Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, symbolizes abundance, beauty, and fertility. Revered across India, she appears in forms like Padmavati, Shridevi, and Bhoodevi. Emerging from the churning of the cosmic ocean or through Vishnu’s spiritual realization, Lakshmi blesses devotees with riches, well-being, and success. Worship practices vary regionally, from domestic altars to grand South Indian temples, and her imagery lotus, elephants, and golden hue represents divine beauty and auspiciousness.
Lakshmi, also known as Mahalakshmi, Padmavati, Shri, and Bhoodevi, is the revered Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Celebrated for her beauty and divine grace, she blesses her devotees with fortune and success. Her multiple forms symbolize fertility, auspiciousness, and the cosmic energy that sustains life.
Sage Markandeya perceives the divine form, manifesting this female cosmic energy, as one and also as three-aspected: 'Mahalakshmi Mahakali saiva prokta Saraswati, Ishvari punyapapana sarvalokamaheshvari' (Devi-Mahatmya, Part 3, Chapter Vaikrtika Rahasya, verse 25).
In Markandeya Purana, Mahalakshmi is as much the goddess of the battlefield as Mahakali or Mahasaraswati. As per Markandeya Purana, it is in her manifestation as Mahalakshmi that Devi kills Mahishasura. Indeed, while the roles of Mahakali and Mahasaraswati are confined to eliminating demons and evil, Mahalakshmi operates also beyond the battlefield representing auspiciousness and beauty.
Lakshmi’s iconic form began appearing around the 3rd century B.C., depicted as a lotus bearing goddess surrounded by elephants a symbol of beauty, prosperity, and abundance. Early examples of her imagery are found in the Sanchi and Bharhut reliefs, where she appears prominently, even though contemporary Buddhist texts do not mention her.
Scholars suggest that these sculptors may have drawn inspiration from earlier traditions, combining Vedic ideas like Mahamata, attributes of Sita, and motifs from the Indus Valley fertility cult, creating a goddess who embodies both aesthetic elegance and generative power. This evolution highlights Lakshmi’s long-standing association with prosperity, fertility, and divine grace.
The monotheistic Vedas, despite their perception of cosmic unity, deciphered at the very outset the two aspected characters of existence and creative process, one, the male, and the other, the female. The Rig Veda perceives the maleness and the femaleness as contained within a single frame but also as two attributes of the 'contained'.
The Vedas directly alludes to a number of operative attributes, male and female, having cosmic dimensions, deifying them, and sometimes even personalise. Among those identified personally Vak, Ushas, Shri, Sita, and Ratri are the main. Sita, the furrow-line, and Ratri, the night, are casually alluded to, and that too, in Upanishads. However, independent 'Suktas' are devoted to Vak - speech, and Ushas - dawn.
The Vedas have also alluded to human females, Aditi, the mother of gods, Diti, Ila, and a few others. Though no hymns are attributed to, or rites ascribed, the Vedas allude to Mahimata, Mother Earth, a deity identical to Harappan Mother Goddess. The Rig-Veda has some 'Suktas' devoted to Shri but it is completely indifferent to Lakshmi. This Rig-Vedic Shri is not a form of Lakshmi as she becomes later.
The hymn:
ashvapurvām rathamadhyām hastinādaprabodhinīm |
śriyam devīmupahvaye śrīrmā devī juṣatām ||
अश्वपूर्वम् रथमध्यम् हस्तिनादाप्रबोधिनीम् |
श्रीयं देविमुपह्वये श्रीमा देवि जुषातम ||
Translation: let me be possessed of Shri who equals an army well accomplished with horses, chariots, elephants, etc. and let my home be her perpetual abode, is sometimes contended to relate to Lakshmi but while the hymn perceives Shri as one having immense power equal to an army, Lakshmi represented fertility and abundance.
