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| Lakshmi Devi by Raja Ravi Varma |
For other posts in the Indian Mythology in Gurbani Series: Table of Contents
Devi Part 2 - Shiv-Shakti
Devi Part 3 - Durga, the Unassailable
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Bhai Lehna's Story
Bhai Lehna was born into a successful Khatri household where his father - Bhai Pheru Mal - was a bhagat (devotee) of the Devi - The Goddess. As a service to the Devi and her followers Bhai Pheru Mal would lead a group of worshipers on an annual yatra (pilgrimage) to a holy site of significance to the Devi. After his father passed away, Bhai Lehna continued to worship the Devi as well as organize the yearly yatra. One year, Bhai Lehna had set out on one of these yatras and along the way he met a man who recited some beautiful Hymns to Bhai Lehna praising the One God. Upon hearing these Hymns, Bhai Lehna Ji’s mind was coloured with the love of the Divine. He inquired, “Bhai Sahib, who is the source of these wonderful Words?”. “This is the Gurbani of Satgur Nanak, Bhai Lehna.” “I must take the Darshan of Guru Nanak! Please, tell me where I can meet him?” “He is not to far from here. Go to Kartarpur and you will surely have his Darshan.”
As the Devi yatra proceeded and the pilgrims came close to Kartarpur Bhai Lehna took leave of the group to venture to Kartarpur. In the Kartarpur, Bhai Lehna Ji did indeed take the Darshan of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Sahib asked, “Who are you Bhai Sahib?”. “My name is Lehna, Guru Ji. I came here while on a yatra to the Devi.” “Bhai Lehna, instead of serving the Devi and asking her for boons why not pray directly to the One who gives to all? The Devi receives from that One and only then gives it forward.” Upon hearing these words from Guru Nanak Bhai Lehna knew them to be true and felt compelled to learn more. Bhai Lehna then sent word to his fellow pilgrims informing them that he would not be returning to complete the yatra. From that day on, Bhai Lehna stopped being a bhagat of the Devi and become the bhagat of Guru Nanak Dev and therefore of the One Divine- Waheguru. He decided to abandon his old life and relocated to Kartarpur where he began to spend most of his time serving Satgur Nanak. The day would eventually come where Bhai Lehna would be chosen to receive the Jot (the Light) of Guru Nanak after Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s body became too frail. Starting of as a bhagat of the Devi, Bhai Lehna would become the Second Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji.
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| Guru Angad Dev Ji receives Gurgaddi from Guru Nanak Dev Ji |
Who is the Devi?
In Indian religion the Devi is thought of as one but with many forms. Bhagats of the Devi may pray to various forms of her depending on what they are asking for or which form they relate to most. So, even though we will highlight a few Devis throughout these posts we should keep this unity of the Devi in back of our minds. You can even see this unity reflected in Gurbani where the names of Gods such as Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are called out explicitly while many times Goddesses are simply referred to as Devi.
The Devi or the Goddess is found in virtually all cultures when we look back far enough and in virtually all cases she is traced back to that ultimate mother, the Mother Earth. We find that the Devi is almost always associated either with the Earth or motherhood and often these go hand-in-hand. The Mother Earth is the one who gives us birth, nourishes us and it is on her lap that we play out the game of life. The Indo-Aryans called her Prithvi Mata or Bhumi Devi and they prayed to her so that she would bless them with fertility. Even Sita of the Ramayana can be traced back to the Mother Earth. Sita is born directly of the Earth (Bhumi Devi) and is found by Raja Janaka in a furrow when he is performing a ritual tilling of the land. In fact, the name Sita means furrow in Sanskrit. Sita is also considered an incarnation of Lakshmi Devi, the consort of Vishnu.
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| Indonesian painting of Raam and Sita |
The Aryans saw the fertility giving rivers of their land as Goddesses as well. The Ganga and Jamuna rivers are still worshiped and Saraswati Devi is the mythical river of inspiration. In the current post we will take a closer look at Lakshmi Devi and Saraswati Devi and in future posts we will look at Parvati, Kali and Durga Devi. As we go through the posts we will see that all the Devis blend into one another.
Saraswati
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| Saraswati Devi playing a lute instrument |
Saraswati Devi is unique among the forms of the Devi in that she is not associated with fertility or motherhood and while virtually all other Devis are associated with real and tangible phenomenon she is associated with subtle formations of thought and inspiration.
Saraswati can be found directly in the Rig Veda as one of the 7 River Goddesses of Saptasindhu (Land of Seven Rivers, ie. Punjab) that made up the early world of the Indo-Aryans (see the Introduction post). However, unlike the other river Goddesses whose main function was to provide fertility in the form of water and nutrient rich silt, Saraswati provided consciousness (chit or cit):
ékācetat sárasvatī nadī́ nāṃ śúcir yatī́ giríbhya ā́ samudrā́ t |
Of [all] the rivers (nadī́ nāṃ) Sarasvati alone became conscious (ékācetat), flowing (yatī́ ) pure (śúcir) to the ocean (ā́ samudrā́ t).
