Durvasa's Garland: How Heaven Lost Lakshmi

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Dharma Katha · Season 4: The Road to Diwali · Episode 139 A sage is walking along the road, and around his neck is a garland of flowers so fragrant that the whole forest smells of it. His name is Durvasa. And if you know the Puranas, that name alone should make you nervous. Durvasa is the sage of the short temper. Kings tremble when he arrives. Shakuntala was cursed by him for not hearing him at the door. He is great, and holy, and very easily offended. And today, he is in a good mood. He has the garland. And coming down the road toward him, on a huge white elephant, is the king of the gods. Missed the previous story? Listen to Episode 129 first. Source note. Label: Purana. The story of Durvasa, the garland of santanaka flowers from the vidyadhari, Indra on Airavata, the garland thrown down and trampled, Durvasa's curse and his refusal to relent, the departure of Shri and the withering of the three worlds, the defeat of the gods, their going to Brahma and to Vishnu, and Vishnu's counsel to make peace with the asuras and churn the ocean of milk, follow the Vishnu Purana, Amsha one, chapter nine. Other Puranas tell the beginning of the churning differently. Durvasa's curse on Shakuntala is from Kalidasa's play Abhijnana Shakuntalam. Cleaning the house for Lakshmi before Diwali is living tradition. Dialogue is close paraphrase. The reflections are my own. Note: this episode is narrated with an AI voice and the script was written with AI assistance. Sanskrit verses are checked against published editions; corrections are welcome.