If at all, Lakshmi made a debut during the later Vedic period, especially in the Atharva-Veda alludes to an anonymous deity possessed of large breasts with milk oozing from them. Certainly not a form of Shri, the Atharva-Veda appears to be alluding to the Indus Mother Goddess or a goddess identical to her preceding the milk-filled large-breasted Lakshmi icons of Sanchi and Bharhut.
In all likelihood this large-breasted goddess, representing fertility, generative energy, and abundance, transformed into the lotus goddess in the 3rd-2nd century B.C. reliefs. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata allude to Lakshmi but many of these allusions are either only by interpretation or confined to particular editions.
Chapter 45 of Bal-kanda in the Valmiki Ramayana narrates the legend of the ocean churning out of which Lakshmi emerged. Many scholars have quoted this chapter as elaborating Lakshmi's physical appearance and personality, though even the Gita Press, Gorakhpur, edition of the Ramayana does not have any mention of her.
Later, the Puranic literature transformed her into Vishnu's spouse assisting him in accomplishing his sustenance-related acts or serving him personally. Puranas wove around her numerous legends in regard to her origin, forms, acts, and aesthetic beauty, as well as hymns for her rituals.
The legend of Samudra Manthana, or the churning of the cosmic ocean, is central to Lakshmi’s mythology. In the Mahabharata (Adiparva 4), the gods (sons of Aditi) and demons (sons of Diti) churned the ocean using Mount Meru as a rod and Vasuki as a rope to obtain the nectar of immortality.
During this process, Lakshmi emerged riding a lotus, one of fourteen divine treasures, symbolizing wealth, beauty, and prosperity. Brahma gifted her to Vishnu, who accepted her as his consort.
This iconic scene inspired early Indian art, with the earliest depictions of ocean-churning and Lakshmi appearing in the early Gupta period (300 AD) cave temple at Udayagiri, Madhya Pradesh, where reliefs vividly portray her rising from the cosmic waters.
According to the Vishnu Purana (1/8), Lakshmi was re-born on the Earth as the daughter of sage Bhragu and Khyati, daughter of Daksha Prajapati. She later married Narayana, an incarnation of Vishnu and bore two sons, Bala and Unmada.
The Brahmavaivarta Purana presents an alternate origin, stating that Lakshmi emerged from Vishnu’s right half, while Radha came from his left, highlighting her divine connection. Rare Vishnu Ardhanarishvara images depict this union visually, with Lakshmi represented as Vishnu’s feminine aspect.
The Bhagawata Purana identifies yet another form of Lakshmi in the Shrivatsa mark on Vishnu's chest. In one legend, sage Bhragu was tasked to determine the supreme deity among the Great Trio. Upon visiting Vishnu and finding him asleep, he struck Vishnu’s chest with his foot, leaving the Shrivatsa mark. Vishnu’s humble response pleased Bhragu, who decreed that Lakshmi would eternally reside in Vishnu’s bosom, symbolizing their inseparable bond.
In the Bhragu-incidence Padma Purana has sought Lakshmi's re-emergence in a different way. Lakshmi, who was in Vishnu's bosom when sage Bhragu hit him on his chest, felt insulted, more so, by Vishnu's apologetic reaction. Consequently, she abandoned him and his Baikuntha - Vishnu's abode. Unable to bear separation Vishnu also left Baikuntha and looking for her descended on the earth where he re-emerged as Venkatesh.
Many yugas - cosmic ages passed in repentance and yearning. Now reconciled, Lakshmi decided to re-emerge in Vishnu's heart as an intrinsic realisation. One day Vishnu realised Lakshmi unfolding within him like a lotus and he felt that he was re-united with her. The moment his realisation was absolute, the universe glowed with a divine lustre, and all around was abundance, riches, prosperity, fertility, and beauty.
In South India, Bhoodevi is considered another form of Lakshmi, alongside Padmavati and Shridevi. She is sometimes viewed as a rebirth of Lakshmi or as one of Vishnu’s two wives, often depicted flanking him in South Indian bronze art.
