Shri Mahalakshmi Puja with Shri Mataji

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1990

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1990 (Kohlapur) from Sahaja Library on Vimeo.

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1986

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1986 (Sangli) from Sahaja Library on Vimeo.


This is an English translation from a Talk given in Marathi by H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi during the Mahalakshmi Puja, Sangli, India, January 6th, 1986.

Today’s Puja is very important as it is a Mahalakshmi Puja and Mahalakshmi in Sahaja Yoga is more important than any other Shakti because Mahalakshmi Shakti - which we also call Sushumna Nadi - resides there and She deals with Parasympathetic nervous system. To make this Mahalakshmi Shakti powerful there have been many changes in human evolution. Mahalakshmi took different avatars and She was very courageous to take birth in this world in a human form and do Her work. It is surprising that no one has yet given us much information about the importance of Mahalakshmi’s avatars, or no one has a deep knowledge of Her whole explanation.

Now, the Mahalakshmi’s principle depends on Lakshmi’s principle, because Mahalakshmi should be considered as the mother of Lakshmi. Lakshmi’s mother means, when Lakshmi came amongst human beings, She took also the form of a balanced woman. She stands in balance on a lotus and in both hands She holds two lotuses: a pink and delicate one. The meaning of the pink lotus is that a person who is wealthy (Lakshmipati), his nature should be “pinkness” (sweetness, loving), he should not be rude. The second lotus can give protection to the beetle. In spite of its thorns, still it can make its abode in it, he is welcome. Like this, a person who is a Lakshmipati should welcome any type of person, he should behave like a lotus. He should enquire about the well-being of the other persons.

Moreover, when you look at Her hands, one is like this [giving, left hand] and one is like that [protecting, right hand]. The person who is not giving cannot be a Lakshmipati. There is no joy like the joy of giving. Only the generous person should be recognized as great in this world. The left hand gesture is for giving. As Shri Lakshmi shows by using the left hand, a Lakshmipati should also use his left hand for giving. Using the left hand means that the right hand should not know about it. The left hand means Sahaj, without putting any effort. The desire should be of giving. All things in this world are only important to be given to others, to show our love to others by giving. That’s why things are important. Amongst all the Swayambhus we, in Sahaja Yoga, give special respect to that of Mahalakshmi. Only because of Her our Kundalini finds the way up on the path [of Shushumna], She prepares the Nadi for Her to rise. This Nadi of Mahalakshmi.

When the right hand is like this [protection gesture] it gives Ashraya [shelter]. It has two meanings. She gives protection [Rakshana] to everyone and shelter [Ashraya]. But on the opposite side, the Lakshmipati (rich man) gets all the trouble and fear from the others.

Lakshmi stood up on the lotus without putting pressure, She doesn’t show off Her qualities, but the other men show their properties, cars or other futile things, to impress others with their wealth. She is standing lightly on the lotus, not putting the weight on others. She doesn’t disturb others like this. The true Lakshmipati will sit very quietly with confidence in himself [Shraddha] and leave without disturbing others. He may make some donation but insists that his name is not mentioned. “I leave it at your feet, but please don’t write down my name.” “But Baba, we have to register the donations for the Trust…” But that man says : “ You may put anyone’s name, but please, not mine. If there is any legal trouble I will face it.” A very polite man, that is a true Lakshmipati.

Her [right] hand is upward, means our attention should be always upward [gesture like crossing the Agnya]. A person who is Lakshmipati is conscious of being very rich but really wonders how to meet Parameshwara [God Almighty]. When he feels like this, then the principle of Mahalakshmi starts awakening in him.

In that principle of Mahalakshmi the awakening of the Kundalini takes place and it is to make the Kundalini rise that people sing Ude, Ude Ambe. “Kundalini, please rise”. We pray in that way in the temple of Mahalakshmi, because in this form of Mahalakshmi only Kundalini can rise. And then the Kundalini in the form of Mahalakshmi rises through all the Chakras and crosses them up to Sahastrara Chakra where the complete breakthrough takes place.

