As per Hindu mythology Laxmi is wife of BhagwanVishnu. Laxmi is also known as Mahalakshmi, she is said to bringGOOD LUCKand is believed that she always protect her devotees( BHAKT) from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows and discomforts. Idols of Lakshmi are also found inJainmonuments.
Laxmi is calledSriorThirumagalbecause she is endowed with six auspicious and divine qualities (गुण). Mata Laxmi is ultimate source of strength to Bhagwan Vishnu too. When Vishnu incarnated on the Earth in theavatars of Ramaand Krishna, Laxmi too took avtar as his consort i.e.Sita(Rama’s wife),Radha(Krishna’s lover),Rukminiand Satyabhama
Laxami is worshipped by HINDU daily in their homes and commercial establishments as the GODDESS of wealth. She is also worshipped as the consort of Vishnu in many temples. The festivals ofDiwaliandKojagiri Purnimaare celebrated in her honour.
Laxami in Vishnu Purana :
According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati and resided in Swarga (Heaven) but due to the curse of Munee Durvasa, she left Swarga and made Ksheersagara (क्षीरसागर) as her home. Rreappearance of Lakshmi after Samudra Manthan (समुद्र मंथन). she was married to Vishnu . Laxmi is the power and Maya of Lord Vishnu. In some places Laxmi is seen in two forms i.e Bhudevi and Sridevi, on either side of Vishnu. BHUDEVI is the fertility form in which She is Mother Earth(धरती माता). SRIDEVI is the wealth and knowledge. Most people are certainly at mistake if they believe that Bhudevi and Sridevi are different, but in reality both Bhudevi and Sridevi are one i.e LAXMI.
VariousNames of LAXMI:
Laxmii has several thousand names. She is known to be very closely associated with the Lotus (कमल) and her many epithets are connected to the flower, such as:
Padma(- पद्मा (lotus dweller).
Kamala–कमला (lotus dweller).
Padmapriya–पदम्प्रिया (One who likes lotuses).
Padmamaladhara dev—-पद्ममालाधरा देवi ( One who wears a garland of lotuses)
Padmamukh–पद्ममुखी (One whose face is as beautiful as a lotus)
Padmaksh—-पद्माक्ष (One whose eyes are as beautiful as a lotus)
Padmahasta —पद्महस्ता (One who holds a lotus)
Padmasundar( —पद्मसुंदर (One who is as beautiful as a lotus)
Other popular names of Goddess Laxmi:
Bhargav—- भार्गवी )One who is the incarnation of the daughter of Sage Bhrigu)
Sridevi —श्रीदेवी ( Goddess of wealth)
Chanchala —-चंचला ( One who is fickle and does not stay at one place)
Bhumi Dev—भुमीदेवी ( Earth Goddess)
Indir —इंदिरा ( Beautiful Goddess)
Rama devi/Vaishnavi— रमादेवी/ वैष्णवी ( Wife of Vishnu)
Jalaja –जलजा ( Born from sea)I
Aiswarya—-ऐस्वर्या ( Wealthy).
Roma –रोमा ( Wife of lord Hari)
HowGoddess LAXMI look in Hindu culture:
Physically, Goddess Laxmi is described as a fair, beautiful, charming lady, with four arms, seated on a lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels. Her face expression is always calm and loving and gracious. The most striking feature of the iconography of Laxmi is her persistent association with the lotus. The meaning of the lotus in relation to Mata Laxmi refers to purity and spiritual power. Lotus is rooted in the mud but blossoming above the water, completely uncontaminated by the mud, the lotus represents spiritual perfection and authority.
Vehicle of Goddess Laxmi :
Goddess Laxmi’s traditionally accepted vehicle, the owl (Ulooka in Sanskrit), is a bird that sleeps through out the day and prowls through the night.
Time for Celebration andworshipingLaxmi by Hindu’s
:
Hindus worship Laxmi on the day of DIWALI, the festival of lights. According to tradition people would put small oil lamps (दीपक) outside their homes on Diwali the hope and belief that Goddess Laxmi will come to their home to bless them with wealth, good fortune, comforts and success in all walk of their life.
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 Laxmi. They are:
1) Adi Laxmi– आदि ल क्ष्मी(The main Goddess)
2) Dhanya Laxmii—धान्य लक्ष्मी(Granary wealth)
3) Dhairya Laxmi —धैर्य लक्ष्मी (Wealth of courage)
4) Gaja Laxmi —गज लक्ष्मी (Elephants– symbols of wealth)
5) Santana Laxmi — संतान लक्ष्मी (Wealth of progeny)
6) Vijaya Laxmii —-विजयलक्ष्मी (Wealth of victory)
7) Vidya Laxmi —विध्यालक्ष्मी (Wealth of knowledge)
8) Dhana Lakshmi( धनलक्ष्मी (Monetary wealth)
Anything that need be affluent gets the auspicious prefix or suffix ‘Laxmi’, or ‘Sri’ like Rajya Laxmi (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 Agarwal” or “Srimati Goyal”.
Where does Mata Laxmi prefer to reside?
Goddess Laxmi is worshipped by all those who wish to acquire or to preserve wealth. It is believed that Laxmi (wealth) goes to reside only to those houses which are clean and where the people are hard working, truthful, dutiful, just and kind hearted and selfless. Where the person respect women and respectful to elders and neighbors’. Laxmi avoid residing in those houses which are unclean/dirty or where the people are lazy, selfish, egoist, and does not respect women and elders.
Usually all of us clean and decorate our home with light, decoration to welcome Goddess Laxmi but never make sincere efforts to clean our Soul (अंतर आत्मा), where anger, jealousy, unlimited desires, Lust, Greed and hatred reside. If we are able toeradicatethem, then certainlyGODDESS LAXMI will stay in our HEART as well as in our HOME for ever and thousands of lamps of her BLISS will light up us.
Goddess Laxmi love those who make plan for their life and make sincere efforts to achieve their goal, Possess constructive and positive attitude, possess a vision, forms a ladder of cooperation with their near and dear one and neighbors, and eager to spend time with them to share their sorrows their worries as well as pleasure. However Goddess Laxmi does not like and become angry on those persons, who are lazy, make excuses, having a habit of postponing work, afraid of change, avoid taking risk, fearful , suspicious and collect the wealth by unfair means that too for themselves for their personal gains. Ultimate inner pleasure (सुख) can be obtained only from the TRUTH (सत्य) , however in this process one may have to face temporary setbacks and, DUKH ( दुःख). It may also be mentioned that Goddess Laxami will like to reside at a place where Wise man are not respected but not insulted, Fools and dishonest persons are kept at a distance, Needy men get required assistance and help, where children and kids are treated like angels, Where husband–wife lives like two body but one soul and where there is no familyinfighting orक्लेश.
Dr. J. K. Garg
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