Beautiful ASHTA LAKSHMI & the Ugly WEALTH DIVIDE

The Star of Lakshmi is used in Hinduism to symbolize Ashtalakshmi, the eight forms of wealth

Eight types of wealth (Ashta Lakshmi)

'LAKSHMI' is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Wealth is a vital ingredient bestowed upon us for maintenance and progress in our life. It is much more than having just money 

There are eight types of wealth :

1)Adi Lakshmi/ Maha Lakshmi: (Primeval Lakshmi/ Great Lakshmi) is the memory of the source and aspect that brings strength and calmness to the mind. When we forget that we are a part of the entire creation, we feel small and insecure.

2) Dhana Lakshmi : (Money Lakshmi)is the aspect of material wealth

3) Dhanya Lakshmi : (Grain Lakshmi) manifests as wealth in the form of food/ agricultural wealth.

4) Gaja Lakshmi : (Elephant Lakshmi) giver of animal wealth such as cattle or power / royalty.

5) Santana Lakshmi : (Progeny Lakshmi) manifests as wealth in the form of offsprings and creativity.

6) Veera/ Dhairya Lakshmi (Valour Lakshmi/ Courage Lakshmi) wealth in the form of courage ; the goddess who bestows valour during battles and also strength for overcoming difficulties in life.

7) Jaya/ Vijaya Lakshmi: (Victory Lakshmi) the aspect that manifests as victory; the goddess and the giver of victory, not only in battles but also for conquering hurdles in order to achieve success

8)Vidya Lakshmi : (Knowledge Lakshmi) is the aspect of knowledge of arts and sciences, skill and talents

In some Ashta Lakshmi lists, other forms of Lakshmi are included,

Aishwarya Lakshmi (Prosperity Lakshmi) : Goddess of riches

Saubhagya Lakshmi (Giver of good Fortune) : Giver of prosperity in general.

Rajya Lakshmi (Royal Lakshmi): She who blesses rulers (with power)..also extent of influence..how many people one knows..

Vara Lakshmi (Boon Lakshmi): The goddess who bestows boons

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This was on the eight types of wealth which not everyone is familiar about..

We all talk about gender bias and try to uphold the position of women in society...We also talk about cast and creed and try to bridge the gap between various religious sects of society..

But rarely do we talk about the unfair and ugly divide between the rich and poor...

I would say "some people are so poor as all they have is money..."

Often people who are high on Dhan Lakshmi or Money Lakshmi think they have conquered the world...they are so rude and unjust in their behavior with the economically downtrodden....

Many rich people have Dhan Lakshmi but they do not have Dhanya Lakshmi so they are diabetic or have a liver or heart issue for example and cannot have their favorite food freely..

Some are devoid of Santaan Lakshmi so do not have any progenies..

Some may lack strength, valour, spiritual wealth, patience, or may be devoid of talents or a good social life ..which means they are lacking some form of Lakshmi in their life ..

No wonder in India, atleast, often we find that depression and insomnia is common in rich households whereas people in the villages are relatively happy and get a good night's sleep after the day's hard work.


It is said that Goddess Lakshmi sits on the lotus flower amidst water and so is 'chanchal' or transient in nature...but Goddess Saraswati or the Goddess of learning sits on a rock, so wisdom once established doesn't leave a person easily !

Coming back to the wealth divide in society, I have always stood up for the rights of poor people ... I have never liked affluent people behaving rudely with their monetarily less fortunate staff...

No wonder nowadays in India it is becoming increasingly more difficult to procure and sustain household helps as finally the poor are getting some dignity for their labour. They have substantially increased their wages so that they have the freedom of working on daily basis and resting on the labour free days...

I urge everyone to please treat the economically backward masses with great respect as they would treat their own socio economic strata individuals.

This would not only instill more confidence in the money wise poor people but also help to bridge the gap between rich and poor ...moreover it would give a sense of satisfaction too to the cash rich people of society...and probably help themselves to maintain and expedite their own economic growth...

Readers do leave your comments on this !

THE LEGEND : My NANAJI : SRI JUGAL KISHORE JHUNJHUNWALA

Late Sri Jugal Kishore Ji Jhunjhunwala (9 September 1940 -20 November 2019)

On 20th of October, 2019 I was scheduled to fly to Da Nang, Vietnam in the night to attend my cousin brother's wedding. That morning I got the news that my Nanaji (maternal grand father) was critically unwell. He was 89 at that time. He had led a full life but he was such an extra-ordinary human being that I was not prepared to let go of him. However, he passed away that evening around 4.30pm at age 89. His last rites were held the next day, on 21st of October, 2019 which was a very auspicious day according to Hindu Calender ('Mangsir ki Navami'...this was the day when 'Rani Sati Dadi' had become a Sati. 'Rani Sati', also identified as Narayani Devi and referred to as Dadiji (grandmother), is said to be a Rajasthani woman who lived sometime between the 13th and the 17th century and committed sati (self-immolation) on her husband's death. My NaniMaa (maternal grandmother)was an ardent devotee of Rani Sati Dadi and so is my entire maternal side of the family.