This transformation is connected to the sage Bhragu legend. After causing Vishnu and Lakshmi’s separation, Bhragu sought their reunion. During this period, Lakshmi descended to Earth, merging into cows grazing near a termite hill. Disguised as a cowherd, Bhragu began thrashing the cows, prompting Vishnu to intervene. Lakshmi, appeased by Vishnu’s action, re-emerged not as Lakshmi but as Bhoodevi, uniting with him.
Another legend tells of Vishnu rescuing Bhoodevi from Hiranyaksha, after which she became his consort. These tales reflect Bhoodevi as Lakshmi’s earthly and nurturing aspect, emphasizing fertility, abundance, and devotion.
In later Puranic texts, Lakshmi differs significantly from the Mahalakshmi of the Devi-Mahatmya or the lotus goddess of Sanchi and Bharhut reliefs. Unlike Mahalakshmi, who embodies primordial female energy and resides in Vishnu’s bosom in Baikuntha, Lakshmi is often depicted as a benevolent goddess granting prosperity, wealth, and material happiness.
While Lakshmi is merely the manifestation of primordial female energy, Mahalakshmi is the primordial female energy in her own form. Even the Brahmavaivarta Purana acclaims her as Lakshmi's prime form out of her ten forms. It is Mahalakshmi alone who resides in Baikuntha in the bosom of Mahavishnu.
While Mahalakshmi symbolizes the cosmic and operative energy of Vishnu, Lakshmi in Puranas largely appears as a subordinate yet auspicious consort, assisting Vishnu in sustaining the universe. She ensures fertility, abundant crops, and beauty in life, reflecting her role as the giver of boons.
Over time, texts like the Mahabharata gradually redefined her status, emphasizing worldly riches and virtues. Later Puranas portray her as Chanchala (fickle) or Rajalakshmi (associated with kings and wealth), highlighting her connection to prosperity and worldly abundance, distinct from her original cosmic form.
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, is known by many names reflecting her various aspects: Mahalakshmi, Padmavati, Shri, Bhoodevi, Chanchala, Rajalakshmi, Kamala, Dharini, Vaishnavi, Narayani, Vishnu-Priya.
🔸Kamala, represents her lotus form
🔸Dharini, symbolizes her immense power to bear, as Bhoodevi
🔸Vaishnavi, Narayani and Vishnu-Priya, denote her connection as Vishnu’s consort
🔸Padmavati, embodies beauty and abundance.
🔸Shridevi, represents wealth, splendor, and divine grace.
🔸Bhoodevi, symbolizes the nourishing earth itself, reflecting Lakshmi’s role as a life-giving force.
Her prominent forms include Gaja-Lakshmi and Deep-Lakshmi. Gaja-Lakshmi, often synonymous with Mahalakshmi, is depicted with elephants on either side, symbolizing prosperity and divine power. Folk variants, crafted in unbaked clay, sometimes feature miniature elephants carrying Lakshmi and her attendants.
The annual 'Pitru-paksha Ashtami' festival honors Gaja-Lakshmi, emphasizing the elephant’s sacred role alongside the goddess, unlike other deities whose mounts are secondary. Historically, Lakshmi’s association with elephants may have influenced Sri Lankan Buddhism, where Tara is depicted as commander of elephants.
Today, Gaja-Lakshmi remains one of the most worshipped forms, frequently highlighted in art and rituals. Ancient texts like the Rig-Vedic Shri-Sutra also allude to elephants in the context of Shri, emphasizing her immense power and auspicious presence.
When describing how the image of Lakshmi with elephants performing sacred ablution magnifies the beauty of the lintel on the gate of Ravana's mansion (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundar-Kanda, 7, 14), the Ramayana alludes to Lakshmi's Gaja-Lakshmi form and is perhaps the earliest to do so. However, the text only describes linguistically a visual image sculpted on it.
