Lakshmi
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For South Indian actress, see Laxmi (actress).
In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. Representations of Lakshmi (or Shri) are found in Jain and Buddhist monuments, in addition to Hindu temples.
In Puranic Hinduism Lakshmi is the Mother of the Universe and Vishnu's Shakti. Lakshmi is consort to Vishnu, and also married his incarnations Rama (in her incarnation as Sita), Krishna (as Rukmini) and Venkateshwara (as Alamelu).
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[edit] Origins
Goddess Lakshmi's origins are found in the great Sri Sukta ("Hymn to Sri") that was added to the Rig-Veda sometime between 1000 and 500 B.C.E.
[edit] In Hindu mythology
The birth of goddess Lakshmi is related to an ancient story. Durvasa the short-tempered sage once presented Indra, the king of the gods, with a garland of flowers which would never wilt. Indra gave this garland to his elephant, Airavata. Sage Durvasa saw the elephant trampling the divine garland and, short-tempered as he was, cursed Indra, for he had shown disrespect to the sage. The sage cursed Indra that he and all the gods would lose their power because it had made them so proud and vain. Due to the curse, the demons vanquished the gods out of the heavens.
The defeated gods then went to seek refuge to the Creator Lord Brahma who asked them to churn the ocean of milk, to obtain the nectar of immortality. The gods then went to Lord Vishnu, to seek his assistance. Lord Vishnu took the Avatar Kurma (Tortoise) and supported the Manthara Parvata (mountain) as a churning rod, while the king of the serpents, Vasuki, became the churning rope. The gods and the demons (under the leadership of the pious and wise King Bali Chakravarti) both helped each other in churning the ocean of milk.
Amongst the host of divine gifts which appeared from the ocean, goddess Lakshmi appeared and then chose Shri Vishnu as her consort, as only He had the power to control Maya (illusion). Because of this, Lakshmi is also called the daughter of the sea; since the moon also appeared from the ocean during the churning, the moon is called her brother.
Goddess Lakshmi is incorrectly connected only with money, and the popular public perception is that she is the goddess of money. This, however, is only partially correct: the holy goddess is also the goddess of prosperity, divinity and purity. She is also the goddess of Brahma-vidya (divine knowledge) and one of her names is "Vidya" - which literally means knowledge. She is the goddess of whom we ask for happiness in family, friends, marriage, children, food and wealth, beauty and health. Hence she is a very popular goddess who is worshipped by every Hindu. As she is the goddess of prosperity, she is also called as Dharidranashini (destroyer of poverty) and Dharidradvamshini (one who opposes poverty).
[edit] Names of Lakshmi
Lakshmi is also known to be very closely associated with the Lotus. Her many names are connected to the flower, such as:
- Padmapriya: One who likes lotus,
- Padmamaladhara devi: One who wears a garland of lotuses,
- Padmamukhim: One who is as beautiful as a lotus,
- Padmakshi: One whose eyes are as beautiful as a lotus.
- Padmahastam: One who holds a lotus
- Padmasundari: One who is as beautiful as a lotus
Among the other names of Laksmi are: Bhargavi: As an incarnation of the daughter of Sage Bhrigu.
[edit] Iconography
Physically, goddess Lakshmi is described as a fair lady, with four arms, seated on a lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels. She has a benign countenance, is in her full youth and yet has a motherly appearance. In the form of Bhudevi or Mother Earth, she supports life and nature. In the form of Sridevi, she is with the Supreme Lord and is the Goddess of beauty. Bhudevi and Sridevi are mistaken of being separate Goddesses, but they are only one, Laxmi. As being the wife of Vishnu or Narayan, she is also known as Narayani. As the Divine Mother of the Universe, she is worshiped for her motherly feelings and power.
The most striking feature of the iconography of Lakshmi is her persistent association with the lotus. The meaning of the lotus in relation to Shri-Lakshmi refers to purity and spiritual power. Rooted in the mud but blossoming above the water, completely uncontaminated by the mud, the lotus represents spiritual perfection and authority. Furthermore, the lotus seat is a common motif in Hindu iconography.