Now, this Mahalakshmi has taken birth so many times amongst us. Let’s see. First of all there is a very close relation between the principle of Mahalakshmi and the Guru. In this relationship there is love and purity. Now, if you look from the beginning, all those great Gurus had a daughter or a sister. As one of those relations Mahalakshmi took birth. Like Janaka’s daughter, Sita, was the incarnation [Swarupa] of Mahalakshmi, She was the principle [tatwa] of Mahalakshmi. Sita was Mahalakshmi and the daughter of Janaka. Then Nanaka’s sister, Nanaki, was also Mahalakshmi. Her relationship was that of a sister. Moreover, Mohammad Sahib’s daughter, Fatima, was Mahalakshmi too. Again, Radha. Radha was Mahalakshmi’s incarnation [swarup]. Then again Mary was Mahalakshmi and Her relationship was that of Purity. She was so pure that She gave birth to Christ. She gave him birth as a Virgin. And as the incarnation of the Virgin, because of Her purity, She got a pure son like Christ. Also She was Mahalakshmi.

And by these Avatars of Mahalakshmi our chakras got fixed [bandh]. Like the chakra of Rama is on the right heart. [pointing to the Chakras] At this level, She is in the form of Shri Sita. There She is in the form of Radha, there She is in the form of Mary. At this place [Agnya] the three Chakras meet : Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati. Then these three Shaktis meet and when those three Shaktis meet, then only one Shakti which is the Adi Shakti takes form. That’s why on Sahastrara Chakra, the Adi Shakti resides, but it is said that “Sahastrare Mahamaya” : She is the Adi Shakti, but She is in the form of Mahamaya. Owing to the existence of these three Shaktis the Adi Shakti who is in the form of Mahamaya [Mahamayaswarup] came in this world in order to open all the Sahastraras. And She is in front of you, you know about it, so there is no need to tell you more.

So out of those three, why is it Mahalakshmi who becomes the Adi Shakti [pudhe Adi Shakti avatarit zhali]? Because She [Mahalakshmi] has two Shaktis. In Her, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali, these three Shaktis are incarnated. The principle of Mahalakshmi itself, is our Pure Desire, that is Amba. In fact it is Mahakali Shakti and with this She has the power of elevation [Tar Tiche utthan hou Shakte, ti karu Shakte]. That’s why Adi Shakti is important. Though these three Shaktis are important, only the Adi Shakti can do the ultimate work. It happens when the three combine. And for this, though this work is spontaneous, you as well should work hard, otherwise the work cannot be done, it’s too difficult. If it could be done by Adi Shakti alone there would have been no need for all the trouble [pasara].

You people should put in big efforts. In this process your cooperation is also needed. Now you are on the stage, not me. Take my powers and use them. But you have to be on the stage. That’s why you are [worthy of worship, adorable: pujaniya]. You are special [wishesh ahat]. As the Adi Shakti, I have already done this work since long times. There is nothing special for me. But you have to use it, you have to get it. You have to master it, you have to be impressive. This is the true desire of the Adi Shakti. This is Her pure desire [Shuddha Iccha], that you should all reach this level, accept it with pleasure, progress in it, then I’m satisfied. In this satisfaction I forget all the troubles. How much trouble I had to go through, in those earlier times how much I had to go through, as Sita, Radha or Mary how much trouble I got. All these past stories I forget. Now nothing is left of this, what is happening now only matters.

We should remember in this present incarnation that Mahalakshmi’s principle took a human form. Manavi swarupat means in human form. But the Goddess, which is Mahakali, doesn’t incarnate in human form, but only as a Goddess. It is easy to come in the form of Goddess, but it is a difficult work to incarnate in the human form. To reside amongst the people, struggle with them, to pay attention to all the human limitations [maryadas] is extremely difficult. All this work has been done in human form by these Goddesses, and today is the time we see the result of it.

It is my pure desire to have programmes in Ganapatipule and I would like to tell you to continue it for at least three or four years. And you can’t imagine how perfect the work is going to be from Ganapati to the Sahastrara. It is so great that you cannot express it in words. It is my pure desire that you take all my powers. If it can work out I don’t need anything else.

Shri Mahalakshmi

It’s the day of Mahalakshmi Puja night, not only of Lakshmi Puja; there’s a difference between the two. Mahalakshmi is one of the main powers of Adi Shakti. As you know: Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali. Now these powers have powers at a material level also, at a subtler level also. So Mahalakshmi power is achieved after Lakshmi power, as you know. There are eight powers of Lakshmi.

