Sarva Mangalam
Mahagauri
Day 8 of the Navaratri series from Modern Parivar: A Dharmik Perspective
Our culture encourages us to pursue material goals within limits. Hindu dharma does not dissuade us from the pursuit of worldly desires (Artha and Kama). It only warns us against overindulgence. This is why Kama is the only attribute that is simultaneously a Purushartha and an obstacle to Moksha. We understand that physical or material well-being is the foundation of further growth. This is because we do not consider the body as a separate entity from our mind and soul. There is no concept of “Feel your body” in yoga, for instance. The physical body, the life force, the mind, intellect and divine force are all part of a single being in Hindu thought.
Each of us is made of five koshas. The outermost sheath is the Annamaya kosha - the physical body. The second is the Pranamaya kosha - the different pranas within us. The third layer is the Manomaya kosha - our mind. The fourth is Vignanamaya kosha - our intellect and wisdom. The final layer is the Anandamaya kosha - the bliss. Devi is “Pañca-kośāntra-sthitā”. She resides in all five koshas.
BKS Iyengar says in Light on Life:
“When these bodies or sheaths are misaligned or clash with one another, we inevitably encounter
the alienation and fragmentation that so trouble our world”.
“The physical body in other words is not separate from our mind and soul. We are not supposed to neglect or deny our body as some ascetics suggest. Nor are we to become fixated on our body - our mortal self - either. The aim of yoga is to discover our immortal Self. The practice of yoga teaches us to live fully - physically and spiritually - by cultivating each of the various sheaths”.
“Health begins with firmness in body, deepens to emotional stability, then leads to intellectual clarity, wisdom, and finally the unveiling of the soul”.
“But a yogi never forgets that health must begin with the body”.
Cultivating good health is a material pursuit. We need food, shelter, and time to take care of ourselves. And all of these come from Artha or money to one extent or another. Without material well-being, we are trapped in existential worries and cannot move further. The story of the Kanakadhara Stotram is worth remembering in this context:
Adi Shankaracharya once asked for bhiksha from houses as is the norm for students and sanyasis. One woman was so poor that she had nothing to offer him. Upon searching her home, she came by a small amla fruit which she offered as bhiksha.
Adi Shankaracharya was touched by the woman’s generosity. He prayed to Maha Lakshmi and requested her to alleviate the woman’s poverty. However, Lakshmi Devi disagreed as the woman was experiencing the consequences of her previous birth when she had not performed acts of dana. Adi Shankaracharya eloquently argued with Devi that the woman should be blessed for her generosity in this birth. And only Lakshmi Devi could erase the karma of past lives. As Adi Shankaracharya sang Devi’s praises in the Kanakadhara Stotra, Devi blessed the woman with a shower of golden amla fruit.
Let us teach our children the value of the material comforts we have in our lives and the importance of limits. One chocolate a week is a treat. One a day results in cavities. Let us teach them about the symbols of auspiciousness, such as the swastika, and their meanings. And finally, let us teach them the importance of gratitude for what we have and sharing when we are blessed with abundance.
Our culture does not limit prosperity to wealth alone. This is why Maha Lakshmi is represented as Ashtalakshmi. She bestows wealth (dhana), food (dhanya), and also children (santana). In addition, she also gives us courage (dhairya), knowledge (vidya), and victory (vijaya). Let us teach our children the need for balance in all aspects of life.
Whichever form we worship Devi in, she brings beauty, peace, and auspiciousness into our lives. Therefore, one of the first shlokas we learn as children is:
sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalyē śivē sarvārtha-sādhikē ।
śaraṇyē tryambakē gauri nārāyaṇi namō'stu tē ॥
The last word from Hindu Parenting: Centuries of impoverishment (as a result of back-to-back colonisations and draining away of wealth from India) have left Hindus craving for security in the last few generations. Now as we gain back a measure of prosperity, we must teach our children to not stop at the quest for Artha and Kama, but look beyond and listen to the call of Dharma and Moksha. Only Sanatana dharma is equipped to give us this wisdom, which the world sorely needs. As more of us step beyond physical needs, we must remember to lend a hand to those Hindus who are still impoverished. When we teach our children the importance of gratitude and sharing, Sanatana dharma will thrive again.