society or the surrounding public only; be he a lawyer, doctor, auditor, manager, government servant his income accrues from the society or the general public that sustains him. This is what in essence the concept ‘Paying Back to the Society’ widely in vogue in the West. Granting this, the well ordered society, driven by sound values shall enhance the overall prosperity for one and all.
Given this situation, now the issue looms large, how does the individual gain access to these riches either in the form of material abundance or cash in plenty? Apparently as is the common scenario all over, every individual strives in this direction relentlessly to enrich oneself. The fruits of such strife could be varied from case to case, causing delight, complacence or even disillusionment many a time.
To recall the experience of the past in the early stages of Jillellamudi, stringency was often the experience. In all such moments of need, every one used to long for abundance or to speak the least, enough cash to readily meet the needs. This is not to be construed that the needs are not met but some passing gaps were left in the pecuniary circumstance obtaini in that phase of early beginnings.
While considering the situation along with AMMA, I was contemplating all this. Yet, I was quite reticent on this aspect, always in AMMA’S presence, not making any reference nor even making any remarks on the seeming scarcity that appeared often. I have always maintained an air of dignified sufficiency or adequacy whatever be the prevailing odds. While I was with AMMA silently in one of such situations, AMMA said in the vernacular-“Ave Venta Ravali” – to transport this expression into English “They (riches, resources, abundance) shall follow you”.
This clearly meant that the individual shall not hanker after the riches; they shall follow the individual in his stride or wake. More precisely conveyed, there need not be a scramble for riches, nor need one chase the same in an obsessive pursuit. At that moment, this sounded a little inscrutable to me. Yet, continued thinking over the same not giving up the idea or concept propounded by AMMA
Those days one old van used to ply between Jillellamudi and Bapatla making a number of trips ferrying people and cargo needed for the daily needs. Once the van stopped at the railway level crossing as the gate was shut. In order not to lose time, got down from the van and started walking along the railway track to reach the nearby State Bank of India, Bapatla. While walking along the track AMMA granted me the mystic experience of this saying of AMMA. It was hazy though could not be very clearly viewed in the physical terms. Yet, this gave me an inkling of AMMA’S communiqué.
Now to convey this in understandable physical terms, most of the physical requirements thought of those days have been fulfilled or actualized to some degree now. Whatever AMMA thought of has been taking shape consistently. Even AMMA indicated so in one of HER cryptic utterances about the unfolding future. This change neither is perceptible in its causation nor really reflected in the actual human effort as the causative factor.
True causative factor for abundance is within and not without. For the growing organization incipient and unfolding changes make room for abundance on its own. Even in the case of an individual, the internal change makes him deserve the riches and then they follow him or trail behind him. The so – called effort in the process is only superficial.
This subtlety requires further probing. How can affluence follow the individual and not vice versa. The individual in question obviously is not idle or unoccupied mostly, but is deeply involved in some vocation, pursuit, effort or other in his life situation. In fact whatever befalls his lot shall be his regular doing in life. This inevitably becomes his ‘Dharma’ or ‘Karma’; quite likely ordained or anointed for him. When the ordained duty is singularly discharged in steadfast earnestness, such effort obviously begets what he deserves. This is what even the scriptures decree.
Such steadfastness in his effort or duty need not be covetous of the undue riches or bounteous rewards. The individual reaps his fair rewards or so to say he meets his just deserts. Such a conduct or mindset, does not give room for undue expectation or scope for avarice on the part of the person. Granting this, the scale and nature of the rewards match the effort put into the cause and its nature. always. Thus the riches follow the person and the person in such a scenario does not wildly chase the riches. This subtlety has another dimension too.. When the individual so richly deserves the affluence, a route for the same arises along the path of the righteous ‘Dharma’ or ‘Karma’. Sometimes the mode or the way the reward reaches him is also not known.
To recall aptly our ethical tenets, finding the riches is as if the water is emanating in the coconut or the very same riches also exist like the mold consuming the stuff in the kernel of a hard fruit without any one’s knowledge or for that matter even understanding. To quote this, in the ethical poem: “Siritha Vachina Vachunu Sirida Poyina Povunu”.. Proverbially neither the entry of the riches nor the exit of the same at a given moment is within the individual awareness or even verily under his purview.
To elaborate this inherent process further, riches seem external, tend to be without but in truth they are within, the source and cause of the same are within the individual, his psyche, mindset, the virtue or the righteous conduct. To begin with the individual shall strike at the roots of penury in his heart. To repeat the oft quoted lines of Rabindrnath’s Gitanjali “Strike, Strike at the root of penury in my heart”. This is so despite all the compelling evidence that apparently subsists to the contrary in the present times of laxity in virtue and norms of propriety.
The superficial rewards received through improper means tend to fritter away unawares or prove dear, imposing some other unseen hidden costs which fall heavily on the self. The dark side of such dubious rewards or quick riches is often unknown as it may come to light belatedly and not reflect in the public awareness immediately.
The cryptic aphorism of AMMA that the “Riches Shall Follow” (“Ave Venta Ravall”) reads very simple, but in its crux or intrinsic sense, beguilingly unfathomed. This say of AMMA connotes or covers all the social, ethical, righteous and virtuous aspects of life without saying the same in so many words.
Deeper understanding and keen appreciation of this AMMA’S aphorism puts a person at ease, placing him at equipoise without jumping into the fray or the rat race of keeping up with the fellow men (Joneses). Such thinking places the individual at peace with himself, as also with others, as he tends to be even minded in penury or prosperity, yet minding his duty in due diligence. Such well – boding, wider conduct in the community lays the foundations for the evolution of a just society that is well provided too.