Lakshmi (/ˈlʌkʃmi/;[7][nb 1]Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी, IAST: Lakṣmī, sometimes spelled Laxmi, lit.'she who leads to one's goal'), also known as Shri (Sanskrit: श्री, IAST: Śrī, lit.'Noble'),[9] is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, royal power and abundance.[10] Lakshmi is the supreme goddess in Vaishnavism.[3] She along with Parvati and Saraswati, forms the Tridevi.[11][12]
Within the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Lakshmi is venerated as the prosperity aspect of the Mother goddess.[13][14] Lakshmi is both the consort and the divine energy (shakti) of Vishnu, the Supreme Being of Vaishnavism; she is also the Supreme Goddess in the sect and assists Vishnu to create, protect, and transform the universe.[6][14][15][16] She is an especially prominent figure in Sri Vaishnavism, in which devotion to Lakshmi is deemed to be crucial to reach Vishnu.[17] Whenever Vishnu descended on the earth as an avatar, Lakshmi accompanied him as consort, for example, as Sita and Radha or Rukmini as consorts of Vishnu's avatars Rama and Krishna, respectively.[9][14][18] The eight prominent manifestations of Lakshmi, the Ashtalakshmi, symbolise the eight sources of wealth.[19]
Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman standing or sitting in the padmasana position upon a lotus throne, while holding a lotus in her hand, symbolising fortune, self-knowledge, and spiritual liberation.[20][21] Her iconography shows her with four hands, which represent the four aspects of human life important to Hindu culture: dharma, kama, artha, and moksha.[22][23]
Archaeological discoveries and ancient coins suggest the recognition and reverence for Lakshmi existing by the 1st millennium BCE.[24][25] Lakshmi's iconography and statues have also been found in Hindu temples throughout Southeast Asia, estimated to be from the second half of the 1st millennium CE.[26][27] The day of Lakshmi Puja during Navaratri, and the festivals of Deepavali and Sharad Purnima (Kojagiri Purnima) are celebrated in her honour.[28]
Journal of Historical Research, Volumes 28-30. Department of History, Ranchi University. 1991. p. 3. Lord Visnu is the refuge of the world and Goddess Lakshmi is the energy behind the Universe.
Amulya Mohapatra; Bijaya Mohapatra (1 January 1993). Hinduism: Analytical Study. Mittal Publications. p. 26. ISBN9788170993889. Sri or Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and fortune , power and beauty.
Bulbul Sharma (2010). The Book of Devi. Penguin Books India. p. 47. ISBN9780143067665. Sri or Lakshmi, as depicted in the sacred texts, is the goddess of wealth and fortune, royal power and beauty.
Stephen Knapp (2012). Hindu Gods & Goddesses. Jaico Publishing House. p. 132. ISBN9788184953664. Goddess Lakshmi is the consort and shakti, or potency, of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi, or Sri when she is especially known as the goddess of beauty (though sometimes considered to be separate entities), is the goddess of fortune, wealth, power, and loveliness.
Kaushal Kishore Sharma (1988). Rabindranath Tagore's Aesthetics. Abhinav Publications. p. 26. ISBN9788170172376. Lakshmi, our Goddess of wealth, represents not only beauty and power but also the spirit of goodness.
^Upendra Nath Dhal (1978). Goddess Laksmi: Origin and Development. Oriental Publishers & Distributors. p. 109. Goddess Lakşmī is stated as the genetrix of the world; she maintains them as a mother ought to do . So she is often called as the Mātā.
^ abcWilliams, George M. (2003). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. ABC-CLIO, Inc. pp. 196–8. ISBN1-85109-650-7.
^Carman, John Braisted; Vasudha Narayanan (1989). The Tamil Veda : Piḷḷān's interpretation of the Tiruvāymol̲i. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN0-226-09305-0. OCLC18624684.
^Rhodes, Constantina. 2011. Invoking Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth in Song and Ceremony. State University of New York Press, ISBN978-1438433202. pp. 29–47, 220–52.
^Jones, Constance (2011). J. G. Melton (ed.). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. pp. 253–254, 798. ISBN978-1598842050.
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