Lakshmī Pūjā
Lakshmī Pūjā, simply known as Lakshmi Puja, Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी पूजा, Telugu: లక్ష్మీ పూజ, Hindi: लक्ष्मी पूजा.
Lakshmī Pūjā is the worship of Mahālakshmī, the Devī of wealth and good fortune. The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa of the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa (Chapters 35 and 39) tells where Mahālakshmī came from, who worshipped her first, and how Indra worshipped her at the Kshīrasāgara (the ocean of milk) after the curse of Durvāsa. It gives the full sixteen-offering pūjā with a mantra for each upacāra.
The mūla mantra is the twelve-syllable mantra that Brahmā taught to Indra: Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Klīṃ Aiṃ Kamalavāsinyai Svāhā.
Origin of Mahālakshmī
At the very beginning of creation, a radiant devī arose from the left side of Śrī Kṛshṇa Paramātmā. She was the form of all auspiciousness, with a beauty beyond words. She shone with the radiance of ten million autumn full moons. She had wide lotus eyes and the freshness of a twelve-year-old maiden. She was clothed in gold and adorned with countless gems.
Two forms came out of her. The one from her left side became Mahālakshmī. The one from her right side became Rādhā.
Rādhā chose the two-armed (dvibhuja) Śrī Kṛshṇa as her husband. Mahālakshmī chose the four-armed (caturbhuja) Nārāyaṇa, who had appeared at the same time. So Mahālakshmī became the consort of Vaikuṇṭha-Nārāyaṇa. She lives in Vaikuṇṭha as the supreme Śrī. She is pure, of śuddha-sattva nature, and the home of all saubhāgya (good fortune).
The Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 35, gives this account.
The six manifestations of Mahālakshmī
By her yogic power Mahālakshmī fills all the realms in many forms:
- Mahālakshmī: in Vaikuṇṭha, as the supreme Śrī, of pure sattva, holding all grace.
- Svargalakshmī: in svarga-loka, as the prosperity of Indra and the devas.
- Rājalakshmī: in Bhūloka and Pātāla, as the rule and power of kings.
- Gṛhalakshmī: in every household, as the presiding grace of the home and of the wife.
- Surabhi: among cows, as Gau-Mātā, the mother of all cattle.
- Dakshiṇā Devī: as the wife of Yajña, the power that fulfils every sacred rite.
She is also present as the Śrī in every ornament, every lotus, every gemstone, every fresh crop, every auspicious vessel (maṅgala-kumbha), every new cloud and every sacred image.
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 35, gives these forms.
The first worship of Lakshmī
Śrī Nārāyaṇa himself worshipped Mahālakshmī first, in Vaikuṇṭha. Then Brahmā worshipped her. Then Śaṅkara worshipped her. Then Nārāyaṇa worshipped her again at the Kshīrasāgara. In Bhāratavarsha, Svāyambhuva Manu was the first to worship her. After him came the ṛshis, householders, gandharvas and the people of Pātāla.
These are the devotees named as having performed Lakshmī Pūjā and received its blessings: Maṅgala (a king), Kedāra, Vīla, Nala, Subala, Dhruva, Uttānapāda, Indra, Bali Cakravarti, Kaśyapa Prajāpati, Daksha Prajāpati, Kardama, Sūrya, Priyavrata, Candra, Kubera, Vāyu, Yama, Agni and Varuṇa.
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 35, gives this list.
When the devas worshipped her
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa names the times at which different devatās performed Lakshmī Pūjā:
- Brahmā: from Bhādrapada Śukla Ashṭamī, for fifteen days.
- Śrī Mahāvishṇu: in Caitra, Pushya and Bhādrapada, on every Maṅgalavāra (Tuesday).
- Svāyambhuva Manu: in the month of Phālguṇa and the month of Pushya.
Indra’s pūjā at the Kshīrasāgara
Indra had once shown disrespect to the sacred garland of Durvāsa Maharshi. After that, Lakshmī withdrew from the three worlds. The devas lost their rule and their strength and became poor. In time, through the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana), Lakshmī came out again, and the devas appealed to her. Then Indra performed a great pūjā at the Kshīrasāgara, to restore the bond between the devas and Mahālakshmī.
The pūjā went as follows:
- Indra bathed in a sacred tīrtha and put on freshly washed white clothes.
- He set up a kalaśa (water pot) on the shore of the Kshīrasāgara.
- As a first step he worshipped six devatās with fragrance and flowers: Gaṇapati, Sūrya, Agni, Vishṇu, Śiva and Durgā.
- He invited Mahālakshmī into the kalaśa with the āvāhana mantra.
