Lakshmi The Goddess Calendar-2009
Name Meanings
Meaning of Names - Browse through over 40,000 names, name meanings, and origins.
The Queen
Lakshmi the
Hindu Goddess of Wealth
“Beautiful goddess seated on
a chariot, delighted by songs on lustful elephants, bedecked with
lotuses, pearls and gems, lustrous as fire, radiant as gold, resplendent
as the sun, calm as the moon, mistress of cows and horses – take away
poverty and misfortune bring joy, riches, harvest and children.”
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Lakshmi’s Sacred Narrative; Prajapati Raises the Earth
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Vishnu’s Three
Steps
Power made Bali arrogant. He
declared, “The earth belongs to me; I can give anyone anything he
desires.”
These words greatly disturbed the
earth-goddess. She belonged to no one and certainly not a commodity to
be given to away as a gift.
Indra, leader of the devas,
meanwhile, bereft of Shreedevi’s grace had been reduced to poverty. He
approached Bali and begged for some land. To mock him, Bali pointed to
Vamana the dwarf and said, “I shall give you as much land as this little
one can cover in three strides.”
Vamana was no ordinary dwarf but
rather an incarnation of
Vishnu the Preserver.
As soon as Bali said this,
Vishnu began to grow in size, he turned into
a giant who strode across and claimed all of Bali’s Kingdom in two
steps. With his third step
Vishnu shoved Bali into the nether region.
Vishnu thus wrested control of the
earth for the gods.
Vishnu’s
Detachment
Vishnu, who had conquered the
earth for the gods, let Indra become king. “Don’t you want to be
lord of the universe and enjoy the splendors of the cosmos?” asked
Shreedevi.
“I desire nothing. By defeating
the demon Bali, I have done my duty. I seek no reward for it.”
These words of Vishnu pleased
Shreedevi.
Indra Angers
Bhoodevi and Shreedevi
The goddess said, “He who takes good
care of the earth-goddess Bhoodevi, wins the affection of Shreedevi,
goddess of fortune and becomes king of the cosmos.”
But Indra did not heed her words.
Soon after being crowned king, the leader of the devas, he
retired to the pleasure gardens. There, he drank wine, enjoyed song and
dance and neglected his royal duties.
The earth, left ungoverned was
plundered.
Bhoodevi’s lamentation fell on deaf
ears. This made Shreedevi very angry. She turned away from Indra.
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Lakshmi rises
The churn twisted and turned, the
ocean frothed and fumed, waves roared and spewed foam in every
direction. Eons passed. Nothing emerged. But the gods and demons were
determined to bring the goddess back and continued to churn the great
ocean.
Pleased by their efforts, the goddess
finally emerged as a
Lakshmi,
the desirable one, in all her
splendor.
Seated on a dew drenched Lotus,
dressed in red silk, bedecked in gold, she was the very embodiment of
affluence, abundance and auspiciousness.
As she rose, rasa, life giving
sap, began flowing in every direction. The earth palpated with life.
Joy filled the air.
The gods saluted her; the demons sang
songs to her glory.
Sacred elephants who hold up the sky
came from the eight quarters of the universe raised their trunks and
consecrated her with life sustaining water.
Birth of Alaskshmi
Along with
Lakshmi rose Alakshmi, the
goddess of barrenness and misfortune from the churning of the ocean
milk. She was ugly with matted hair, sunken cheeks, shriveled breasts
and coarse limbs.
Said the goddess, “Lakshmi will dwell
where there is nobility and righteousness, cleanliness and beauty,
virtue and compassion. Alakshmi will dwell elsewhere, attracted by
sloth, envy greed, lust and pride.”
And so it is that people who wish to
keep Alakshmi away keep their houses clean, their bodies beautiful and
their minds pure.
Gifts of Prosperity
With
Lakshmi came a cow called Kamadhenu with enough milk to feed the world for all eternity, a wish
fulfilling gem called Chantamani and a tree called Kalpataru that bore
every flower and fruit desirable. In her hand she held the basket of
bounty: the Akshaya Patra overflowing with grain and gold.
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As the spouse of Lord Vishnu, she appears whenever He does in each of His
appearances, such as Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, or Krishna. In each of these
appearances, she appeared as Padma or Kamala, Dharani, Sita, and Rukmini
respectively. They are inseparable.