I was one of his favourite of 10 grandchildren, I will make this claim on his behalf as I knew he loved me very dearly...He lived by himself in a beautiful old fashioned bungalow [along with a central chowk (piece of land) and a gaushaala (cowshed)] in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa since 2005, the year my NaniMaa passed away. I would call him almost every single day and Kolkata, being close to Bhubaneshwar, we would meet quite often. Times spent with him are forever etched in my heart and part of my most cherished memories...

Nanaji lived life on his own terms, very much like a KING, and till his last breaths, people were dependent on him whereas he was fiercely independent. His father, Late Sri Deo Karan Ji Jhunjhunwala was one of the first industrialists of Orissa and I am blessed to be one of his descendants. My great grandfather was instrumental in establishing the RAM MANDIR in Bhubaneshwar, for which Nanaji relentlessly served as a founder trustee till the very end. Both Bade Nanaji and Nanaji were great visionaries and philanthropists. They have set up charitable hospitals and education centres in Orissa at a time and age where government support was unheard of. Being Nanaji's granddaughter is a matter of great pride for me as well as makes me shoulder this great and difficult responsibility of living up to his values.

There are so many stories about Nanaji that I can go on and on. He once told me on a phone call that I should never lie to anyone, as if I lie, I will have to say 10 lies more to hide my lie and it would in turn lower my dignity. He was a great host, one of the best I have seen by far in my life and he lived the value of 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' or 'treat your guests like God'. No wonder that many Shankaracharyas and even Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji have visited our ancestral home in Bhubaneshwar.

All he asked me was for 'spending 2 days with him' in the Puja Holidays... Alas I could not give him those 2 days because of a series of circumstances which prevented me from visiting him.

I got those 2 days with him after he left his physical body when I did not leave his side and sat next to his mortal remains like a rock..this was on 20th and 21st of November.

We later postponed our trip to Vietnam by a day and attended the wedding amidst a flurry and roller coaster of emotions. 

I rememeber I could not breathe properly that night and at 1.30 am my husband had to go fetch a nasal spray for me...

I learnt the lesson that while our elders are there, we must make the most of it and spend as much time as we can with them....

Sharing few lines which I wrote for him..

You were the captain of my team,

I was the apple of your eyes,

You gave me so much care and love,

You were always there by my side..

In you I seeked inspiration,

In you I could confide,

In you I found my friend,

As well as mentor and my guide..

You lived life like a king,

You played beautifully each role,

One of the finest human being I knew,

You are a blessed and godly soul.

You inculcated in us great values,

You walked the talk all along,

Always steady like a rock,

Independent and so very strong !

Generous and pious,

You led an exemplary life,

You kept a smile on 

Even in times of strife..

Times spent with you are so memorable,

They could not but leave a trace,

I miss your warmth, your gentle touch,

I miss the divine glow on your face...

I miss your familiar smell,

I miss your robust voice,

I miss your child like enthusiasm,

In your company we did rejoice !

I miss the innumerable days spent together

I miss the meals and card sessions with you..

I miss your ready wit and humour 

And funny one-liners too..

Blessed am I to be part of you,

Grateful to be in your family tree,

As you transcend to higher planes ,

You leave behind a grand legacy!

Love you my dearest Nanaji 

PS: The credit for the first 2 lines of this poem goes to my dear friend Avni Vyas

MY VITAMIN M...who looks upon me from ABOVE now!!!

With Meenu and Madhu (respectively to my right and left in the picture) my two Vitamins M &M

Meenu -

I call her my 'Vitamin M'
She calls me 'Pretty Eyes'
She is my inspiration, my pride
In her I love to confide ..

She is not an ordinary gal
She is one of my bestest pal
A human being rare to find
A soul oh so loving and kind

Even when she's in agony or pain
Her attention will on others remain
Always checking if others are fine..
Her presence is warm, her heart Divine

A girl who's stylish who's full of life
A girl who smiles through all her strife
A girl who's the favorite of everyone
A girl who loves all and has hate for none

And as I glance upon her shoulder
A cute tattoo is visible to me
A little bird fluttering it's wings
And saying it is 'free'

What is freedom and who is free?
When life is such a mystery?
A girl who can be so selfless
In so much pain too, her care for others is no less...
To me she is 'free'
And will always be !
She is Meenu - my bestest buddy....!

