Lakshmi’s Distracted
“How about those mangroves? Don’t you think we should do something about them?” Vishnu asked Laksmi.
“Hmm.”
“What hmm? I’m asking you a question. How should we handle the mangroves? They are outgrowing themselves, don’t you think? Maybe we could create a simple natural calamity to reduce their size, lest their growth impacts human life. What say, Lakshmi? You could invoke your Bhoodevi aspect for it, right?”
Her husband, Vishnu, looked up and found Lakshmi staring into the distance, lost in thought, her “hmms” and “haws” merely filling the gaps. She was not paying attention to their discussion. She was staring at something in the distance.
He followed her gaze and discovered her distraction. It was Revanta, the son of Suryadev, who was riding on the magnificent Ucchaisravas, the magnificent, magical white horse, which had emerged during the Samudra Manthan. He looked gorgeous. But Ucchasravas looked even more beautiful. The white mane, polished wonderfully, glistened under the light of the sun.
“Lakshmi!”
“Lakshmi!”
Vishnu called her several times. But she didn’t hear him. so distracted she was with the magnificient Ucchaisravas. Now, he was livid. There was so much work to do, and here she was wasting her time admiring a horse. Hardly befitting the Goddess of Wealth and Equitable Distribution!
“LAKSHMI!” His roar tore into her mind.
Cala, the Mare is Born
Startled out of her reverie, Lakshmi turned to her husband, whose ire had breached its reversible limits.
In an instant of inexplicable rage, he cursed her, “Since your mind is so unsteady and lost in the admiration of a mere horse, hardly befitting your status, I curse you to be born as a mare on Earth.”
Lakshmi stood stupefied, aghast. Her power was no less than her husband’s. Yet, she chose to hold her tongue and instead spoke calmly, “I’m sorry, my dear husband. Yes, I have been distracted today. However, this is such a rare occasion. Do I deserve this treatment for a one-off error, and that too, an unwitting one?”
Vishnu calmed down and realised he could have handled this better. He knew curses work both ways. It is hard on the victim, of course. But it is equally hard on the deliverer of the curse.
He took a couple more minutes to calm himself down, and then replied to his beloved wife, “I agree it was a one-off mistake, and my curse seems harsh. Yet our status comes with responsibility, and even a minor mistake could have unimaginable consequences. I don’t need to teach you the importance of our positions as one of the Trinity Couples. Even seemingly simple transgressions at our level have to be dealt with seriously.”
“I understand, my Lord. I am sorry for my error. But can you do something about it? I cannot bear to be separated from you,” Lakshmi pleaded.
“Me too, my dear beloved wife. But as you already know, you have to go down to Earth. But as the protector and preserver of the Divine Trinity, we could turn this mishap into an opportunity. You will live on Earth as a mare called Cala. Pray to Lord Shiva and seek his help so that I can come down to you in the form of a horse. We will marry and will have a son. Then, you will be released from this curse. This son of ours will lay the foundation of one of the most powerful dynasties on Earth.”
Lakshmi comes to Earth in the form of a mare called Cala. After meditating on Shiva for many years, she is blessed by him to reunite with her husband. Vishnu comes to earth in the form of a horse and marries Cala. As promised, she gives birth to Ekavira, who later becomes the founder of the Hehaya Dynasty.
This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026
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Author’s Note:
The story of Cala as an Avatar of Goddess Lakshmi is found in the Devi Bhagavatam. Ekavira is the founder of the Hehaya Dynasty. The famous (or infamous) Kartiveeryaarjuna, the warrior with a thousand arms and the primary reason for the Parashurama Avatar, was from this dynasty.