Lakshmi is seen as exceptionally beautiful, standing on a lotus with four
hands, two of which hold lotus flowers, and the lower right offering blessings
of fortune, and the lower left held in the upright mudra or posture of
benediction or blessings. The lotus she carries in her hands represents that the
realization of the Self is the supreme goal of life. They also indicate the
various worlds and living beings in different states of development or
evolution. Sometimes she may be holding a potted coconut in one hand, which is
another representation of Lakshmi. However, when she is in the company of Lord
Vishnu, she can be seen with two or four hands. Her four hands indicate the four
main blessings of human existence, namely dharma (acts of righteousness
and duty), artha (wealth), kama (sensual pleasures), and moksha
(final liberation). She always wears a lotus garland, and is often seen with
elephants on either side of her offering items such as garlands or pouring pots
of water over her, which in turn may be presented by celestial maidens. Her
complexion is often dark, or white, pink, or golden yellow. When her complexion
is dark, it represents her connection with Lord Vishnu. When she is seen as
golden yellow, it represents her as the source of all fortune and wealth. When
it is white, she is seen as the highest mode of nature from which the universe
has sprung. And when seen as pinkish, it represents her mood of mercy or
compassion toward all creatures since she is also the mother of all beings.
Occasionally you can see her in a temple of her own, rather than
accompanying Lord Vishnu. When this is the case, she is seen sitting on a lotus
throne with her four hands holding a padma (lotus), shankha (conch
shell), amritakalasha (pot of nectar), and a bilva fruit. The pot
of nectar indicates the blessings of immortality. The fruit that she holds
represents the results of our labors or actions, which comes from her blessings.
When such fruit is a coconut, it indicates that she is the source of the three
levels of creation, namely the gross, subtle, and the imperceptible. If it is a
pomegranate, it means that all the worlds are under her influence, which she is
beyond. And if the fruit is the bilva, which is healthy but not very
appetizing, then it means the blessings of moksha, liberation.
When she is shown with eight hands, she also holds a bow, arrow, mace, and
disc. However, this is actually an aspect of Durga as
Mahalakshmi.
There are not many temples that are dedicated exclusively to Goddess
Lakshmi. She is usually given a spot next to Lord Vishnu, or a small shrine in
one of the temples. Yet, in some rare temples dedicated to Lakshmi you can see
her on a central throne, and her eight other aspects or expansions as well, four
on either side of her. These have different combinations of hands holding
various objects representing her different powers. The most popular of these is
Gajalakshmi, shown with four arms on an eight-petaled lotus. This aspect of her
is most often seen when positioned above door frames of houses or temples. When
seen with two hands, she is known as
Samanyalakshmi and
Indralakshmi.
Other
names for Lakshmi include Hira (jewel), Indira (powerful one), Jaladhi-ja
(ocean-born), and Lokamata (mother of the world). However, she is also called
Chanchala,
which means fickle or never in one place for long. This signifies that fortune
or wealth often does not stay with anyone for extended lengths of time. Only
with the greatest of respect for Lakshmi will she stay in one’s household. This
means not only offering her worship, but also taking care of not letting her go
too easily by spending money on unnecessary items or projects.
In some depictions of her, she is seen riding an owl, which in Sanskrit is
uluka, another name for Indra, the king of heaven. Thus, she rides on the
king of the gods, the holder of all the material wealth and power that a living
being could want in this world, which is still not the spiritual world.
In her first incarnation, Lakshmi was the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and
his wife Khyati. She was later born from the milk ocean when it had been churned
by a cooperative effort of the Devas (demigods) and Asuras (demons). This can be
read in the Bhagavata Purana in Canto Eight, Chapters Six, Seven and
Eight. In summary, the demons and the demigods had been struggling with each
other. Because the demigods had offended and been cursed by the sage Durvasa
Muni, they had lost their heavenly kingdom when they were defeated by the
demons. Thus, the demigods went to Lord Brahma to explain the situation. They
all in turn went to offer prayers to Lord Vishnu, who, being pleased with them,
advised them what they should do. Carrying out these instructions, the demigods
made a truce with the demons so they would work together to churn the huge ocean
of milk, by which the nectar of immortality would be produced, which they all
naturally wanted. Many other things would also come from this churning, such as
a powerful poison that Lord Shiva would ingest. Thereafter, among the other
things, was Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. She was worshiped by the great
sages and demigods, but she could find no one to be her husband, so she selected
Lord Vishnu who gave her a place to always stay.
The third day of the festival of Diwali is the most important day of Lakshmi-puja and is entirely devoted to the propitiation of Goddess Lakshmi. On this very day sun enters his second course and passes Libra which is represented by the balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra is believed to have suggested the balancing of account books and their closing. Despite the fact that this day falls on an amavasya day it is regarded as the most
auspicious.
The day of Lakshmi-Puja falls on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds of bells and drums float from the temples as man is invoking Goddess Laxmi in a wondrous holy "pouring-in" of his heart. All of a sudden that impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment and the next moment a blaze of light
descends down to earth from heaven as golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi alights on earth in all her celestial glory amidst chantings of Vedic hymns.