- He offered a Pārijāta flower smeared with candana (sandal paste) as a special naivedya.
- He then recited the dhyāna mantra that Brahmā had taught him, from the Sāmaveda.
The dhyāna of Mahālakshmī taught by Brahmā:
Mahālakshmī lives at the karṇikā (centre) of the thousand-petalled lotus. She shines with the brilliance of ten billion autumn full moons. She is supremely beautiful and enchanting, golden-bodied, adorned with countless gems, clothed in pītāmbara (yellow silk). With a gentle smile she gives all wealth to her devotees. I worship this Mahālakshmī of eternal, steady youth.
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 39, gives this rite.
The upacāra mantras
After the dhyāna, Indra offered each of the upacāras below, with its own mantra. The table gives the sense of each mantra.
| Upacāra | Sense of the mantra |
|---|---|
| Āsana | “O Mahālakshmī, accept this throne made by Viśvakarmā from priceless gems.” |
| Arghya (Gaṅgā water) | “This Gaṅgā water, pure as fire, honoured by all: accept it.” |
| Pādya (water from the conch) | “O Padmavāsinī, receive this water from the conch, filled with flowers and garika.” |
| Āmalakī water | “O Śrī Hari-priyā, receive this āmalakī water, fragrant and beautifying.” |
| Dhūpa | “O Śrī-Kṛshṇa-kāntā, receive this incense of fragrant tree resins.” |
| Candana | “O Mahālakshmī, this sandalwood from the Malaya forest: accept it.” |
| Dīpa | “O Parameśvarī, this lamp, like the eye of the world: accept it.” |
| Naivedya | “O Devī, food of many flavours: sweet rice (pāyasa), svastika, fruits: accept them.” |
| Kshīra | “O beloved of Achyuta, receive this milk from Surabhi’s udder, amṛta for mortals.” |
| Guḍa | “Receive this sugarcane juice ripened by fire, and raw ikshu-rasa.” |
| Mishṭānna | “Receive this sweet made of barley flour (yava), guḍa and cow’s milk.” |
| Pishṭaka | “O Devī, receive this preparation of rice flour and svastika.” |
| Vyajana (Cāmara) | “Receive this white yak-tail fan, bringing a cool breeze in the summer heat.” |
| Tāmbūla | “O Mahālakshmī, receive this tāmbūla with camphor (karpūra) and other spices.” |
| Jala | “O Lakshmī, receive this cool, fragrant water, the source of life for all beings.” |
| Vastra | “O Mātā, receive this garment of cotton or silk, which beautifies the body.” |
| Bhūshaṇa | “Receive this ornament of gold and gems, which brings joy and splendour to the body.” |
| Mālya | “O Mātā, receive this flower garland, beloved of all devatās.” |
| Gandha | “O Devī, receive this sandal paste, the best of all maṅgala-dravyas (auspicious substances).” |
| Ācamanīya | “O Śrī-Kṛshṇa-kāntā, receive this pure tīrtha water for ācamana (sipping).” |
| Śayyā | “Receive this bed adorned with gems, flowers, sandal and ornaments.” |
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 39, gives these mantras.
Mūla mantra and japa
After the pūjā of the upacāras, Indra recited the mūla mantra of Mahālakshmī ten lakh (one million) times with bhakti. By this he gained mantra-siddhi (success in the mantra).
Brahmā taught Indra the dvādaśāksharī (twelve-syllable) mantra. It is made of four bīja syllables, with a fifth word and the closing word:
Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Klīṃ Aiṃ Kamalavāsinyai Svāhā
- Śrīṃ is the Lakshmī-bīja.
- Hrīṃ is the Māyā-bīja.
- Klīṃ is the Kāma-bīja.
- Aiṃ is the Sarasvatī-bīja.
- Kamalavāsinyai is in the fourth case (caturthī): to the one who lives in the lotus.
- Svāhā is the completing power.
Kubera used this same mantra to gain his immeasurable wealth. Rāja-Rājeśvara, Daksha, Sāvarṇi Manu, Maṅgala, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda also used it.
The japa measures:
- Ten lakh japa gives mantra-siddhi, as Indra gained it.
- Five lakh japa gives mantra-siddhi enough to bestow wishes on others.
- One month of daily pāṭha (recitation) after mantra-siddhi gives rājeśvara-sthāna (the place of a ruler) and abundant happiness.
The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 39, gives the mantra and the japa.
The phalaśruti
One who reads the Mahālakshmī stotra, as Indra recited it before the darśana of Mahālakshmī, at the three sandhyās becomes equal to Kubera in wealth and reaches the rank of a great ruler.
Sources
- Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 35
- Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 39