Deep Lakshmi is not a form or manifestation of the Goddess Lakshmi. It is a simple votive icon combining lamp-forms with a woman's figure. To add to its auspiciousness it borrows Lakshmi's name, the auspicious-most goddess. Votive only in a restricted sense, the Deep-Lakshmi icons are worshipped during Diwali-puja along with Diwali's presiding deity Lakshmi and Ganesha.
However, Deep-Lakshmi icons represent India's ages' long cult of worshipping women and celebrating the birth of light. These icons not only synthesise India's reverence for women with the exuberance of light but also link it with Diwali, the festival of light, and the epitome of the Lakshmi cult.
🔸Lotus (Padma): Lakshmi is often shown seated or standing on a fully bloomed lotus, symbolizing purity, spiritual awakening, and detachment from material impurities despite being the goddess of wealth.
🔸Elephants (Gaja-Lakshmi): Elephants showering her with water represent royal power, fertility, and the endless flow of prosperity.
🔸Gold and Coins: Gold ornaments and coins cascading from her hands emphasize her role as the provider of fortune, material success, and well-being.
Lakshmi’s four arms are rich in symbolic value, representing the four goals of human life (Purusharthas) in Hindu philosophy:
1. Dharma – Righteousness and moral order
2. Artha – Wealth and material prosperity
3. Kama – Desire, love, and fulfillment
4. Moksha – Liberation and spiritual freedom
Together, these symbols portray Lakshmi not merely as a goddess of material riches but as a guide to holistic prosperity, where spiritual growth balances worldly success.
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, beauty, and prosperity, is depicted in multiple forms, each reflecting her divine attributes. The most iconic image shows her gold-complexioned, radiant, richly adorned, and seated on a red lotus, flanked by elephants performing sacred ablutions. She is typically four-armed, holding a lotus, pot, rosary, and other Vaishnava symbols, while two hands assume the abhaya (protection) and varada (blessing) mudras.
In her humble consort form with Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi appears two-armed, serving her spouse with devotion, yet retains her timeless beauty and charm. Historically, Mahalakshmi was depicted with eight to eighteen arms, wielding weapons and divine instruments such as the mace, sword, shield, trident, conch, Sudarshana chakra (disc), and others, reflecting her cosmic energy.
Over time, her iconography evolved:
🔸Mahalakshmi: Coral-like complexion, multiple arms, instruments of war
🔸Lakshmi (Votive): Four arms, lotus, pot, rosary, fruit, abhaya and varada
🔸Padmavati: Lotus motifs, lotus garland, symbolic of evolving in Vishnu’s heart
🔸Gaja-Lakshmi: Flanked by elephants, symbolizing prosperity
🔸Bhoodevi: Humble attire, representing fertility and earth
🔸Vaishnavi: Garuda-riding, battlefield goddess
The lotus remains central to all forms, symbolizing purity, fertility, and cosmic presence, while variations in adornments, arm counts, and accompanying symbols convey specific aspects of Lakshmi’s divine persona.
As Shridevi, Lakshmi is the image of the supreme beauty conceived as heavily bejeweled. She is unique in lustre and majesty. No less is her splendour as Gaja-Lakshmi, though it is the phenomenal presence of elephants, represented dramatically bathing her, that imparts to her image its exotic distinction. Bhoodevi, representing earthly character, the fertility, is humbly attired. The Garuda-riding Vaishnavi, the goddess of the battlefield, carries instruments of war. Alike differences are her forms and overall personalities in her births as Radha and Sita.
Across India, Lakshmi is universally revered as the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Most homes, regardless of social or economic status, display her name, symbol (swastika), mantra, or images—metal, clay, or painted—to invite her blessings. The popular mantra: “Shri Lakshmi sada sahay Karen” means “May Lakshmi, who is also Shri, always help me.”