This Lakshmi was born or came out of the sea, the great sea, which was churned thousands and thousands of years back. And She came out of the sea because She is the daughter of the sea. That's why She's called as Neeraja. Neera means 'water' and ja means 'born out of.' This has happened thousands and thousand years back that She was born. So what is that? What is this Lakshmi? See symbolically, what is it expressing? It is expressing the awareness. Lakshmi expresses awareness, and She came out of the sea, you know that; the awareness first started growing in the sea. The life started existing in the sea, to begin with, and then it grew out. Without the life there is no awareness. First the life, because everything is jarda, everything is dead, and when it becomes life it means it has awareness. So the awareness started growing in the sea.

This is the symbolic expression. In the gross level you can understand this way. But actually the subtle level, it is the other way round. But because we see things from the gross level, we say that "that is symbolic,” but actually from the other side if you say, “this is symbolic.” Do you understand this point? So for me it is symbolic to see how the life came into being in the sea and that it became aware. For me it is symbolic and for you it is symbolic the other way round. I mean if I see something from this side, I see this way and while you see from that side you see this way. Do you understand this? If you want to paint something on a glass, how do you paint it on the glass? Have you any idea? You start painting first the outermost things that you have to paint. For example if you are painting the Goddess, first you will paint Her ornaments, then Her sari, then Her body. Like that it will be moving deeper from this side, if you are painting it on the glass, because you have to see it from the other side. But supposing you have to paint it on a canvas, you’ll paint it the other way round. You first paint the body, then the sari and then the ornaments. So to one thing it is symbolic because they think this goes from their angle, to the other person who is from the other angle this is absolutely symbolic. And surprising that everything is so symbolic and so much just the same, that whatever you may say, the subtle remains subtle and the gross remains gross. The one who is at the subtle level sees the gross as a symbolic expression of his subtle attention.

Now She was born in the sea. She was called as Neeraja. Or Neera that means “water.” My name is – one of them is Nira as you know; out of Nirmala one name is Nira, Neema and Neela, like that I've got three names, four names I should say the big one is Nirmala. So this Nira part means what, that She was born in the sea, that… the name of Mary is also the same. Miriam or Mary, I don't know how you say in English, but Maria comes from Marie, the word Mari. Mari itself comes from the word Meri. So this Mahalakshmi, Mary is named, and She is, because She was born in the sea and that's how Her name was Mary. Mariana they call Her, some people call Her Mariana, sometime call Her Miriam. All these words are indicating that She was born in the sea. So She is Mahalakshmi. Now Mary is Mahalakshmi and Ganesha is the child. Now see how symbolically it works, that only in Diwali the Lakshmi and the Ganesha are worshipped, only these two personalities. Can you understand that?

The symbol of Mahalakshmi for me is Mary, for you it is Mahalakshmi is the symbol. And the symbol of Ganesha outside is Christ. He is symbolizing Ganesha. So, both of them are worshipped only on Diwali. Actually this is the Christmas. This is the real Christmas that was before also, and this was the time baby Christ was born, not the 25th of December. Tho it's a misunderstanding, doesn't matter, keep it up. Doesn't matter, whenever He’s born, because there used to be a very big festival, and after the festival He was born, called as Valaanan. I don’t know what you call in modern times, that time it was called like that. And then this child was born and that was the time Christmas was celebrated. It was just tallying with that, but somehow it shifted, I don't know how, how it shifted. And there might be somewhere you'll find out that real Christmas was shifted. ...

Now the awareness that was seeking up to Lakshmi, means you achieve money, achieve position for achieving Grace, once you have achieved the Grace of this, you want to achieve God. And this new awakening within you that you have to achieve God now, is the power of Mahalakshmi. By the power of Mahalakshmi only, you achieve your saintliness, your Realization. That's why She came on this earth as the Mother of Jesus Christ. That was Mahalakshmi, not Lakshmi but Mahalakshmi.

May God bless you.

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from Shri Mahalakshmi Puja, Hampstead, London, 9/11/80