Chapter 1: chapter 1

"Rama! Have you brought all the flowers I asked?? Latha! Have you completed decorating the idols of adishakti, and shivling ?Kaveri! Prepare the prasadam fast", Rishi Bhrigu, hurrying all his students."Ha guruji! Everything is ready. We've been waiting for the arrival of the guests.", replied Latha and Kaveri.Bhrigu maharshi was roaming around the ashram with haste.His five year old daughter , Laxmi also called as Bhargavi, entered then and was watching all those lavishing decorations of the ashram. She was cute, innocent and a beautiful girl of golden complexion. Her face was charming with glow as sun."Pithasree!!! What's going on in our ashram? Is anything special today?", asked her father in amazement."Puthri Laxmi!! Today is a very auspicious day!! On the eve of Ugadi(new year) today, I have arranged a special puja for mahadev and parashakti. I invited all the maharshis of the world and all yaksh, dev,gandharv for this.""Ugadi? What's meant by this ugadi??", she felt in her mind.Meanwhile entered the trilok sancharak(one who wanders all over the universe), brahmputhr, the divine messenger and the greatest devotee of lord Vishnu, "Devarshi Narad", clapping his khartal and chanting, "Narayana Narayana". He was also carrying a tambura named "Mahathi" which he uses to accompany him in his singing of prayers and hymns. Rishi Bhrigu welcomed him grandly to the ashram. He washed his legs with rose water, poured them on his head. He hailed to devarshi and said,"Devarshi!!! You brought  elegance and charm to our ashram with your arrival. I'm so glad that you received my invitation.""Rishi shrest(one who's ideal among all sages)! Bhrigu! I'm greatly impressed with your respect towards me. I'm glad actually for taking part in such a great puja of lord of the lords, Mahadev and adishakti. Let's start !!".Everyone dispersed and Bhrigu continued the puja with abhishek of shivling and jaganmata. Later everyone sang prayers on Lord Shiv. Narad sang and danced with his thambura and khartal for many devotional songs. Laxmi until then didn't understand who devarshi Narad was, why he was always chanting Narayan Narayana and why her father was giving such honour to him. After the puja had completed, Bhrigu introduced his daughter Laxmi to devarshi Narad. He told Laxmi,"Laxmi! He is devarshi Narad. He is an embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing in this whole universe which he doesn't know. He wanders around the world and informs everything to lord Shiv and helps him in destruction of demons. Narad name itself means the giver of knowledge. He gives knowledge of God to everyone.Naram paramatma vishyakan gnanam dadati ithi NaradaAnd also he is a fierce intellectual who knows all the 64 vidyas",and turned towards Narad and told him,"Devarshi ! She's my daughter,Laxmi. Please bless her with at least little bit of your infinite knowledge."Narad saw her glowing charm and identified her as the Jaganmata(mahalaxmi) and the eternal half of Prabhu (lord) Narayan who was born as Rishi Bhrigu's daughter to fulfill his wish.He paid salutations to her inside and replied Bhrigu,"OK!".Bhrigu told her daughter to go near Narad and acquire his wisdom. Bhrigu left there with some work and went inside ashram.Devarshi and Laxmi were alone there. Narad told her,"Puthri Laxmi!!! You can ask me anything in this world !!! Any doubt!!! Any question!! Anything!!! I can answer"Laxmi then thought for a while and asked innocently,"Devarshi!! What's Ugadi?? Why do we celebrate it??" Narad replied smiling,"Puthri!! Today is the day whole universe was created. Ugadi came from two words yug and adi which means beginning of srishti.""Devarshi!! Who created this universe and us? Who is the director for all things happening around the world?"Narad got blissed with her question,"Brahma is the creator of this world but his creator is my prabhu, vaikuntvasa, dusht sikhashak, sishta rakshak, lokpalak, stithi layakarak Narayan"."Narayan!" exclaimed Laxmi. She didn't hear about Narayan till then so excited to know about him. When she uttered that word, the resound of Narayan even reached Vishnulok and awaken Narayan who was in yognidra. He felt delighted with what's going on in Bhrigu's ashram.Narad understood that Laxmi forgot everything as she was born as a human and it's his responsibility to remember her about her original identity, destiny and unite LaxmiNarayan."Yes!He's Narayan!! Million years ago, when the whole universe was vaccum, he was born on a vatapatra(banyan leaf) in mahasamudra(sea) as a small baby. Hence he is also known as "Vatapatra Sai" and "Balamukunda". He yet suddenly grow up . A lotus emerged from his navel then and brahmadev was born from that lotus. Lord Shiv too emerged from Vishnu's body. As Vishnu was born in water, he's also known as Narayan. Nara means water.Vishnu started ruminating,"Who am I? Who created me? What's the purpose of my birth?".He then suddenly heard the voice of akashvani which told him,"I'm the one who created you!!! Im the eternal".Appeared before him then Padmapriya or Shriyahdevi or Padmakshi (Mahalaxmi) with her four hands bearing conch, chakr, mace and padma(lotus). Also appeared all her ansh(forms) Mathi, Keerthi, Smrithi, Dhruti, Rati, Bhooti, Gathi, Daya,Medha, Shraddha, Kshuda, Nidra, Swadha, Swaha , Kshama, Lajja, Jhrumba, Thandra, Tushti and Pushti. Narayan got amazed to see them all. Mahalaxmi told him," Narayan!!! I'm Jaganmata and Mahadevi who created you. Brahma and Shiv were born from you. Brahma has to create the world and you should save it. I'll accompany you in your duty!! Narayana Our marriage will start the creation of universe ,accept me as your patni" Narayan agreed and married her. Under his guidance, Brahma started the creation of ananth srishti and human beings on this day"To be continued...