Source
Saraswati is the Goddess of Inspiration; like a flowing river she grants us our streams of thoughts. As such Saraswati has become the Goddess of the Arts especially music and poetry. She is also the wife and simultaneously the daughter of the God Brahma - the Creator. While Brahma has the power to create and in most origin stories creates Saraswati herself , Saraswati Devi is the one who inspires thought and therefore inspires the act of creation. Her role as an inspirer is why Saraswati Devi is invoked at the beginning of much pre-modern Indian literature.
Saraswati has only a few mentions in Gurbani and it is usually by the name Sarada or Sarad. However, there are sometimes references to her and invocations of her at the beginning of early Sikh literature such as the Suraj Prakash Granth. Sikh opinion is that this invocation refers to Waheguru imagined in the form of Saraswati Devi.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi Devi is one of the most popular forms of the Devi and is worshiped by many households in India. She is the wife of Vishnu and is the Goddess of Fertility and Abundance. Therefore, we can see that she is closely related to the Mother Earth and this can be seen in her incarnation as Sita. It is likely that Lakshmi Devi was originally prayed to to provide a successful harvest. Eventually, as harvests became larger and grain become a medium of exchange (i.e. money) she became closely associated with wealth. When ancient Indian kings began to produce coins they would often stamp her image on one side of the coin. As such, Lakshmi Devi became synonymous with money and even to this day her name is used as another word for money or material wealth.
Diwali, a Hindu holiday in which Lakshmi Devi usually takes center stage is a great demonstration of her root as Earth Mother as well as the Goddess of Wealth. The Diwali festival occurs in late October/early November to correspond with the rice harvest. The festival is also tied with the Ramayana and is believed to correspond to when Raam returns Sita to her rightful home. Diva lamps are lit in celebration of the victory of dharma (righteousness) over adharma (unrighteousness) and gifts are exchanged to celebrate the generation of wealth and fertility from the autumn harvest. (See post on Sikh Diwali/Bandi Chor Divas for more about the significance of Diwali for Sikhs.) |
| Lakshmi Devi depicted on the back (right) of a Gupta era coin (late 400s AD) |
Lakshmi sometimes appears in Gurbani by the name Kamala or Kawala Devi. Kamal is the Punjabi-Hindi word for lotus flower and Lakshmi Devi is often pictured as standing on the lotus and often with lotus flowers in her hands. The lotus flower symbolizes the feminine ideals of beauty, purity and fertility.
The Devi in Gurbani
References to the Devi are less numerous than references to Devtas, especially the Trimutri of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh. As mentioned earlier, the Devi is usually not referred to in a specific form but instead is referred to generally as Devi. She also often appears along side the Trimutri as can be seen in the Shiva Part 2 post.
The following Gurbani has been selected to show references to Devis where they are called out explicitly by name. In the Bhagat Naamdev Shabad she is referred to as Great Mother which is more general but also more specifically as Aad Bhavani which is a reference to Parvati. We will discuss Parvati in more detail in a future post.
Asa, Bhagat Kabir Ji, SGGS Ji, p. 479
ਨਾਰਦ ਸਾਰਦ ਕਰਹਿ ਖਵਾਸੀ ॥
Narad, Sarad attend (to you).
ਪਾਸਿ ਬੈਠੀ ਬੀਬੀ ਕਵਲਾ ਦਾਸੀ ॥੨॥
Sitting beside (them) is Bibi Kamala as a servant. 2.
Here Bhagat Kabir Ji is saying that Narad, who is the rishi that devotes himself to Vishnu by singing and Sarad, another name for Saraswati attend to, or serve Waheguru. Further, the Bibi Kamala - the Goddess Lakshmi - is also a servant of the One as she is dutifully waiting for her turn to serve, as well. This fits in well with the Saakhi of Bhai Lehna Ji going to see Guru Nanak Dev Ji who then tells Bhai Lehna that worship of the Devi is unnecessary since she herself is a servant of Waheguru.
This idea is again repeated by Guru Arjun Dev Ji in a Chant about all the various Devi, Devte and various creatures that worship Waheguru. The main point of the Chant is that Waheguru is worshiped by the entire universe and that we should seek union with that Highest of Masters. Below is just a small section from the Shabad.
Asa, Mehla 5 (Guru Arjun Dev Ji), SGGS Ji, p. 459
ਕੋਟਿ ਦੇਵੀ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਲਖਿਮੀ ਅਨਿਕ ਭਾਤਿ ॥
Millions of Devis worship You; Lakshmi (worships You) in many ways.
