Lakshmi
Image of Goddess Lakshmi
Devanagari	लक्ष्मी
Affiliation	Devi/Shakti
Consort	Vishnu
Mount	Owl
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Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation: [ləkʂ. Devi ( Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. Shakti, meaning sacred force, power, or energy, is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect sometimes referred For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific miː]; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being Representations of Lakshmi (or Shri) are found also in Jain and Buddhist monuments. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

Lakshmi in Sanskrit is derived from its elemental form "lakS" meaning to perceive , observe (reference Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary). This is synonymous with lakSya meaning aim or objective. Lakshmi is thus goddess of the means to achieving objectives including prosperity in the life of Man.

She is the consort of Vishnu^[1] and married Rama (in her incarnation as Sita) and Krishna (as Rukmini and Radha). For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: SITA is a multinational Information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the Aviation industry Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal

Evolution and Legends

Deva and Asuras were both mortal (mrita) at one time. Seeking immortality they churned the ocean of milk. Vishnu incarnated as "kurma" the tortoise on which was placed a mountain and a great venom spewing serpent was wrapped around it and used to churn the ocean.

A host of divine celestial objects came up during the churning. Among these, importantly, was Goddess Lakshmi, the daughter of the king of the milky ocean. The last to come up was "amR^itam", the "nectar of immortality". With this the avatar of "kurma", the tortoise ended. Vishnu, then took up form of a beautiful maiden to distract "raakshasa" and gave immortality to the "deva". Sri Lakshmi, very much later married Shri Vishnu. Shri is a honorofic address that is probably derived from Lakshmi and is used till date for males all over India. The equivalent for females is "Srimati" if she is married.

The moon also appeared from the ocean during the churning, the 'moon' (chandra) making it her brother. In Hinduism, Chandra (lit "shining is a Lunar deity and a Graha. Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister. Alakshmi is the older sister of Lakshmi and the Hindu goddess of misfortune According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Durvasa, she left Swarga and made Ksheersagara her home. Maharishi Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages one of the Saptarshis in ancient India one of many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation created by Brahma In Hinduism, ( Sanskrit: स्वर्ग Svarga (or Swarga) is set of heavenly worlds located on and above Mt In Hinduism, Durvasa (दुर्वास is an ancient sage, son of Atri and Anasuya.

The etymology and meanings of the word lakSmi is best given in Monier Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary compiled in the 19th century in British India.

1. lakSmIka meaning a mark , sign , token is in Rik Veda x , 71 , 2 and Nirukta iv , 10.

2. lakSmi ( with or without pAp'I ) is a bad sign or an impending misfortune referred to Atharva Veda and Apasthambha Shrauta Suutra.

3. In older Sanskrit language it is used used usually with "p'uNyA" meaning a good sign , good fortune , prosperity , success , happiness in Atharva Veda.

4. lakSmi personifies wealth, riches, beauty , loveliness , grace , charm , splendour , lustre in Mahabharata.

5. lakSmi as noun is goddess of fortune and beauty ( frequently in the later mythology identified with Śrī and regarded as the wife of Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa )

6. According to Sir Monier Williams, "Religious thought and life in India", 45 , 40-43 she sprang with other precious things from the foam of the ocean when churned by the gods and demons for the recovery of the Amṛta. She appeared with a lotus in her hand , whence she is also called Padmā.

7. Accord. to another legend she appeared at the creation floating over the water on the expanded petals of a lotusflower , she is also variously regarded as a wife of Sūrya , as a wife of Prajā-pati , as a wife of Dharma and mother of Kāma , as sister or mother of Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ , as wife of Datt^atreya , as one of the 9 Śaktis of Viṣṇu , as a manifestation of Prakṛti &c. , as identified with Dākshāyaṇī in Bharat^aśrama , and with Sītā , wife of Rāma , and with other women )

Explanation of Mahalakshmi

Mahalakshmi is the presiding Goddess of the Middle episode of Devi Mahatmya. The Devi Mahatmya ( Sanskrit: devīmāhātmyam, sa देवीमाहात्म्यम् or "Glory of the Goddess " is a Hindu Here she is depicted as Devi in her universal form as Shakti. Devi ( Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. Shakti, meaning sacred force, power, or energy, is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect sometimes referred The manifestation of the Devi to kill Mahishasura is formed by the effulgences of all the gods. In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was an Asura. Mahishasur's father Rambha was king of the Asura, and he once fell in love with a water buffalo The Goddess is described as eighteen armed bearing string of beads, battle axe, maze, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water-pot, cudgel, lance, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and the discuss sudarsana. She has a complexion of coral and is seated on a lotus. ^[2] She is known as Ashta Dasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi.

