Scholars are of the view that initially the words Shri and Lakshmi referred to anything that was auspicious or brought good luck or bestowed riches and power. Later the two words were personified into two goddesses who eventually merged.
Thus, Shri-Lakshmi came into being. Fragmentary verses in the Shatapatha Brahmana, written not long after the Vedas, talks of the birth of Lakshmi from the mouth of Prajapati to provide the inhabitants of the cosmos food, clothing, shelter, and all things that make life more comfortable.
She also offered wisdom, strength, beauty, luck, sovereignty and splendour—the good things in life. Stories of Lakshmi first appeared in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharta , that were composed between BC and AD, a period that witnessed the waning popularity of Vedic gods and the rise of gods who offered moksha such as Shiva and Vishnu.
Gods and demons fought over her and both strove to churn her out of the ocean of milk. As folk heroes such as Rama and Krishna were viewed as incarnations of Vishnu, their consorts Sita, Radha and Rukmini became increasingly identified with Lakshmi. In the Harivamsa, appendix to the Mahabharata, Manmatha, the god of love, lust and fertility, was described as her son. The mythology of Lakshmi acquired full form in the Puranas , chronicles of gods, kings and sages that were compiled between and AD.
In them, the goddess came to be projected as one of the three primary forms of the supreme mother-goddess, the other two being Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, and Kali or Durga, the goddess of power. Prithvi, the Vedic earth-goddess, became Bhoodevi in the Puranas and a manifestation of Lakshmi. In south India, the two goddesses were visualised as two different entities, standing on either side of Vishnu, Bhoodevi representing tangible wealth while Lakshmi or Shridevi representing intangible wealth.
In north India, the two goddesses became one. Images of Lakshmi started appearing around the third century BC in sculptures found in Kausambi, in north India, and on coins issued during the reign of the Gupta dynasty around the fourth century AD.
She became a favourite of kings as more and more people believed she was the bestower of power, wealth and sovereignty. Separate shrines to Lakshmi within the precincts of Vishnu temples may have been built as early as the seventh century; such shrines were definitely in existence by the 10th century AD.
Nowadays, Hindus accept Lakshmi as the eternal consort of Vishnu, the preserver of the world. In her long history, however, the goddess has been associated with many other deities. According to Ramayana , Mahabharata and Puranas , the goddess Lakshmi first lived with the demons before the gods acquired her.
She graced asuras such as Hiranayaksha, Hiranakashipu, Prahalad, Virochana and Bali, rakshasas such as Ravana and yakshas such as Kubera before she adorned the court of Indra, king of devas , the most renowned of Vedic gods. Within the Vedic pantheon, Lakshmi was linked with many gods, especially those associated with water bodies: Indra, the rain-god bestower of fresh water ; Varuna, the sea-god source of all water ; Soma, the moon-god waxer and waner of tides.
As the Vedic gods waned into insignificance around the fifth century BC, two gods came to dominate the classical Hindu worldview: the world renouncing hermit-god Shiva and the world affirming warrior-god Vishnu.
Lakshmi was briefly associated with Shiva before she became the faithful consort of Vishnu-Narayana, the ultimate refuge of man. With Vishnu, she was domesticated. No longer fleet footed, she sat demurely by his side, on his lap or at his feet.
The association with many gods has led to Lakshmi being viewed as fickle, restless and independent.
Philosophers choose to view the fickleness and independence of Lakshmi as an allegory for the restlessness of fortune. More often than not, there are no rational explanations for fortune and misfortune. Good times come without warning and leave as suddenly.
Like other Vaishnava orders, it visualised Vishnu as the embodiment of the supreme divine principle. However, this order was unique as it refused to acknowledge Vishnu independently. It insisted on the presence of Lakshmi beside him. He represents righteousness; she represents compassion. She is like a mother intervening between a stern father God and an errant son the devotee. In Tantrik texts, which were composed around the same time as the Puranas, Lakshmi acquired supreme importance.
She was Maha-Lakshmi, the supreme goddess. Lakshmi is often differentiated from Maha-Lakshmi. While the former is the consort of Vishnu and the goddess of wealth, Maha-Lakshmi is viewed as an autonomous entity, the supreme embodiment of the mother-goddess. When worshipped as Maha-Lakshmi, Lakshmi is not visualised as a beautiful goddess seated on a lotus, pot in hand, but like a virginal warrior-goddess riding a lion, much like Durga.
This form of the goddess is especially popular in Maharashtra. Ancient Pancharatra texts that adore Maha-Lakshmi consider her to be the root of all creation.
In the beginning, they say, the cosmic soul—the unfathomable unmanifest Narayana—desired to create the cosmos.
But he did not have the resources to do so. As he pondered over this problem, his dormant energy, his shakti, burst forth in a blinding light, manifesting as Maha-Lakshmi. Maha-Lakshmi placed the seed of divine desire in the palm of her hand and unleashed the dynamic forces of creation until the three worlds took shape and all forms of life came forth.
I am the inciter, the potential that takes shape. Register Don't have an account? Edit source History Talk 0. Appearance [ ] Goddess Lakshmi wears a red beautiful looking Saree and wears a crown showing her authority along with her husband Lord Narayana and also wears necklace and bangles of gold representing her as the goddess of wealth.
Powers [ ] Being One of the tridevis she is greatly respected among the devas and all living beings and her powers are way beyond of human comprehension. Wealth and prosperity : If she is prayed with the right karma then wealth and prosperity is will come upon in ones life. Teleportation : She is able to appear anywhere in the universe. Disguise and Shape Shifting :She has used this power to once disguise as an old lady.
Boons : She is able to grand a wish to any devote to help them in their life. Categories Add category. Cancel Save. Fan Feed 1 Mainavati 2 Revati 3 Madanike. Universal Conquest Wiki.
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