Even banks and government offices often inscribe her auspicious symbols like shubha (auspicious) and labha (profit). However, dedicated shrines to Lakshmi are rare in North and Central India, as she predominantly enshrines sanctums with Vishnu, known collectively as Lakshmi-Narayana, with Lakshmi always preceding him.
12" Hindu Deities Lakshmi Narayana In Black Stone
In South India, Lakshmi is widely worshipped independently, particularly as Padmavati, Shridevi, and sometimes Bhoodevi. The Shridevi form is so influential that Vishnu’s abode is called Shrinivasa, meaning “the residence of Shri.”
According to legend, Padmavati emerged when Vishnu, searching for Lakshmi after leaving Baikuntha, settled on Tirumala hill in the Eastern Ghats, also called Sheshachala, shaped like the serpent Sheshnag, Vishnu’s seat. A miraculous event revealed Vishnu reclining underground, with Lakshmi’s presence manifesting as a divine lustre in the form of a lotus. The temple of Venkateshvara was built to honor Vishnu, and Padmavati was later worshipped independently as his consort by spiritual realization.
Today, Padmavati temples are abundant in South India, making her one of the most venerated deities in the region. Her worship symbolizes prosperity, devotion, and the divine union of wealth and dharma.
🔸Diwali (Festival of Lights): Lakshmi is the central deity of Diwali, symbolizing the victory of light and prosperity over darkness. Homes are cleaned, decorated with oil lamps, and filled with prayers to invite her blessings.
🔸Varalakshmi Vratam (South India): A special ritual observed by married women for family prosperity.
🔸Kojagari Lakshmi Puja (Bengal, Odisha): Celebrated on a full moon night, it emphasizes abundance and good fortune.
Lakshmi is more than a goddess of material wealth, she is the embodiment of holistic prosperity, balancing fortune with righteousness, beauty with wisdom, and abundance with harmony. From her Vedic roots to her central role in temple worship and household rituals, she has remained a guiding force for individuals and communities seeking both worldly success and spiritual fulfillment.
In today’s world, her relevance endures: businesses invoke her blessings for growth, families honor her for harmony, and spiritual seekers look to her as a symbol of divine grace. Lakshmi’s timeless presence reminds us that true prosperity is not only measured in riches but also in values, relationships, and inner peace.
🔸Goddess of Wealth & Prosperity: Lakshmi blesses devotees with abundance, fortune, and success.
🔸Multiple Forms: She appears as Mahalakshmi, Padmavati, Shri, Bhoodevi, Gaja-Lakshmi, and Deep-Lakshmi.
🔸Mythical Origins: Emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthana and associated with fertility and cosmic energy.
🔸Iconography: Often depicted with lotuses, elephants, and four arms carrying auspicious symbols.
🔸Worship Across India: Celebrated widely, especially during Diwali and in South Indian temples like Tirumala.
🔸Vedic & Puranic References: Mentioned in Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas, reflecting evolving mythology.
🔸Symbol of Auspiciousness: Represents beauty, grace, and the balance between spiritual and material prosperity.
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, and abundance, revered in multiple forms including Mahalakshmi, Padmavati, and Bhoodevi.
During Samudra Manthana, the cosmic churning of the ocean, Lakshmi appeared riding a lotus, symbolizing fertility and fortune.
Her main forms include Mahalakshmi, Padmavati, Shri, Bhoodevi, Gaja-Lakshmi, and Deep-Lakshmi, each representing different aspects of prosperity and beauty.
Common symbols include lotuses, elephants, and four arms carrying auspicious items like a pot, rosary, or lotus.
Lakshmi is widely worshipped during Diwali, and in South India, she is venerated as Padmavati and Shridevi in temples like Tirumala.
She represents both material and spiritual prosperity, auspiciousness, and the sustaining cosmic energy that blesses devotees with fortune and success.
Mahalakshmi represents the primordial female energy and cosmic power, while Lakshmi in later Puranas is often depicted as Vishnu’s consort granting wealth and blessings.
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