Hindu gods and goddesses, typically sit or stand upon a lotus, which suggests their spiritual authority. To be seated upon or to be otherwise associated with the lotus suggests that the being in question: god, human being-has transcended the limitations of the finite world (the mud of existence, as it were) and floats freely in a sphere of purity and spirituality. Shri-Lakshmi thus suggests more than the fertilizing powers of moist soil and the mysterious powers of growth. She suggests a perfection or state of refinement that transcends the material world. She is associated not only with the royal authority but with also spiritual authority, and she combines royal and priestly powers in her presence. The lotus, and the goddess Lakshmi by association, represents the fully developed blossoming of organic life.
Goddess Lakshmi's traditionally accepted vehicle, the owl (Ulooka in Sanskrit), is a bird that sleeps through the day and prowls through the night. In a humorous vein it is said that owing to its lethargic and dull nature the goddess takes it for a ride! She could be attained only by those who know how to control it; how to make best use of her resources, like the Lord Vishnu. But those who blindly worship her are verily the owls or Ulookas.
[edit] Celebration in Hindu Society
Hindus worship Lakshmi the most on Diwali, the festival of lights. According to tradition people would put small candles outside their homes on Diwali and hope Lakshmi will come to bless them.
The prefix Sri (also spelled as Shri, pronounced as shree) renders as 'one who takes delight in Sri' Lakshmi, meaning wealth, wealth of any kind. Primarily eight kinds of wealth are established, associated with goddess Lakshmi. They are:
| 1) | आदि लक्ष्मी | Ādi Lakṣmī | [The main goddess] | |
| 2) | धान्य लक्ष्मी | Dhānya Lakṣmī | [Granary wealth] | |
| 3) | धैर्य लक्ष्मी | Dhairya Lakṣmī | [Wealth of courage] | |
| 4) | गज लक्ष्मी | Gaja Lakṣmī | [Elephants, symbols of wealth] | |
| 5) | सन्तान लक्ष्मी | Santāna Lakṣmī | [Wealth of progeny] | |
| 6) | विजय लक्ष्मी | Vijaya Lakṣmī | [Wealth of victory] | |
| 7) | विद्या लक्ष्मी | Vidyā Lakṣmī | [Wealth of knowledge] | |
| 8) | धन लक्ष्मी | Dhana Lakṣmī | [Monetary wealth] |
Any thing that need be affluent gets the auspicious prefix or suffix 'Lakshmi', or 'Sri' like Rajya Lakshmi (Wealth of Empire), Shanti Sri (Wealth of Peace), etc. In modern India, common titles standing in for the English Mr. and Mrs. are Shri (also Sri or Shree) and Shrimati (also Srimati or Shreemati), as in "Sri Gupta" or "Srimati Mangeshkar".
Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped by those who wish to acquire or to preserve wealth. It is believed that Lakshmi (wealth) goes only to those houses which are clean and where the people are hardworking. She does not visit the places which are unclean/dirty or where the people are lazy.
In Uttaranchal, after the worship of the goddess on Diwali night, the Shankh or Conch is not blown. This is because the shank is also from the ocean like the goddess herself, so it is given a day of rest.
Laxmi is the patron goddess of Kolhapur city, Maharashtra.
[edit] Worship
Two of the most famous prayers for worshipping Ma Lakshmi are: Sri Lakshmi Stuti By Indra and Sri Sukta
[edit] Further reading
- Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions (ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley
- Lakshmi Puja and Thousand Names (ISBN 1-887472-84-3) by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
[edit] See also
- Hindu Goddess
- Tirumala Brahmotsavalu
- Lakshmi Stuti By Indra From Sri Vishnu Purana
- Doddagaddavalli - Lakshmi temple location
[edit] External links
- Know about Goddess Sri Lakshmi - Know about Sri Lakshmi and Her other Forms.
- The Online mandir of Mahalakshmi - Visit Mandir Daily & Get blessing & Prosper.
- Description at Rudraksha Ratna - A small portal on goddess Mahalaxmi containing Mantra, Chalisa, Aarti, Siddhi Japa.
- Devotional hymns and eulogies on Lakshmi
- Kirnostav at mahalaxmi temple Kolhapur
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | |
