Maa Lakshmi

Who Maa Lakshmi is

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good fortune and beauty, and the consort of Vishnu. "Wealth" in her case means much more than money: food, health, children, courage, knowledge and success are all counted as her gifts. That is why she is also called Shri, the word used before names as a mark of auspiciousness. Where she is present there is well-being; where she leaves, it goes with her.

Where she comes from

She is praised in the Shri Sukta, an ancient hymn attached to the Rigveda that is still chanted in Lakshmi puja. The best-known story of her appearance comes from the Puranas: when the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), she rose from the waters seated on a lotus, one of the fourteen treasures to emerge, and chose Vishnu as her husband. That is why she is called Padma or Kamala, "the lotus one", and Kshirasagara-kanya, "daughter of the ocean of milk".

Her devotion to Vishnu across his avatars

A distinctive feature of Lakshmi's mythology is that she comes with Vishnu in each of his incarnations, taking a matching form each time: as Sita beside Ram, as Rukmini beside Krishna, and, in the Tirupati tradition, as Padmavati beside Venkateswara. In Sri Vaishnava theology she is the compassionate mediator (purushakara) who brings the devotee to Vishnu.

Symbols and forms

She is shown with four arms, standing or seated on a lotus, holding lotuses, with gold coins pouring from her palm. In classical images, Gaja Lakshmi, elephants pour water over her, a sign of royal power and life-giving rain. In Bengal and eastern India her vehicle is the owl. Many traditions worship eight forms, the Ashtalakshmi, each a different kind of wealth: Adi (primordial), Dhana (money), Dhanya (grain), Gaja (power), Santana (children), Dhairya (courage), Vijaya (victory) and Vidya (knowledge).

How she is worshipped

Her day is Friday (see Friday Lakshmi Bhakti). Tradition says she lives where there is cleanliness, light and harmony, so the simplest worship is a clean home, a lamp lit at dusk at the entrance, and a peaceful household. Offerings include lotus or red flowers, kheer or white sweets, rice, and kumkum. Chanting the Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra, reciting the Lakshmi Chalisa and singing Om Jai Lakshmi Mata are the common home practices. Because she is Vishnu's consort, she is often worshipped with him (see Shri Vishnu).

Festivals and temples

Diwali night, the new moon of Kartik, is her central festival. Homes are cleaned and lit to welcome her, and Lakshmi-Ganesh puja is done at an auspicious time, often with account books and cash boxes. Dhanteras, two days earlier, is the day for buying metal and new utensils. In Bengal and Odisha she is worshipped on the full moon of Sharad Purnima as Kojagari Lakshmi, and in South India married women keep the Varalakshmi Vratam on a Friday in Shravan. Famous temples include the Mahalakshmi temple in Kolhapur (one of the Shakti Peethas), the Mahalakshmi temple in Mumbai, the Padmavati temple at Tiruchanoor near Tirupati, and the Sripuram golden temple near Vellore.