She is seen in two forms, Bhudevi and Sridevi, both either side of Sri Venkateshwara or Vishnu. Bhūma Devī or Bhūmi-Devī or Bhū Devī is the divine wife of Lord Varaha, an Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Venkateshwara ( Telugu వెంకటేశ్వరుడు, వెంకన్న Sanskrit: sa वेंकटेश्वर also known as Venkatachalapathy Bhudevi is the representation and totally of the Material world or energy called the aparam Prakriti, in which She is called Mother Earth. Sridevi is the Spiritual world or energy called the Param Prakriti. Prakrti or Prakriti (from Sanskrit language प्रकृ्रति prakṛti is according to Vedanta philosophy the basic matter of which the Most people are mistaken that they are separate beings although they are one, Lakshmi. All the different goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are manifestations, or different forms of Lakshmi.

Mahalakshmi's presence is also found on Lord Sri Venkateswara (at Tirumala) or Vishnu's chest, at the Heart. Venkateshwara ( Telugu వెంకటేశ్వరుడు, వెంకన్న Sanskrit: sa वेंकटेश्वर also known as Venkatachalapathy For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Lakshmi is the embodiment of Love, from which devotion to God or Bhakti flows from. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. It is through Love/Bhakti or Lakshmi that the atma or soul is able to reach God or Vishnu. Andrei Oliver Brasovean aka ATMA is an electronic music composer originally from the Transylvania region of Romania The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living She is also the personification of the Spiritual energy within us and universe called Kundalini. Kundalini (kuṇḍalinī sa कुण्डलिनी Sanskrit, literally "coiled" Also, She embodies the Spiritual World or Vaikunta; the abode of Lakshmi-Narayana or Vishnu, or what would be considered Heaven in Hinduism. Vaikunta (Sanskrit वैकुण्ठम् or Paramapadham is the abode of Lord Vishnu. Narayana ( Sanskrit: नारायण nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. She is also the Divine qualities of God and the soul. Lakshmi is the embodiment of God's superior spiritual feminine energy or the Param Prakriti, which purifies, empowers and uplifts the individual. Prakrti or Prakriti (from Sanskrit language प्रकृ्रति prakṛti is according to Vedanta philosophy the basic matter of which the Hence, She is called the Goddess of Fortune.

Dasa Maha Vidya Kamalatmika

Mahavidya Kamalatmika, one of the Dasa Mahavidyas has the same iconography as Lakshmi. Mahavidyas ( Great Wisdoms) are aspects of Devi in Hinduism. The Ten Mahavidyas are known as Wisdom Goddesses Kamalatmika is the Goddess Devi in the fullness of her graceful aspect But here she is considered the ultimate reality.

Epithets

Vishnu with Lakshmi (Lakshminarayana) at Halebidu

Lakshmi has many names. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Halebidu ( Kannada ಹಳೆಬೀಡು is located in Hassan District, Karnataka She is known to be very closely associated with the Lotus, and her many epithets are connected to the flower, such as:

• Padma: lotus dweller.
• Kamala: lotus dweller.
• Padmapriya: One who likes lotuses
• Padmamaladhara devi: One who wears a garland of lotuses
• Padmamukhi: One whose face is as beautiful as a lotus
• Padmakshi: One whose eyes are as beautiful as a lotus
• Padmahasta: One who holds a lotus
• Padmasundari: One who is as beautiful as a lotus

Her other names include:

Rama

Indira

Manushri

Chakrika

Kamalika

Lalima

Nandika

Rujula

Out of these names, the two most popular names are Rama and Indira.

Iconography

Sculpture of Lakshmi

Physically, goddess Lakshmi is described as a fair lady, with four arms, seated on a lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels. Her expression is always calm and loving. 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. Over the millennia of its development Hinduism has adopted several iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based

Goddess Lakshmi's traditionally accepted vehicle, the owl (Ulooka in Sanskrit), is a bird that sleeps through the day and prowls through the night.