A sublime light of knowledge dawns upon humanity and this self
enlightenment is expressed through the twinkling lamps that illuminate the palaces of thewealthy as well as the lowly abodes of the poor. It is believed that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields and loiters through the bye-lanes and showers her blessings on man for plenty and prosperity.
Lakshmi Pooja, or the worship of the goddess of wealth, is the main event on Diwali in North and West India. It is extremely important to keep the house spotlessly clean and pure on Diwali. Goddess Lakshmi likes cleanliness, and she will visit the cleanest house first. This is also the reason why the broom is worshiped on this day with offerings of haldi and
kumkum (turmeric and vermilion). Lamps are lit in the evening to welcome the goddess. They are believed to light up Her path.
Lakshmi Puja consists of a combined puja of five deities: Ganesha
is worshiped at the beginning of every auspicious act as Vighnaharta;
Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped in her three forms - Mahalakshmi (the goddess of wealth and money),
Mahasaraswati (the goddess of books and learning),
and Mahakali; Kuber (the treasurer of the gods) is
also worshiped.
Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamavali Stotram Lyrics
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram Lyrics -
Lakshmi Nrsimha Devotional Video
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotra by Adi Sankara Bhagawat Pada. Lakshmi Nrsimha Karavalamba Stotram, also known as Lakshmi Narasimha Karunarasa Stotram is a 17-verse Stotram in praise of Lakshmi Narasimha. The Stotram is so called because each of these verses ends with the same refrain “Lakshmi Narasimha, Mama Dehi Karavalambam” which means Oh Lord Narasimha, please lend me your helping hand.
Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram dedicated to the feet of Lord Lakshmi Nrsimha.
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram Lyrics - Lakshmi Nrsimha Prayer
Srimat payonidhi nikethana chakra pane,
Bhogeendra Bhoga mani rajitha punya moorthe,
Yogeesa saswatha saranya Bhabdhi potha,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 1
Brahmendra, Rudra Arka kireeta koti,
Sangattithangri kamala mala kanthi kantha,
Lakshmi lasath kucha saroruha raja hamsa,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 2
Samsara gora gahane charathe murare,
Marogra bheekara Mruga pravardhithasya,
Aarthasya mathsara nidha chain peedithasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 3
Samsara koopam adhi ghora Magadha moolam,
Samprapya dukha satha sarpa samakulasya,
Dheenasya Deva krupana padamagadasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 4
Samsara Sagara vishala karala kala,
Nakra graham grasana nigraha vigrahasya,
Vyagrasya raga rasanormini peedithasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 5
Samasra Vrukshamagha bheeja manantha karma,
Sakha satham karana pathramananga pushpam,
Aroohasya dukha phalitham pathatho dayalo,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 6
Samsara sarpa Ghana vakthra bhyogra theevra,
Damshtra karala visha daghdha vinashta murthe,
Naagari vahana sudhabhdhi nivasa soure,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 7
Samsara dava dahanathura Bheekaroru,
Jwala valee birathi dhighdha nooruhasya,
Thwat pada padma sarasi saranagathasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 8
Samsara Jala pathithasya Jagan nivasa,
Sarvendriyartha badisartha jashopamasya,
Proth Ganditha prachoora thaluka masthakasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 9
Samsara bheekara kareeendra karabhigatha,
Nishpishta marmma vapusha sakalarthi nasa,
Prana prayana bhava bhhethi samakulasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 10
Andhasya me viveka maha danasya,
Chorai prabho bhalibhi rindriya nama deyai,
Mohanda koopa kuhare vinipathathasya,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 11
Baddhvaa gale yamabhataa bahutarjayantah,
Karshhanti yatra bhavapaashashatairyutam maam.
Ekaakinam paravasham chakitam dayaalo
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 12
Lakshmi pathe Kamala nabha suresa vishno,
Vaikunta Krishna Madhu soodhana pushkarksha,
Brahmanya kesava janardhana vasudeva,
Devesa dehi krupanasya karavalambam 13
Ekena chakramaparena karena shamkha-
Manyena sindhutanyaaamavalambya tishhthan,
Vaame karena varadaabhayapadmachihnam,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 14
Samsaara saagara nimajjana muhyamaanam
diinam vilokaya vibho karunaanidhe maam,
prahlaada kheda parihaara paraavataara
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 15
Prahlaada naarada paraashara pundariika-
vyaasaadi bhaagavata pungavah rinnivaasa ,
Bhaktaanurakta paripaalana paarijaata,
Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam 16
Lakshhminrisimha charana abja madhuvratena
Stotram kritam shubhakaram bhuvi shankarena ,
Ye tatpathanti manujaa haribhakti yuktaa-
Ste yaanti tatpada saroja makhandaruupam 17
Sri Lakshmi Nrsimha Padarpanamasthu
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram Video - Devotional Video Song
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