Pranam Shree Lakshmi

“O Goddess Lakshmi, shower light, opulence and love.’’

 “Om Shree Mahalakshmiycha vidmahay visnupatneycha dhimahi tannolakshmi prachodayat”

 O Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, your appearance is shining brilliantly and radiating gloriously the luster of gold. I pray to thee to be benevolent to me.

 According to the Bhagvatam, Shree Lakshmi is one of the fourteen Vibhutis and Sampadas (fortunes) that surfaced after the great sagar manthan (churning of the ocean). Standing on a lotus, she appeared draped in a red sari and adorned with exquisite jewelry and a bejeweled crown, holding in one hand, a conch representing the ability to spread True Dharm, a lotus symbolic of divine wisdom in the second hand and in the third, Bel fruit signifying the Earth, governed by proper economic laws to provide prosperity to the whole world. The Bel is a fruit offered to Lord Shiva hence represents male energy, the destroyer of imperfection. It also symbolizes Natural Law of imparting and balancing energies so as to create a world that is Satyam Shivam Sunderam (truthful, harmonious and rhythmic). The forth hand of Lakshmi holds a pitcher of Amrit or Nectar, representing the ability to give complete fulfillment to human life by creating an environment of divinity and bliss.

Vaishnavi (another name for Maa Lakshmi), is the eternal spouse of Shree Vishnu, the god of perfection, perseverance and protection. He is the Supreme Benefactor. Lord Vishnu also stands for morality and poorn Dharm (right conduct at right time) and is the presiding deity of Universal Consciousness. Enhancing the cause of her consort, Lakshmi provides wealth, power and the Nectar of immortality so that Nature (Prakriti) can establish its Laws of Truth, Love and Light.

Shree Lakshmi is Chanchala i.e. slippery like mercury. She rarely stays at one place for long unless the wealth she bestows is used for the general growth and happiness of society. This is why her vehicle is the owl, wise and ever vigilant – capable of rotating its neck a full 360 degrees!

 Kaamini (Lakshmi) represents all good things in worldly life. She is Ashta Lakshmi - the one having eight forms.

The first one of these is -

Aadi Lakshmi – the nurturer of the world since the advent of creation,

Dhaanya Lakshmi – is the protector of all vegetation that is beneficial to humanity due to their inherent healing ayurvedic qualities,

Dhairya Lakshmi – bestows patience and perseverance to all those who invoke her,

Gaja Lakshmi – imparts to sadhaks the complete blossoming of sensitivity along with the ability to perform all karms or appointed tasks well,

Santaan Lakshmi – blesses all those who appeal to her, with healthy and worthy progeny,

Vijaya Lakshmi – showers victory on those performing meritious deeds,

Vidya Lakshmi - provides an environment conducive for growth and knowledge to attain prosperity,

And her most popular form Shree Dhana Lakshmi – bestows on all those who pray to her, wealth and prosperity.

Through her many forms, Kamala aspires to make life a joyous, comfortable journey so that one can indulge in creating beautiful habitats conducive for the enhancement of our Sanskriti (culture).

Her most popular visual representation used for worship all over India depicts elephant attendants on her either side showering water from their trunks. This image conveys that dark black-grey clouds, the harbingers of timely rains and good weather manifest only where there is equitable and fair distribution of wealth, especially amongst the farming community, which depends entirely on Nature for a good harvest. Gold coins raining from her palms reflect the fruits of Karm Yog. A true Karm Yogi will never be strapped for resources. This truth is corroborated in the Vedic mantra – ‘Karagre vasat Lakshmi’' implying that Lakshmi resides on the tips of our fingers.

The beej Mantra used to invoke Goddess Lakshmi is -

‘Om hreem shreem lakshmibhyo namah.’

The word Shree denotes brilliance, grandeur, graciousness, glory and abundance. Maa Lakshmi bestows her blessings only on disciplined, egoless, industrious, generous, gentle, benevolent and pure aspirants. A person, who is not enslaved by riches and ensnared by vices, rules and commands his world. This is reflected beautifully in the image of Vishnu reclining on the Shesh Naga with Goddess Lakshmi sitting at his feet.

Mahalakshmi is invoked especially on Deepawali, the festival of lights. On this day people clean and decorate their houses to welcome and invite Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and Maa Lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, prosperity and good fortune. The rituals involved include the customary worship of account books and an elaborate puja with beetle leaves (pan) and areca nuts (supari). A bhiti chitra or collage is created by hanging a sheet of paper at the entrance of the house and every member of the household is expected to paint or draw something on it! This is done to invoke Vidya Lakshmi. It is believed that the arts that are known or practiced on this amavasya day stay with aspirants forever.

The cleaning of surroundings is a mere reflection of the larger truth that Diwali is the day of introspection, of reopening and reassessing the list of our accounts (karms) with the people around us. It is not only the homes but also the hearts that need to be cleansed so that they may welcome Maa Lakshmi with purity and grace creating an environment for the manifestation of a radiant future for humanity.

Pranam

Karm is dharm....Truth always conquers.....Love never fails

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