When the treasure trove of gems at Jagannath Dham was empty, why did Goddess Lakshmi get angry?

Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi once expressed her desire to establish her abode on earth, similar to Shiva and Parvati. She also expressed her desire to prepare and offer food to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu promised to fulfill her wish when the time came. At the end of the Dwapar Yuga, the time came for Lord Krishna’s death, and the script for the establishment of Puri’s Jagannath Dham began to be written. Another legend says that once, due to the curse of the sage Durvasa, the wealth of the three worlds (Lakshmi) was lost in the ocean, Lakshmi reappeared from this very ocean and was reunited with Lord Vishnu. Because Lakshmi chose Lord Vishnu, the greatest of all beings, this region was called Purushottam, and because of the manifestation of Shri (i.e., Lakshmi), it is called Shrikshetra. Goddess Lakshmi resides here in all her glory. Apart from this, she is also the mistress of the Sri Temple, one form of which is seen in the form of the Ratna Bhandar located here.

A folk tale related to the Ratna Bhandaar is also popular in Jagannath Dham. While this tale establishes that everyone is equal before God, with no distinction based on birth or caste, the Ratna Bhandaar is mentioned as a special character in this tale. This story tells of Shriya, a woman from Puri who is considered low caste.

Shriya, a low-caste woman, lived in Puri. Poor in wealth but rich in determination, she was a devotee of Goddess Lakshmi and relied on the blessings of Lord Jagannath to make a living. Once, she desired to observe the difficult Ashtalakshmi fast, but she didn’t know the rituals. One day, while sweeping the street, she encountered a priest, whom she wanted to ask for the fast’s method. Shriya was immediately turned away.

Thus, wherever Shriya inquired about the fasting rituals, people shunned her. One day, driven by hunger and thirst, Shriya wandered about, searching for the fasting rituals, when she fainted and fell, blood gushing from her head. Seeing his devotee’s true devotion and sorrow, Jagannath was so distressed that even his idol bled. The priests, priests, and attendants witnessed this, and Puri was horrified. When this news reached the king, he realized that a grave sin had surely been committed, and that the Lord had left the temple. He immediately abdicated his throne and set out in search of the sin that had led to the Lord’s departure from the temple.

Meanwhile, at God’s command, Narada Muni disguised himself as a saint and went to Shriya’s house to explain the fasting rituals. He said that if devotion is true, there’s no need for any difficult fast. Sing hymns with a pure heart. Keep your surroundings clean, whitewash your home, and speak kindly to everyone. Goddess Lakshmi is pleased with those who do this. Then, simply fast all day, prepare kheer (rice pudding) in the evening, offer it to her, perform aarti, and distribute prasad. The Goddess will come to your home.

Shriya did just that. In the evening, while she was performing aarti, a veiled woman arrived at her house. Amidst the crowd, she gave Shriya a bundle of prasad (sweet offerings) to offer. Shriya offered the woman kheer (sweet pudding). While eating the kheer, the woman’s veil slipped from her face, and when Shriya saw it, she lost consciousness. By the time Shriya regained consciousness, everyone had left. She opened the bundle the woman had given her and found gems, diamonds, gold, and silver. Shriya understood that Goddess Lakshmi had blessed her, but Lord Jagannath had yet to play this game.

Now, when Goddess Lakshmi returned from Shriya’s house and was about to enter the temple, Balabhadra became angry. He said, “Lakshmi had disrespected the temple by visiting a woman from a lower caste. She had eaten the offerings there, and now she wants to corrupt us by feeding us the offerings.” Balabhadra ordered Jagannath to take the keys to the treasure house from Lakshmi and expel her from the temple.

Meanwhile, when Goddess Lakshmi heard all this, she became enraged and said, “Okay, I won’t stay here anymore, but I curse you both, saying, ‘Until you eat from someone of lowly status, you too will be deprived of sustenance.'” With Lakshmi’s departure, the temple was devoid of wealth. The treasure trove of jewels was emptied. The palace’s door frames, doors, and beds were infested with termites. The grain rotted. The clothes were torn, and even the temple’s system was ruined. Jagannath and Balabhadra were now starving. When Balabhadra became hungry, he decided to disguise himself and go begging.

Now, wherever the two brothers went to beg, something bad would happen. The food they prepared would be spoiled. Water would spill into the lentils, the rice would burn. At some places, the stove would fail to light, and at other times, no one would open the door. Thus, wandering hungry and thirsty, the two brothers spent 12 years, finding neither water nor food. Once, wandering like this, they reached the seashore. There, they heard Vedic chants in a building. Balabhadra asked a maidservant, “Has any yajna been performed here? Will we get prasad and food now? Will we also get good alms?” Hearing Balabhadra’s questions, the maidservant replied, “Today marks the completion of our mistress’s 12-year-long penance. Afterward, she will certainly offer you a feast, but our mistress is of a low caste. Will you still eat?”

Balabhadra replied, “No, we don’t eat food from untouchables. Listen, tell your mistress to get us the ingredients, and we’ll cook them ourselves.” Her mistress, who was Lakshmi herself, sent the ingredients, but ordered Agni Deva to keep the stove burning, only to keep the smoke coming. Balabhadra, who was sitting there thinking of lighting a fire, making khichdi, and eating it hot, became so irritated at not being able to light the stove that he broke everything, including the stove and the pot, and said to Jagannath, “Jagannath, there’s no difference between a large and a small meal. I suggest we eat.” I will starve to death.” Jagannath and Balabhadra then went to Lakshmi’s home and, while eating, recognized her as Lakshmi. They brought her back to the Srimandir with honor, thus eliminating discrimination from Puri.

With Lakshmi’s arrival, the Srimandir’s glory was restored, and the treasure trove of gems was once filled. Similarly, Lord Jagannath once helped a devotee he considered a friend with his treasure trove. One day, when the devotee arrived in Puri, he couldn’t find anything to eat. That night, Lord Jagannath brought him food on a golden plate and left it there. Meanwhile, the Lord’s offerings plate disappeared from the treasure trove, and a search began. The soldiers found this plate with the same devotee whom the Lord had gone to feed. They mistook him for a thief and imprisoned him. He kept pleading that he hadn’t stolen it; the Lord himself had given it to him, but no one listened. That night, Lord Jagannath appeared in the king’s dream and told him everything, demanding that he release his devotee with honor and provide for his livelihood. The king, obeying the Lord’s command, freed the devotee, gave him shelter in the kingdom with honor, and crowned him with a turban. Thus, the story of the Jagannath Temple and every legend will find its place as a treasure trove.