Lakshmi

Lakshmi
Mother Goddess
Goddess of Prosperity, Fortune, Wealth, Power, Abundance, Beauty[1][2] and Maya

Supreme Goddess in Vaishnavism[3]

Para Brahman[4]
Member of Tridevi and Pancha Prakriti
Sri Gaja Lakshmi by Raja Ravi Varma (1896)
Other namesBhargavi, Kamala, Narayani, Padma, Sri
Devanagariलक्ष्मी
Affiliation
AbodeVaikuntha, Manidvipa
Mantra
  • ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः। (Om̐ Śrīm̐ Mahālakṣmyaya Namaḥ)
  • ॐ श्रीं श्रियें नमः। (Om̐ Śrī Sriyem̐ Namaḥ)
SymbolsPadma (Lotus), Shankha (conch), Discus, Gada (mace), Jnana Mudra, Abhaya Mudra, Varadamudra, Gold
TreeTulasi
DayFriday
MountGaruda, Elephant, Lion or Tiger, Owl
FestivalsDeepavali (Lakshmi Puja), Sharad Purnima, Varalakshmi Vratam, Navaratri, Sankranti[5]
Personal information
SiblingsAlakshmi
ConsortVishnu[8]
Children• Bala and Utsaha (Vayu Purana)[6]

• Kardama, Chiklita, and 16 other sons (according to Rigveda)[7][better source needed]

Devasena and Valli (daughters, according to South Indian tradition)[citation needed]
Translations of
लक्ष्मी (Lakṣmī)
Sanskritलक्ष्मी (Lakṣmī)
Assameseলক্ষ্মী (Lakṣmī)
Bengaliলক্ষ্মী (Lakṣmī)
Bhojpuri𑂪𑂍𑂹𑂭𑂹𑂧𑂲 (Lakṣmī)
Hindiलक्ष्मी (Lakṣmī)
Kannadaಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ (Lakṣmī)
Marathiलक्ष्मी (Lakṣmī)
Odiaଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ (Lakṣmī)
Tamilலக்ஷ்மீ (Lakṣmī)
Teluguలక్ష్మీ (Lakṣmī)
Gujaratiલક્ષ્મી (Lakṣmī)
Glossary of Hinduism terms

Lakshmi (/ˈlʌkʃmi/;[9][nb 1] Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी, IAST: Lakṣmī, sometimes spelled Laxmi, lit.'she who leads to one's goal') also known as Shri (Sanskrit: श्री, IAST: Śrī, lit.'Noble'),[11] is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity,[12] and associated with Maya ("Illusion"). Along with Parvati and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi of Hindu goddesses.[13]

Within the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Lakshmi is venerated as the prosperity aspect of the Mother goddess.[14][15] Lakshmi is both the consort and the divine energy (shakti) of the Hindu god Vishnu, the Supreme Being of Vaishnavism; she is also the Supreme Goddess in the sect and assists Vishnu to create, protect, and transform the universe.[8][15][16][17] She is an especially prominent figure in Sri Vaishnavism, in which devotion to Lakshmi is deemed to be crucial to reach Vishnu.[18] Whenever Vishnu descended on the earth as an avatar, Lakshmi accompanied him as consort, for example, as Sita and Radha or Rukmini as consorts of Vishnu's avatars Rama and Krishna, respectively.[11][15][19] The eight prominent manifestations of Lakshmi, the Ashtalakshmi, symbolise the eight sources of wealth.[20]

Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman standing or sitting in the padmasana position upon a lotus throne, while holding a lotus in her hand, symbolising fortune, self-knowledge, and spiritual liberation.[21][22] Her iconography shows her with four hands, which represent the four aspects of human life important to Hindu culture: dharma, kāma, artha, and moksha.[23][24] The Lakshmi Sahasranama of the Skanda Purana, Lakshmi Tantra, Markandeya Purana, Devi Mahatmya, and Vedic scriptures describe Lakshmi as having eight or eighteen hands, and as sitting on Garuda, a lion, or a tiger.[25][26][27] According to the Lakshmi Tantra, the goddess Lakshmi, in her ultimate form of Mahasri, has four arms of a golden complexion, and holds a citron, a club, a shield, and a vessel containing amrita.[28] In the Skanda Purana and the Venkatachala Mahatmayam, Sri, or Lakshmi, is praised as the mother of Brahma.[29]

Archaeological discoveries and ancient coins suggest the recognition and reverence for Lakshmi existing by the 1st millennium BCE.[30][31] Lakshmi's iconography and statues have also been found in Hindu temples throughout Southeast Asia, estimated to be from the second half of the 1st millennium CE.[32][33] The day of Lakshmi Puja during Navaratri, and the festivals of Deepavali and Sharad Purnima (Kojagiri Purnima) are celebrated in her honour.[34]

