BANGALORE : At this moment, let us pause the narration of the incident of samudra manthan and come back to the Guru Gita. Lord Shiva tells the Divine Mother Parvathi that Lord Vishnu’s 2nd incarnation in the sathya yuga as the Kurma avataar or Tortoise form becomes the base of our life. The four legs and the head of the tortoise represent our senses. Lord Vishnu says - ‘Withdraw your senses as I draw these five organs within myself. Then, you will see me.” The mountain Meru parvata known as Sumeru represents our conscience itself. Just like Lord Vishnu in the Kurma avataar lifted the Meru Parvata on his back, likewise, Guru as Lord Vishnu will lift up our conscience which was hitherto submerged deep within us just like mountain Meru submerged in deep waters of the milky ocean. When the churning of the ocean began, both good and bad things emerged from the ocean. In the same manner, when we perform the act of churning the vast ocean of our mind, both the good and bad that are hidden in the deep recesses of our sub-conscious mind come up. That is why, when we sit for meditation, we are bombardedby thoughts.
The cap of the bottled subconscious mind opens up and all that is stored in it - be it good or bad thoughts emerge onto the top.
The mantra we chant or the spiritual nugget upon which we contemplate during meditation becomes the churning rod. Only when the subconscious mind filled with our vasanas and experiences is emptied, will we be able to access our conscience.
The awareness of our conscience is what leads us to our consciousness. Goddess Lakshmi is the eye of our conscience. Lakshmi bestows her grace on one who has the eye of conscience (Akshmi in sanskrit means eye) as the goal (lakshya in sanskrit means goal or focus).
So Lakshya +Akshmi is Lakshmi. Most of us today move away from the eye of conscience. That is why most of our actions are always not in accordance to our own atma sakshi or eye of conscience. We try to run away from it to achieve our materialistic goals faster, by hook or by crook. Due to this Lakshmi doesn’t be with us for long. Her stay becomes temporary as Lakshmi is chanchala- always on the move (oscillating).
Only when we are established firmly in dharma, will we be able to gravitate towards the eye of our conscience and remain fixed in it.
Then, Shani bhagwan - the judge of dharma or righteousness will give a green signal for goddess Lakshmi to access us.