GODDESS LAKSHMI
Lakshmi (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī, Hindi pronunciation: [ˈləkʃmi]) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), fortune, and the embodiment of beauty. She is the consort of the god Vishnu. Also called Mahalakshmi, she is said to bring good luck and is believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments.
Lakshmi is called Shri or Thirumagal because she is endowed with six auspicious and divine qualities, or Gunas, and also because she is the source of strength even to Vishnu. When Vishnu incarnated on earth as avatars Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi incarnated as his consort. Sita (Rama's wife), Radha (Krishna's lover) and Rukmini and the other wives of Krishna are considered forms of Lakshmi. In addition, according to the Kalki Purana, when Vishnu incarnates as Kalki, she will appear as his wife in the form of Padma and give birth to two sons. 
Lakshmi is worshipped daily in Hindu homes and commercial
establishments as the goddess of wealth. She also enjoys worship as the
consort of Vishnu in many temples. The festivals of Diwali and Kojagiri Purnima are celebrated in her honour.
In Hinduism, Devas (gods) and asuras (demons) were both mortal at one time. Amrit, the divine nectar that would grant immortality, could be obtained only by churning the Kshirsagar (Ocean of Milk).
The devas and asuras both sought immortality and decided to churn the
Kshirsagar. With the devas on one side and the asuras on the other, the samudra manthan commenced. Vishnu incarnated as Kurma, the tortoise, on whom was placed a mountain as a churning pole; Vasuki,
the 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, was the goddess Lakshmi, the daughter of the king
of the milky ocean. The last to come up was the amrita.
With this, the avatar of Kurma, the tortoise, ended. Vishnu then took
up the form of a beautiful maiden to distract the asuras and gave
immortality to the devas. A manuscript depicting Samudra Manthan Mahalakshmi has always existed. Her appearance from samudra manthan is her main manifestation only. Mahalakshmi was also born to the great sage Bhrigu, and she is therefore also called Bhargavi. Mahalakshmi is also the sister of the great guru Sukracharya as well as the great planet Chandra. Each time Vishnu descends on earth as an avatar, He is accompanied by an avatar of Lakshmi.
The moon (chandra) also appeared from the ocean during the churning, making it her brother. Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister. 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.
The etymology and meanings of the word lakshmi is given in Monier Williams' Sanskrit–English Dictionary compiled in the 19th century in British India.
- In older Sanskrit, it is usually used with "p'uNyA" meaning a good sign, good fortune, prosperity, success, or happiness in Atharva Veda.
- Laksmi personifies wealth, riches, beauty, loveliness, grace, charm and splendour in Mahabharata.
- Laksmi as a noun is a goddess of fortune and beauty (frequently in the later mythology identified with Śrī and regarded as the wife of Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa).
- 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.
- According to another legend, she appeared at the creation floating over the water on the expanded petals of a lotus flower; she is also variously regarded as wife of Sūrya, as wife of Prajā-pati, as wife of Dharma and mother of Kāma, as sister or mother of Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ, as wife of Datt^atreya, as one of the nine Śaktis of Viṣṇu, as a manifestation of Prakṛti, as identified with Dākshāyaṇī in Bharat^aśrama, and with Sītā, wife of Rāma, and with other women.
Names
Lakshmi in Sanskrit is derived from its elemental form lakS, meaning "to perceive or observe". This is synonymous with lakṣya,
meaning "aim" or "objective". Lakshmi has many names. 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:
- Vishnupriya: One who is the beloved of Vishnu
- Ulkavahini: One who rides an owl
Her other names include: Manushri, Chakrika, Kamalika, Lalima,
Kalyani, Nandika, Rujula, Vaishnavi, Samruddhi ,Narayani, Bhargavi,
Sridevi, Chanchala, Jalaja, Madhavi, Sujata, Shreya and Aiswarya. She is
also referred to as Jaganmaatha ("Mother of the Universe") in Shri
Mahalakshmi Ashtakam. Rama and Indira are popular.Appearance
Lakshmi is depicted in a red costume, which represents continuous
activity, or in a golden costume, representing fulfillment. She wears
ornaments full of gold and a golden ruby-studded crown. Her hair is long, dark and wavy. Her complexion is golden, representing a boon-giver. She shows the abhaya mudra or the gyan mudra with her right hand and holds a potful of gold in her left arm and paddy sheaf in her left hand.
She is related to the chakras of the solar plexus and the heart.
In the Sri Vaishnava philosophy, Sri (Lakshmi) is honored as the Iswarigm sarva bhootanam, i.e., the supreme goddess and not just the goddess of wealth.
Worship
There are innumerable slokas
in praise of Mahalakshmi. Some of the most famous prayers for
worshipping her are "Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam", "Sri Lakshmi
Sahasaranama Sthothra" by Sanathkumara, "Sri Stuti" by Sri Vedantha Desikar, Sri Lakshmi Stuti By Indra, "Sri Kanakadhara Sthothra" by Sri Aadhi Shankaracharya, "Sri Chatussloki" by Sri Yamunacharya, "Sri Lakshmi Sloka" by Bhagavan Sri Hari Swamiji and Sri Sukta
which is contained in the Vedas. The famous Lakshmi Gayathri Sloka, "Om
Mahalakshmichae Vidmahe sri Vishnupathinichae Dhi-Mahi Thanno Lakshmi
Prachodayat", is a powerful prayer contained in the Vedic Sri Sukta,
which when chanted every day 108 times is known to grace the chanter
with immediate grace of the Goddess within 90 days.
There is another famous prayer pronounced by the great sage Agastya: "Agastya Lakshmi Stotra".
Although Mother Lakshmi is worshiped as the goddess of fortune, when
she is worshiped with Narayana, the worshiper is blessed with not only
wealth but also peace and prosperity. They can be worshiped in forms,
such as Lakshmi Narayana, Lakshmi Narasimha, Sita Rama, Radha Krishna, or Vithal Rukmini.
Another, lesser known, form (more precisely - expansion) of Lakshmi is worshiped in Karnataka
as Hattilakamma, a furious form of Lakshmi and her two younger sisters
Doddamma and Chikamma called Jalgeramma which are a form of Durga.
Here people offer blood to these bloodthirsty goddesses and use their
hands to smear the blood on walls. It is believed that by doing so all
the desires are fulfilled with in time as they desired
MANTRA
Temples
- Mahalakshmi Temple Dahanu
- Ashtalakshmi Kovil, Chennai
- Ashtalakshmi Temple, Hyderabad
- Mahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur
- Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai
- Sri Mahalakshmi Temple, Goravanahalli near Bangalore
- Mahalakshmi temple, Brazil
- Sri Mahalakshmi Temple, Eachanari, Coimbatore
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