Sri Lakshmi handed me gold coins and had me drop them over my head as the word “Sri” appeared over my head…
In this particular instance, Sri Lakshmi was making it known that she is my divine grandmother, an important energetic ingredient in the making of my soul. Knowing this information, I began to learn more about her and regularly invoke that energy into my home and life. Before she made her presence known, I had very little knowledge of her story and why I should connect to her. Below you will find some basic information about Sri Lakshmi.
Getting to know Lakshmi
Lakshmi is a Hindu Goddess or Devi of Prosperity, wealth and fortune, however, it is also thought that her name is derived from a word meaning “goal” and is looked upon as the supreme goal of humanity. Her story can be found in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, and the Ramayana. Each story gives different aspects of her origin, her relationship to Vishnu, and the gifts that she bestows on her devotees. Everything about her story and symbolism speaks of attaining both spiritual and physical abundance and using it to escape the cycle of life and death.
The image of Lakshmi explained
She is usually depicted as a beautiful woman with 4 arms seated upon a lotus flower. She wears a red sari with gold trim representing active creativity and abundance. Each hand/arm is said to represent the 4 goals or ends of humanity. The upper hands represent spiritual activity that leads to spiritual perfection while the lower hands represent physical activity. Each of the upper hands hold lotus flowers. The right side represents the daily activity--one’s pursuit of morality and truth in this human life or righteousness (dharma). In contrast, the left hand represents the accomplished goal of self-knowledge and thus, liberation from the cycle of life and death (moksha). The lower right hand is held in the abhaya mudra which is a symbol of blessings, fearlessness, protection, peace, and friendship (kama). From the left hand, Lakshmi is shown showering gold coins onto the ground which is a clear symbol of material wealth (artha). The lotus she sits upon represents being in the world but not of the world. In other words, finding the balance of enjoying the luxuries of life without becoming obsessed with it. She is often surrounded by elephants or shown with her husband Vishnu. The elephants are symbols of tenacity, strength, honor, and wisdom--again reiterating the qualities Sri Lakshmi likes to see in her devotees. As the symbol of the divine feminine energy, she is the creative power of Vishnu, the symbol of divine male energy.
Additional qualities symbolized by Sri Lakshmi are:
Aishwarya-richness and beauty,
Yash-name and fame that comes as a result of carrying out one’s destiny,
Shri-a designation of fortune and divinity,
Vairagya- the loss of interest in worldly matters
She is also shown in her 8 forms, each representing a different type of wealth:
Adi Lakshmi- primal or great mother
Dhanya Lakshmi-wealth in agriculture and food
Veera Lakshmi-wealth of courage
Gaja Lakshmi-wealth of power
Santana Lakshmi-wealth of fertility
Vijaya Lakshmi-wealth of victory
Aishwarya Lakshmi-wealth of knowledge and education
Dhana Lakshmi-monetary wealth
Benefits of invoking Lakshmi Energy
As you can see, Sri Lakshmi is the personification of abundance, physically and spiritually. Her energy does not work well with laziness, vanity, or immorality. The blessings of Maha Lakshmi are said to only be bestowed upon those who are always in the act of charity, honesty, developing spirituality, and kindness. Welcome her into your life by opening yourself to beauty, prosperity, and wealth in your home, business and life.
What experiences have you had with Sri Lakshmi? Tell me about them in the comment section below.