Love you my sweet ❤

Gone too soon, way too far
Etching your precious memories
Forever in my heart !

Had at least, the good fortune, to read out this poem to Meenu while she lay on her hospital bed in Belle View Clinic... just about a week before she breathed her last and merged with the Divinity.

She, in her short span of life of 37 years taught me so many valuable life lessons...We got married almost the same time towards end of 2015..but life threw her too many unprecedented challenges with which she fought bravely like a true warrior.

She was diagnosed with Cancer in November 2017 and she tirelessly fought with the aggressive form of the ailment and strived hard to heal herself.

She is blessed with an army of very special friends, namely Devesh, Ruchika, Payal, Prakash, Nidhi and many more. Her sister, one of my besties Madhu was there for her every moment...but the most inspiring in this journey was Rohan, her loving husband who spent many sleepless nights nursing her and taking such good care for her. Rajesh Bhaiya, Prabha Bhabhi, Suryansh, Rohit, Riddhi and her parents and parents in law and the whole family ...they left no stone unturned to help cure her...but as tough as life can be, she succumbed to the disease on Monday, October 21, 2019. The next day, Tuesday October 22nd which happens to be the birthday of my bestie Ankita Dhariwal, who is my childhood buddy, I was busy with the last rites and funeral of my bestie Meenu!!...who happens to be just around my age..
Guruji says opposite values are complimentary...Indeed they are but sometimes the disparity is way too harsh!

No amount of meditation seems to heal the impressions of that day...may be it will take a lot of time till I can really come to terms with her death.....I will never find words that are enough to praise Meenu, my darling friend...Even when she was in excruciating pain, she was always concerned about others...

Her friends and family have now formed a beautiful organization called the 'Meenu Agarwal Foundation'

You can check 'The Meenu Agarwal Foundation' on Facebook to read more about it and to join the same..

Such is the power of an extremely powerful and beautiful soul like 'Meenu'...she is spreading smiles even from the heavens above..am glad that she is finally in such a beautiful place...guess her sweetness was needed there more than here!! Meenu, you have gone 'now-here'...you continue to reside in our hearts...love you so so much!!

At this juncture would like to share a quote by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore: 

When death comes and whispers to me, "Thy days are ended," let me say to Him, "I have lived in Love and not in mere time." HE will ask, "Will thy songs remain?" I shall say, "I know not, but this I know that often when I sang, I found my eternity."

Also sharing what my husband had to say about Meenu...Everytime we went to meet her after office she would ask Amit what he would like to eat since he has come to her place after a hectic day....in a short span of time she had won Amit's heart as well

Posted by Amit on his Facebook page on 23.10.2019

"My dear friends..

2 days ago, I lost a very close friend Meenu Goyal Agarwal.

On social media, thousands of people are sharing amazing experiences with her. I read most of these comments and I learned that she has left unforgettable memories with almost every individual she connected with during her lifetime.

Meenu passed away suddenly without giving us any time to tell her all that we wanted to.. None of us expected her untimely demise.

I could not share few things with her, sometimes I would think it to be kiddish and illogical to share.

Now I wonder, What is the point of writing when she probably can’t read and feel it?

Let’s express all that we have in our heart for anyone without having to wait for his/her demise.

Let every individual know how much he is loved while he is alive and fit.

We need no occasions to express. Any given day, we can ....It’s not kiddish or illogical to express to anyone and at any time...Let’s do it!.."

Thanks Amit for sharing such a wonderful post...somewhere it has inspired me to express myself again after a sabbatical of almost 8 years!!

A TRIBUTE!

The will to do, whatever you want to
The faith in yourself, a force unseen
The courage to break through the shackles of norm
The valour to smile in the face of a storm..

Happiness radiates her cherubic face
Letting the sorrows sink in without a trace
Fearless is her spirit and compassionate her heart
In all so many roles, she plays beautifully her part..

No one knows her agony,
The turmoils and strain
She puts on a brave front
Hiding gracefully her pain..

She's dainty yet daring
She's sensitive yet strong
Despite all the challenges
She joyfully treads along
The path that's called life
With all its struggles and strife..

She's someone you can't miss,
You can't help but adore
She's a wonder, she's a 'woman'
She's an inspiration for all !

-----
Dedicated to all the women in my life who really inspire me...

And especially a tribute to my friend 'Namrata,' who passed away today at age 30, after bravely battling with cancer for last three years...A Chartered Accountant by profession and great fan of Guruji, she has been a source of immense strength for all, including family, friends and colleagues at PWC where she was working...I'll always remember her smiling disposition despite all odds in her life...!

