Lakshmi Oil

• Along with Parvati and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi of Hindu goddesses.
• Lakshmi. Mother Goddess. Goddess of Prosperity, Fortune, Wealth, Power, Abundance, Beauty and Maya.

Appearance:

• She is often depicted sitting upon a lotus and adorned with lotus at her hands and feet.
•  The lotus has powerful symbolism in Hinduism. While its roots are in the mud, its stalk rises clearly through the murky water, with its petals blossoming above, untouched by the mud. It is a symbol of rising above the material world through divinity, of being good in the midst of negative influences. Like the lotus, as the Goddess of Prosperity, Lakshmi shows us how to transcend material wealth for spiritual progress. The lotus is also a symbol for purity, fertility, and beauty.
• She is often shown with four hands, which are meant to represent the four goals of life: kāma, artha, dharma, and moksha. These are said to also symbolize the four Vedas.
• She wears a red sāri with gold thread, again representing wealth, beauty, and fertility.
• Coins rain down from her palms, as she smiles blissfully.
• There are often elephants in the background, who represent power and hard work.
• Her ubiquity is demonstrated clearly by the widespread use of the symbol Śri, which represents her and material prosperity.
• If Lakshmi is pictured as dark in complexion, it is to show that she is the consort of Vishnu, the dark god. If golden yellow, that shows her as the source of all wealth. If white, she represents the purest form of Prakarti (nature) from which the universe had developed. The pinkish complexion, which is more common, reflects her compassion for creatures since she is the mother of all. The lotuses, in various stages of blooming, represent the worlds and beings in various stages of evolution.

Praise:

The holiday Diwali is for many a tribute to Lakshmi. Hindus vigorously clean their homes and surroundings and light them and their businesses up with rows of lights in order to invite the Goddess to visit and bequeath them with prosperity, both material and spiritual.

Mothers are seen as embodiments of Lakshmi, as they are responsible for the fortune and prosperity of the household, and are specially honored by their families.

Diwali is also a time to recognize important relationships by visiting relatives and friends to exchange gifts and sweets.

Lakshmi puja, honoring and invoking the Goddess, is usually followed with Lakshmi ārti.

In Nepal, Lakshmi puja is an important component of the five-day festival of Tihar.

Similarly to Hindus in India, Nepali Hindus celebrate by buying gold, silver, precious stones, and new utensils for their kitchens, and cleaning their homes to invite Lakshmi into their homes the night of Lakshmi Puja.

Goddess Lakshmi is also celebrated during Navaratri, when she is remembered during the fourth through sixth nights of the nine night festival.

Prayer:

Goddess Lakshmi, who is the daughter of the king of the ocean of milk,
whose abode is Srirangam with Lord Ranganatha
Who is served by all the divine ladies in heaven
Who is the guiding light for the world
Who has obtained the sustained (continued, everlasting) glance (Grace) from Brahma
Indra and Shiva, whose abode is the three worlds (Bhu, Bhuva, Suvaha) – I offer my prostrations to Thee, the beloved of Lord Krishna (Mukunda)

Lakshmi Mantra

1. Lakshmi Beej Mantra

         ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं लक्ष्मीभयो नमः॥

         Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhayo Namah॥

2. Mahalakshmi Mantra

         ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्मयै नम:॥

         Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed

         Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmaye Namah॥

3. Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra

         ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे विष्णु पत्न्यै च धीमहि तन्नो लक्ष्मी प्रचोदयात् ॐ॥

         Om Shree Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidmahe Vishnu Patnyai Cha Dheemahi

         Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat Om॥

Goddess Lakshmi Avatars

Lakshmi has 8 primary forms. These 8 forms are personified as Ashta Lakshmi (Ashtalakshmi). These eight forms are as follows:

1. Dhanya Lakshmi: Dhanya means grains. Lakshmi is the Goddess of the Harvest and the Devi who blesses with abundance and success in harvest. Harvest is a time of abundance after a long period of patience and tending to fields. This symbolizes the inner harvest, that, with patience and persistence, we obtain the abundance of inner Joy through the blessing of Dhanya Lakshmi.
2. Adi Lakshmi: Mother Lakshmi resides with Lord Narayana in Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. She is known as Rama, which means bringing happiness to the mankind. She is also known as Indira (who holds lotus or purity). In this form, Lakshmi is normally seen serving Shri Narayana. Lord Narayana is omnipresent. Adi Lakshmi or Rama Lakshmi serving Shri Narayana is symbolic of her serving the whole creation. Adi Lakshmi and Narayana are not two different entities but one only. Lakshmi is Shakti. Lakshmi is the Power of Narayana.
3. Dhairya Lakshmi: This form of mother Lakshmi grants the boon of infinite courage and strength. Those, who are in tune with infinite inner power, are always bound to have victory. Those who worship mother Dhairya Lakshmi lead a life with tremendous patience and inner stability.
4. Gaja Lakshmi: In the holy book of Shrimad Bhagavata the story of the churning of the ocean by Gods and demons is explained in detail. Sage Vyasa writes that Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). So she is known as a daughter of the ocean. She came out of the ocean sitting on a full-bloomed lotus and also having lotus flowers in both hands with two elephants by her sides holding beautiful vessels.
5. Santan Lakshmi: In the family life, the children are the greatest treasure. Those who worship this particular form of Shri Lakshmi, known as a Santan Lakshmi, are bestowed with the grace of mother Lakshmi and have wealth in the form of desirable children with good health and a long life.
6. Vijay Lakshmi: Vijay is victory. Vijay is to get success in all undertakings and all different facets of life. Vijay is to conquer the lower nature. Hence those, with grace of mother Vijay Lakshmi, have victory everywhere, at all time, in all conditions. