30

Mother Laksmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is the sustainer of the world. He is the maintainer of the
entire universe. Wealth is needed for sustenance. Laksmi provides wealth.
Laksmi emerged from the churning of the milky ocean. The ocean represents a pure mind and truth. Laksmi poses
wealth. She has the power of wealth. Mother Swaraswati possesses knowledge, wisdom and intellect.
A man of pure mind, heart and love for Lord Vishnu and His creation gains wealth. He commands peace, power and
prosperity. If one runs after Laksmi leaving Lord Narayan, one does not get wealth and happiness as Laksmi flees
from that person.
Laksmi is seated on a lotus. She holds a lotus in her hand. Lotus is well rooted in the pond. It grows on muddy water
of the pond. Yet, it is clean. Goddess of wealth tells us, “O my Child be rooted in the reality, don’t be swayed by

the glittering of the world and illusion. Be pure, learn the art of love and be like a lotus. Your mother of Wealth with
Narayan will be with you to sustain you.”
ªÉÉ ¸ÉÒ; º´ÉªÉÆ ºÉÖEÞòÊiÉxÉÉÆ ¦É´ÉxÉ乴ɱÉI¨ÉÒ;
{ÉÉ{ÉÉi¨ÉxÉÉÆ EÞòiÉÊvɪÉÉÄ ¾þnùªÉä¹ÉÖ ¤ÉÖÊrù:*
¸ÉrùÉ ºÉiÉÉÆ EÖò±ÉVÉxÉnù¦É´ÉºªÉ ±ÉVVÉÉ*
iÉÉÆ i´ÉÉÆ xÉiÉÉ: º¨É {ÉÊ®úSÉÉ±ÉªÉ näù櫃 櫃წÉÂ**
She is the Goddess of True Wealth in the homes of virtuous souls and is the misery of those who perform evil. She
is Intelligent in the hearts of the pure minded, Faith to the truthful, and Humility to the truly noble. To that Divine
Goddess we bow in reverence. You please protect the entire universe. ...Excerpt from Chandi Path by Swami
Satyananda Saraswati
Goddess Laksmi is fickle. Being the consort of Vishnu, She lives with Him. She follows Him. Devotion and Love to
Vishnu can only retain Laksmi (prosperity). Sometimes a person of impure heart and unlikely nature has a lot of
wealth and lives in luxuries. And a person of purity and all virtues lives in dire poverty and seizes with calamities.
In Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna said to Arjuna that due to one’s past Karma, one suffers and enjoys. As soon as the
effect of the past Karma is complete, the person either lives happily after suffering or suffers seriously after
enjoying prosperity. In ‘Autobiography of an Yogi’, Paramhansa Yogananda had said the above to one of his
disciples when he was suffering to the breaking point, while his friend who was impure was enjoying.
A Hymn to Mahalaksmi
xɨɺiÉä%ºiÉÖ ¨É½þɨÉɪÉä ¸ÉÒ{ÉÒ`äö ºÉÖ®ú{ÉÚÊVÉiÉä*
¶ÉRÂóEò SÉGòMÉnùɽþºiÉä ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä**
O Mahamaya, abode of fortune, who art worshipped by the Devas, I salute Thee; O Mahalaksmi, weilder of conch,
disc and mace, obeisance to Thee.
xɨɺiÉä Mɯûc÷É°üfäø EòÉä±ÉɺÉÖ®ú¦ÉªÉRÂóEòÊ®ú*
ºÉ´ÉÇ{ÉÉ{ɽþ®äú näùÊ´É ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä*
My salutations to Thee, who ridest the Garuda and art a terror to Asura Kola; O Devi Mahalaksmi, remover of all
miseries, my obeisance.
ºÉ´ÉÇYÉä ºÉ´ÉÇ´É®únäù ºÉ´ÉÇnÖù¹]õ¦ÉªÉREòÊ®ú*
ºÉ´ÉÇnÖù:Jɽþ®äú näùÊ´É ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä*
O Devi Mahalaksmi, who knowest all, giver of all boons, a terror to all the wicked, remover of all sorrow, obeisance
to Thee.
ʺÉÊrù¤ÉÖÊrùnùnäù näùÊ´É ¦ÉÖÊHò¨ÉÖÊHònùnùÉʪÉÊxÉ*
¨ÉxjɨÉÚiÉæ ºÉnùÉ näùÊ´É ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä*
O Devi, the giver of intelligence and success and of worldly enjoyment and liberation, Thou hast always the mystic
symbols as Thy form, O Mahalaksmi, obeisance to Thee.
+ÉtxiÉ®úʽþiÉä näùÊ´É +Ét¶ÉHäò ¨É½äþ·ÉÊ®ú*
ªÉÉäMÉVÉä ªÉÉäMɺɨ¦ÉÚiÉä ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä**
O Devi, Maheshwari, without a beginning or an end, O Primeval Energy, born of Yoga, O Mahalaksmi, obeisance
to Thee.
ºlÉڱɺÉÚI¨É¨É½þÉ®úÉèpäù ¨É½þɶÉHäò ¨É½þÉäùnùªÉä*

¨É½þÉ{ÉÉ{ɽþ®äú näùÊ´É ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä**
O Mahalaksmi, who art both gross and subtle, most terrible, great power, great prosperity and great remover of all
sins, obeisance to Thee.
{ÉsɺÉxÉκlÉiÉä näùÊ´É {É®ú¥ÉÀº´ÉnùÊ{ÉÊhÉ*
{É®ú¨Éä榃 VÉMÉx¨ÉÉiɨÉǽþɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä**
O Devi, seated on the lotus, who art the Supreme Brahman, the great Lord and Mother of the universe, O
Mahalaksmi, obeisance to Thee.
·ÉäiÉɨ¤É®úvÉ®äú näùÊ´É xÉÉxÉɱÉRÂóEòÉ®ú¦ÉÚʹÉiÉä*
VÉMÉÎiºlÉiÉä VÉMÉx¨ÉÉiɨÉǽþɱÉÎI¨É xɨÉÉä%ºiÉÖiÉä**
O Devi, robed in white garments and decked with various kinds of ornaments, Thou art the mother of the universe
and its support, O Mahalaksmi, obeisance to Thee.
¨É½þɱÉI¨ªÉ¹]õEòºiÉÉäjÉÆ ªÉ: {É`äönÂù¦ÉÊHò¨ÉÉxÉ xÉ®ú:*
ºÉ´ÉÇʺÉÊrù¨É´ÉÉ{ÉxÉÉäÊiÉ ¨É½þɱÉÎI¨ÉnùºÉÉnùiÉ:**
Whoever with devotion reads this hymn to Mahalaksmi, composed in eight stanzas, attains all success through the
grace of Mahalaksmi.