Goddess Lakshmi can rightly be referred to as the most important goddess of the modern era. After all, the 21st century lives by the adage: wealth is power and power is wealth. She is the Hindu Goddess of wealth, fortune & prosperity both in a materialistic and spiritual way. She is the wife of Lord Vishnu and is considered the active energy. There are many stories and facts about the Goddess that are still unknown to most of us. But not any more, for you at least. Khurki has a list of some facts you should know.
Meaning of her name
Her name is derived from Sanskrit (Laks) meaning “to perceive & observe”. Also the meaning of Lakshmi is Lakshya that is aim. Lakshmi has many other names as well, like Alakshmi, Padma, Kamala, Padmapriya, Padmamaladhara Devi, Padmamukhi, Padmakshi, Padmahasta, Padmasundari.
Why she doesn’t stay in the same house forever
Being a great lover and admirer of her husband Lord Vishnu, she stays wherever Narayana (another name for Vishnu) stays. And Krishna himself explained where He prefers to reside:
O Narada, I am not in Vaikuntha nor am I in the hearts of the yogis. I remain where My devotees glorify My name, form, qualities and transcendental pastimes.
Difference between Lakshmi & Kuber
Kuber predates Lakshmi as a deity of wealth at least by a thousand years. Kuber is a Vedic deity, Lakshmi a Puranic one. Kubera is by all accounts a keeper and distributor of wealth, whereas Lakshmi is the wealth being distributed. Kuber originated as a king, a person, whereas Lakshmi originated as a concept and later got personhood and backstory.
Association with broom
It is not Lakshmi who is associated with the broom but her elder sister Alakshmi – Hindu Goddess of misfortune. It is said that Alakshmi drives away fortune from the homes where people are evil.
When to worship?
Though Godess Padma is worshipped every single day of the year, but the month of October is the major worship month of the Goddess. Lotus flowers, sandalwood, vermilion, betel leaves & nuts, fruits and various sweet preparations made from jaggery, rice and coconuts are used for her ritual worship.
Why does she always sit next to Vishnu’s feet?
It is a Vaishnava representation. It is Vishnu-centric by default. The kind of Vaishnavas who’d use this picture are Inclusive Monotheists. That means all deities other than Vishnu are automatically inferior to Vishnu, not just Lakshmi. But Shaiva view is balanced and uses gender-neutral symbolism. Each deity represents a form of Shakti and their actual gender is not very relevant. Suffice it to say that Lakshmi is never depicted as Vishnu’s inferior in this POV.
Maha Lakshmi Mantra you must recite
Ten years of bad luck will not come to you if you don’t share this post in 10 seconds. But some of your friends will definitely get some knowledge and clarity about the Goddess of wealth.
JAI LAKHSMI MATA!
Information Sourced from Wikipedia & Quora