A MEMORABLE ENCOUNTER WITH A GREAT EDUCATIONIST

This morning, I realised that I am missing someone....the person is one of the finest Vedic scholars that our country ever produced- Acharya Sri Ratnananda, fondly known as Pitaji by The Art of Living family worldwide and the illustrious father of H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Acharya Ratnananda was the pioneer of VISTA (Value Integrated Services To All) India, a charitable trust engaged in uplifting poor rural women and children in Karnataka, and the Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, a well-known educational and charitable trust that operates over 150 free schools in some of India’s remotest tribal villages. His special field of research was ancient Indian heritage and it’s practical application in modern time as well as ancient sciences of Medical Astrology, Yoga and Ayurveda. Pitaji is also the author of several books such as 'Tales for the young and the old' and a series of books called 'More light on less known.' which are a compilation of entertaining and educative stories from the scriptures.

Whoever met him could not miss Pitaji's keen intellect and sense of humor. And I am one of the lucky ones who got a chance to personally meet him at his house in Laxmi Gardens, located at the Art of Living Ashram premises in Bangalore.

The auspicious date was 7^th of October’ 2009, during my Guru Pooja Phase 1 course. I had gone to collect some Ayurvedic medicines for my cousin Neha from him and was hoping to spend a few moments with him in the process.

As I entered his house, Pitaji welcomed me warmly and graciously accepted the lotus flower I had carried for him. We were sitting at the dining table and I sat listening attentively to his gentle and loving words. He suddenly asked me if I like having milk. I said ‘Yes!’ and thought he would be giving me some health related tips on milk, as we were discussing Ayurveda and Health at that time. I was really surprised when he called for his residential staff and told him to make a cup of Bournvita for me! I was really moved by this simple yet loving gesture as I was just a random first-time-visitor to him. I felt so grateful to be in his comforting presence and was in awe of his humility.

I had a notepad and pen in my purse and I guess it was my characteristic impulsive instinct that propelled me put forth a childish request to him to write something for me in it. My happiness knew no bounds when he readily obliged, much to the amusement of his staff member, who told me "You are very lucky. He doesn't usually write an autograph for people."

I have attached a scan of what he wrote for me and till date it is one of the most precious piece of writing for me. He wrote "Have Trust in the Divine and Guruji. He will save you from all troubles. Do Seva to the needy and the poor. Wish you all success in LIFE," and then signed his name and wrote the date.

He then went on to the next page of my notebook to elaborate on the meaning of LIFE. He wrote thus:

LIFE Means

L for LOVE

I for INTELLIGENCE

F for FELLOWSHIP

E for ENDURANCE (Tolerence)

I sincerely hope to follow the noble principles he inspired me to incorporate in my life. I am indeed grateful to God for giving me a chance to spend sometime with this benevolent soul and great educationist.

MY FIRST STORY IN PRINT!

Published in Calcutta Times 

(North and Central KOLKATA PLus) on 24th Feb' 2012

A MORNING'S GLORY IN NATURE

"A Nature Lover is a true romantic!...Let's preserve Nature in all it's glory and blossom like do blooming buds!" - Swasti

I didn't know that today morning's walk would land me in such a beautiful paradise of flora and fauna! ...that’s what a surprise visit to Mrs. Lata Bajoria's 'personal eco-park cum zoological garden' did to me. Located near the docks in Khidderpore, it’s difficult to imagine that such a nature-lover's haven exists right here in the heart of a city marked by hustle bustle, exhaust fumes and a growing concrete jungle.

I entered the lush green garden excitedly to see the sun peeping through the branches of a tree, walking barefoot on moist grass, sprinkling cool water on the above of my toes and feet as I walked.

The butterfly corner in the garden seemed to be inhabited more by dragonflies at the moment but I didn’t mind gaping at their silvery mesh of wings. We then proceeded to smelling camphor and clove leaves which were planted nearby.

We were introduced to Brahmi & Tulsi saplings...never imagined so many varieties of the Tulsi plant existed and could be grown and nurtured with so much love!

We then saw a lotus pool inside which little black fishes seemed to be enjoying their morning swim and warm-ups. Though lotus flowers were not in full bloom, some pretty fully blossomed pink lilies inside the pool presented a delightful sight to the nature-lover's eye.

Then walked in a household staff, serving us a very refreshing morning mocktail! A lemonade-like natural concoction made of ‘hazaari santra,’ a peculiar type of small orange grown in the garden punched with mint and honey. And then we seemed to digest the drink by going round and round a real 'mulberry bush'!

