Shri Lakshmi

 

Shri Lakshmi means good fortune.  According to traditional Sanatana scriptures, Lakshmi in one, yet it can be divided into eight verities depending on real-life experiences. This is a pragmatic approach having wide coverage of most of the aspects of a happy life. This also dispels the narrow outlook towards successful life based on a single objective of piling up only money and completely ignoring much more valuable and crucial dimensions of successful life. Financial property is certainly a very potential form of fortune, but it is not everything.

Thus, this traditional approach opens up our mind and eyes to reset our priorities right.

Scriptures divide Lakshmi into eight parts. These are considered as manifestations of the same Shri Lakshmi.  These are:

Adi Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Veera Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi and Aiswarya Lakshmi.    

Some sections of the scriptures suggest additional aspects such as Dhairya Lakshmi, Jaya or Vijaya Lakshmi and Vidya Lakshmi to be part of Asta Aiswarya Lakshmi. So, there are no fixed dimensions of Lakshmi though the title of the Stotra suggests eight aspects.  There can be many more aspects of Lakshmi.  What is important here is not just a fixed number but to understand the core idea of a fortunate life and then strive to spread one’s wings to cover as many aspects as possible. 

This a logical.  How? It is like this:

If one does sweat out day in and day out to just earn money by ignoring physical health and mental balance, one may not be able to enjoy the wealth. It is possible that due to ill health, one will not live healthily for long and also due to loss of mental health, one won’t be able to understand the true value of wealth and squander away the same (through bad habits).

If one has lot of wealth, but there is no heir such as son or daughter or brother or sister (Santana Lakshmi) to enjoy or take over the same in absence of the person, then one is bound to lose all of it to non-family members or government institutions or even thugs.

Lot of wealth, but life is very short. What is the use? Hence, Ayuh Lakshmi is valuable.

Lot of money. But ill-famous in the society (Yasho Lakshmi). Nobody in the village likes see the face! 

 

A few words on Adi Lakshmi. A traditional Lakshmi Stotra starts like this:

‘Prakritim vikritim vidyat savra-bhuta-hita-pradam’ – I bow down to Prakriti which is a vikriti of the Supreme Consciousness, which is the bestower of all fortunes.

It is the gameplan of Brahman that this Prakriti is emanated from Itself to make the creation possible and then the creatures can enjoy the limitless beauty of life. Life is created for celebration. This is the sole purpose.

       

Lakshmi Stotra has this to say about the power of Lakshmi:

‘Lakshmim kshira-samudra-raja-tanayam shri-ranga-dhamesvarim

Dasi-bhuta-samasta-jagatam lokaika-dipankuram’----

‘One must strive hard to earn fortune, be it money or fame or health. It is just like diving deep into the ocean bed to pick up the nuggets. This is one message.

Another message is that all human beings are enslaved by Lakshmi. Lakshmi won’t let anyone escape her snare of fortune and beauty’.

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