The following is a Shabad about worshiping the One Waheguru instead of a variety of Devi and Devte where Bhagat Naamdev Ji says the following about the Devi:
Gond, Bhagat Naamdev Ji, SGGS Ji, p. 874
ਮਹਾ ਮਾਈ ਕੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰੈ ॥
(They, who) Perform the worship of the Great Mother.
ਨਰ ਸੈ ਨਾਰਿ ਹੋਇ ਅਉਤਰੈ ॥੩॥
From man to woman, (they) will be incarnated. (3)
ਤੂ ਕਹੀਅਤ ਹੀ ਆਦਿ ਭਵਾਨੀ ॥
You say, “I am the Aad Bhavani [Primal Parvati].”
ਮੁਕਤਿ ਕੀ ਬਰੀਆ ਕਹਾ ਛਪਾਨੀ ॥੪॥
When it’s time for mukhti [liberation] where do you hide? (4)
Clearly, Bhagat Ji is discouraging us from worshiping the Devi along with the worship of other Gods and Goddesses. In a time when being a woman was thought to be a set back in cycle of reincarnation, Bhagat Ji uses the imagery of Devi worshipers being born as women as a way to say that such a person will continue to roam in cycle of birth and death.
In the next section (4) of the Shabad, Bhagat Naamdev Ji makes the futility of worshiping the Devi clear by saying that the worship of the Devi does not lead to mukhti (liberation). According to Faridkot Wala Teeka this line is a reference to a story about a king named Peepa who worshiped the Devi and she in turn fulfilled all his wishes. One day, Raja Peepa decided to ask the Devi for mukhti and in response the Devi said "I cannot fulfill this wish. If you wish for mukhti you will have to start keeping the company of holy men and pray to the Supreme God (Parameshwar)". The story conveys that the Goddess is associated with fertility and abundance which are worldly concerns, however, one must leave these concerns behind in order to be liberated.
In the rahao (refrain) of the Shabad, Bhagat Ji says the following:
ਹਉ ਤਉ ਏਕੁ ਰਮਈਆ ਲੈਹਉ ॥
The One Raamyia [Waheguru] I have taken.
ਆਨ ਦੇਵ ਬਦਲਾਵਨਿ ਦੈਹਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
In exchange, (all) other Devtas I have given. (Refrain)
Again, Bhagat Ji is imploring us to let go of worshiping various Gods and Goddesses and instead just attach ourselves to the One God, Waheguru.
One may get the idea that the Guru wants us to turn away from worshiping Divinity in the form of a female and instead worship God in the form of a male. After all, the Guru often describes Waheguru as a husband and ourselves as brides. However, this is not meant to be taken literally in terms of gender but instead is a symbolic device. At the time of the Gurus, brides were expected to be submissive and subordinate to their husbands and so the Guru used these ideas to show that we are submissive to Waheguru and that we should strive to become like loving wives who yearn for union with their husband. Guru Sahib made it clear that in actuality Waheguru was beyond things such as gender. In a Shabad where Guru Sahib is imploring their Sikhs to pull themselves out of the mud of maya and onto the path towards Waheguru Guru Ji spends a section to briefly describe Waheguru:
Dhanasaree, Mehla 1 (Guru Nanak), SGGS Ji, p. 685
ਸੁੰਨ ਮੰਡਲ ਇਕੁ ਜੋਗੀ ਬੈਸੇ ॥
In the Sunn Mandala [Empty Universe] One Yogi sits.
ਨਾਰਿ ਨ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਕਹਹੁ ਕੋਊ ਕੈਸੇ ॥
Woman nor man, how can someone say?
ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਹੇ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਈ ॥
The Light of the Three-fold World remains (ever) in meditation.
ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਨਾਥ ਸਚੇ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥੪॥
Lord of Asuras and Mankind (is) the True Sanctuary.
Waheguru is Nirankar - Without-Form. Worshiping Waheguru in the form of a male or in the form of a female are both wrong since Waheguru simultaneously contains both but is limited by neither. As Guru Ji says above, ਕਹਹੁ ਕੋਊ ਕੈਸੇ (how can someone say?). Nirankar is the Master of All: both of Asuras (Devis-Devtas) and of mankind. The Guru implores us to let go of worshiping Devi and Devte or even humankind (humanism, ancestor worship) but instead worship the One Yogi who is the Lord of All.
As always, the above interpretation is just this one student's understanding.
Bhul chuk maaf karna. Forgive my mistakes and negligence.
WJKK WJKF
Continue series: Devi Part 2 - Shiv-Shakti
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