We also tasted sweet basil leaves and this awesome fruit, a sort of hybrid cross between grape and guava, which I decided to call a 'Gruava' :) We saw the cute star tager flowers and a host of plants having medicinal/ cooking ingredient value including the Sarva Sugandha…which smelled totally like ‘garam masala’ ! Nature doesn't fail to provide the 'spice' in life, specially to an enthusiast like me....wish the human kind could also take some time out to enjoy and preserve nature in all its grandeur.


And then came the 'high' point of today's adventure...a real-life ‘bhaang’ tree..!! Woww!! Watching Marijuana leaves atleast made me feel high in spirit if not on! Lata Aunty said that the gardeners often savour the leaves as it works like an anti-depressant for them. I wish that their tireless hard work and profound knowledge of botany could have earned the simpleton gardeners more than natural mood elevators!

Anyways the moment my eyes caught sight of an ostrich, I was too distracted to continue exploring the flora bit any more....OMG !!! 2 real life ostriches fluttering their feathery brown wings...prancing around inside a small piece of caged natural habitat...and I having the good fortune of feeding them bread and oranges right from my own hands...wow, it couldn’t get better for me !..Loved the way they would stare at the food in my hand and suddenly have a go, taking a quick bite, making a snapping sound with the beak, which luckily, for my hands, was not too sharp!

We also saw some ducks walking aimlessly in the garden wiggling their bum as they moved forward. 

And then the glorious sight of a golden pheasant...just too enticing! 

Seeing the hunky male, for the first time I felt that God had been partial to the masculine gender in terms of beauty...and it was exactly the same experience to see the gorgeous male counterpart of the female Amherst pheasant. However the above observation of nature’s partiality was reiterated and re-membered when I saw the peacock and peahens this morning.

I also self-invited myself into the abode of a sparkling white Cockatoo. He seemed to be staring into my eyes and sort of acknowledged my presence by opening up his chrome yellow feather crown. 

But he got back to his cocky self when our attention shifted to other beings, cause he was literally heard screeching at the top of his lungs! 

From the aviary, we moved on to the reptile home which seemed the laziest of all in terms of activity. A terrapin refused to give us darshan and was supposedly submerged under the sand! We did manage a sneak peek of some tortoise and turtles from the surface of the water beneath which they were hibernating in the lazy winter sun.

Then we came to what looked like the divine corner of the garden. For the plants grown there were supposed to be having certain religious value and/or spiritual significance. Like I got to sit and meditate briefly on a rock under a Rudraksh tree, which as Lata aunty pointed out, is considered sacred in Hindu mythology. The temple-loving plants included bel-patra, aakh, dhattura, daarim etc. Tulsi was anyways flooded all over the garden in its several varieties.

I also got to taste the fruit called Bixa which, upon being crushed, yields a natural, edible, blood-like colour pigment. We didn’t miss out on the Cocoa Pods. Luckily I knew, from previous experience, that they don’t taste all that chocolaty in the raw natural form...else I would have surely had a go at them!

After that I did some monkeying around, climbing up and down a tree house, plonked myself on the swings and did some circles on the merry go round...all alone with my boring companions simply staring at me in possible disbelief!

Karela, Kalmegh, Peppermint, Cheekoo, Bijora, Ajwain...I have lost count of the variety of plants and herbs we saw in a short span of time this morning. Botany at its best!

 Lata aunty didn’t seem to leave out any segment of zoology in her prized nature reserve. The pisceans were next...we got a dekko of the rare Amazonians...the South American fish called Pirhanas.

Last but not the least, I had a blast with the loyal mammals...the dogs of all sizes and shapes..who came rushing at me licking my hands and feet...as if we were old friends! 

Don’t remember the names of the breeds...but who cares, as long as I could be one with them!

Finally it was time to leave with a little heavy but contented heart and a satiated nature thirst. But I resolved to come back and visit the garden sometime soon, armed with a camera better than my blackberry's!!

Really grateful to Lata aunty, who, in my very first meeting with her, which happened just by fluke, was generous enough to invite me to this beautiful and natural eco friendly world that she has created so passionately over several years. Not only has she nurtured with utmost love and care, a variety of herbs, plants, shrubs, trees, birds and beasts, she is also kind enough to expose it to people around her, giving her personal quality time in showing people around and sharing her valuable knowledge with them. She also runs a free pet library and her garden includes a rescue centre for endangered species of birds and animals.

Great work I must say. Keep going and growing with nature in all its glory! :)...

People like Lata Aunty are a great inspiration for nature lovers like me..

The world would be a better place if we cared for Nature like her and preserved the environment like her.

Waiting to go back to this beautiful Nature's Haven created by her..this time around with Amit!