  1. ^
    1. Journal of Historical Research, Volumes 28-30. Department of History, Ranchi University. 1991. p. 3. Lord Visnu is the refuge of the world and Goddess Lakshmi is the energy behind the Universe.
    2. Amulya Mohapatra; Bijaya Mohapatra (1 January 1993). Hinduism: Analytical Study. Mittal Publications. p. 26. ISBN 9788170993889. Sri or Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and fortune , power and beauty.
    3. Bulbul Sharma (2010). The Book of Devi. Penguin Books India. p. 47. ISBN 9780143067665. Sri or Lakshmi, as depicted in the sacred texts, is the goddess of wealth and fortune, royal power and beauty.
    4. Stephen Knapp (2012). Hindu Gods & Goddesses. Jaico Publishing House. p. 132. ISBN 9788184953664. Goddess Lakshmi is the consort and shakti, or potency, of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi, or Sri when she is especially known as the goddess of beauty (though sometimes considered to be separate entities), is the goddess of fortune, wealth, power, and loveliness.
    5. David Kinsley (1 January 1989). The Goddesses' Mirror: Visions of the Divine from East and West. SUNY Press. p. 55. ISBN 9780887068362.
    6. David Monaghan; Ariane Hudelet; John Wiltshire (10 January 2014). The Cinematic Jane Austen: Essays on the Filmic Sensibility of the Novels. McFarland & Company. p. 153. ISBN 9780786453221. In Hindu mythology, Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, power and beauty.
    7. Kaushal Kishore Sharma (1988). Rabindranath Tagore's Aesthetics. Abhinav Publications. p. 26. ISBN 9788170172376. Lakshmi, our Goddess of wealth, represents not only beauty and power but also the spirit of goodness.
  2. ^ lakṣmī Archived 20 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Monier-Williams' Sanskrit–English Dictionary, University of Washington Archives
  3. ^ Lakshmi Tantra, Volumes -13. Motilal Banarasidas Publishers. 2007. p. 70. ISBN 9788120817357.
  4. ^ Mahalakshmi Ashtakam. Padmaasanasthite Devi Parabrahma Svaroopini Paramesi Jaganmaata, Mahalakshmi Namostu Te.O Devi, You are seated on the lotus, You are the Supreme Brahman, You are the great Lord and Mother of the universe, O Mahaalakshmi, obeisance to Thee.
  5. ^ "Translating the secrets of Makara Sankranti". Times of India. 14 January 2021.
  6. ^ "CHAPTER TWENTYEIGHT". doc-08-9g-docs.googleusercontent.com.
  7. ^ "Prayers to Goddess Lakshmi".
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference anandrao167 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Lakshmi". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Lakshmi". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  11. ^ a b Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (4 July 2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. ISBN 9781135963903.
  12. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (15 December 2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 1. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.
  13. ^ Mark W. Muesse. The Hindu Traditions: A Concise Introduction. Fortress Press. p. 157. ISBN 978-1451414004.
  14. ^ Upendra Nath Dhal (1978). Goddess Laksmi: Origin and Development. Oriental Publishers & Distributors. p. 109. Goddess Lakşmī is stated as the genetrix of the world; she maintains them as a mother ought to do . So she is often called as the Mātā.
  15. ^ a b c Williams, George M. (2003). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. ABC-CLIO, Inc. pp. 196–8. ISBN 1-85109-650-7.
  16. ^ Sashi Bhusan Dasgupta (2004). Evolution of Mother Worship in India. Advaita Ashrama (A Publication House of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math). p. 20. ISBN 9788175058866.
  17. ^ Isaeva 1993, p. 252.
  18. ^ Carman, John Braisted; Vasudha Narayanan (1989). The Tamil Veda : Piḷḷān's interpretation of the Tiruvāymol̲i. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-09305-0. OCLC 18624684.
  19. ^ Monaghan, Patricia (31 December 2010). Goddesses in World Culture. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-35465-6.
  20. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (15 December 2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 1. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 65. ISBN 978-0823931798.
  21. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 385–386. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  22. ^ Heinrich Robert Zimmer (2015). Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. Princeton University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-4008-6684-7. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  23. ^ Rhodes, Constantina. 2011. Invoking Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth in Song and Ceremony. State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-1438433202. pp. 29–47, 220–52.
  24. ^ "Divali – THE SYMBOLISM OF LAKSHMI." Trinidad and Tobago: National Library and Information System Authority. 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014.
  25. ^ D. R. Rajeswari (1989). Sakti Iconography. Intellectual Publishing House. p. 19. ISBN 9788170760153. According to Sapta Sati the iconographical characteristics of Lakshmi are as follows: She is having 18 hands carrying rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, pitcher, rod, Sakti, Sword, Shield, Conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and the discus
  26. ^ Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao (1991). Pratima Kosha: Descriptive Glossary of Indian Iconography, Volume 5. IBH Prakashana. p. 65.
  27. ^ H. C. Das (1985). Cultural Development in Orissa. Punthi Pustak. p. 337. The Bisvakarmasastra depicts her holding a pot, a club in her right hands, and a shield and a wood apple in the left. The Markandeya Purana describes the developed form of Laksmi having as many as 18 hands.
  28. ^ Sanjukta Gupta (2007). Lakshmi Tantra. MOTILAL BANARIDAS. p. 23. ISBN 9788120817340.
  29. ^ Jaitentra Prakash Jain (1951). Skand Puran (PDF). Motilal banarasidas. p. 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022. Obeisance to Sri. the mother of the worlds. Obeisance, obeisance to the mother of Brahma. Hail to you, to the lotuseyed one. Obeisance, obeisance to the lotus-faced one
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference usingh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference ashav was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ Roveda, Vitorio. 2004. "The Archaeology of Khmer Images." Aséanie 13(13):11–46.
  33. ^ Jones, Soumya (Fall 2007). "O goddess where art thou?: Reexamining the Female Divine Presence in Khmer art" (PDF). SEAP Bulletin: 28–31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 November 2014.
  34. ^ Jones, Constance (2011). J. G. Melton (ed.). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. pp. 253–254, 798. ISBN 978-1598842050.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).


© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search