Ashta Lakshmi

Main article: Ashta Lakshmi

Ashta Lakshmi (Sanskrit: अष्टलक्ष्मी,Aṣṭalakṣmī, lit. Ashta Lakshmi, also spelled as Ashtalakshmi (Sanskrit sa अष्टलक्ष्मीAṣṭalakṣmī lit "eight Lakshmis") are a group of eight secondary manifestations of the goddess Lakshmi, who preside over eight sources of wealth and thus represent the powers of Shri-Lakshmi. They are:

Celebration in Hindu society

Laxmi idol at Bhubaneswar during (Laxmi Puja) Festival

Hindus worship Lakshmi the most on Divali, the festival of lights. Bhubaneswar ( Oriya: BUbEnSvr Hindi: भुवनेश्वर in Sanskrit and Oriya/oDiA "The Lord of the Universe" is the capital and Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant According to tradition people would put small oil lamps outside their homes on Diwali and hope Lakshmi will come to bless them.

In Bengal, Lakshmi is worshiped during a night in Autumn when the moon is full, the brightest night of the year. It is believed that she showers wealth on this night. She, along with her mount, the great white owl, descends to earth and takes away the darkness of poverty, stagnation, anger, and laziness from our lives.

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. 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. SRi is a specification (spec badge given to mid-sized or larger cars which are fitted with performance engine suspension or other performance enhancements as standard In modern India, common titles standing in for the English Mr. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 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 the Sri Vaishnava philosophy however, Sri (Lakshmi) is honored as the "Iswarigm sarva bhootanam" i. e. the Supreme goddess and not just the goddess of wealth. This is an important distinction between Sri Vaishnavism and other materialistic philosophies.

In Uttarakhand, after the worship of the goddess on Diwali night, the Shankha or Conch is not blown. Uttarakhand ( Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड or उत्तराखंड Uttar + Akhand i Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant Shankha ( Sanskrit: शंख is the divine Conch shell or sea shell which is one of the insignia in the Hindu God Vishnu 's hands A conch (pronounced in the USA as "konk" or "konch" ˈkɒŋk or /ˈkɒntʃ/ is one of a number of different Species This is because the shankha is also from the ocean like the goddess herself, so it is given a day of rest.

Karaveera Nivasini Mahalakshmi is the patron goddess of Kolhapur city, Maharashtra. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India.

Worship

Two of the most famous prayers for worshipping Ma Lakshmi are: Sri Lakshmi Stuti By Indra and Sri Sukta. Lakshmi Stuti is a well known Prayer for the Goddess of Wealth and Good fortune - Lakshmi. Sri Sukta, also called Sri Suktam, is a Sanskrit devotional hymn (set of slokas) revering Sri or Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess There is another famous prayer pronounced by the great sage Agasti: Agasti Lakshmi Stotra. This is a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi by the great sage Agasti. Although Mother Lakshmi is worshipped as the Goddess of fortune, when she is worshipped with Narayana not only wealth but also peace and prosperity never leave the home of the worshipper. They can be worshipped in various forms such as LakshmiNarayana, LakshmiNarasimha, SitaRam, RadhaKrishna, VithalRakhumai(VithhalRukmini). Narayana ( Sanskrit: नारायण nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary Narasimha ( IAST Narasiṃha Sanskrit नरसिंह (other spellings are Narasingh, Narasinga) is an Avatara of Vishnu SITA is a multinational Information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the Aviation industry For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Vithoba ( Marathi: Viṭhobā विठोबा) also known as Vitthala ( Sanskrit: Viṭṭhala विठ्ठल Kannada: Viṭṭala In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka.

Temples

• Padmavati Temple,Tirupati. Tirupati ( Telugu: తిరుపతి is the richest pilgrimage city (of any religious faith in the world located in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India
• Ashta Lakshmi Temple, Chennai.
• Mahalakshmi Temple,Kolhapur. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of
• Mahalakshmi Temple,Mumbai. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial

See also

• Ashta Lakshmi
• Hindu goddess
• Laxminarayan
• Brahmotsavam
• Doddagaddavalli - Lakshmi temple location
• Mantra

References

1. ^ Atharvaveda 7. Ashta Lakshmi, also spelled as Ashtalakshmi (Sanskrit sa अष्टलक्ष्मीAṣṭalakṣmī lit Devi ( Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. "Laxminarayan" redirects here For the temple see Laxminarayan Temple Laxminarayan or Lakshmi-Narayana ( IAST laxmi-nārāyaṇa Tirumala Brahmotsavam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language 46. 3
2. ^ Sankaranarayanan, S. , Glory of the Divine Mother (Devī Māhātmyam), Nesma Books, India, 2001. (ISBN 81-87936-00-2), P 148.

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

External links

• The Online mandir of Mahalakshmi - Visit Mandir Daily & Get blessing & Prosper.
• Know about Goddess Sri Lakshmi - Know about Sri Lakshmi and Her other Forms.
• Devotional hymns and eulogies on Lakshmi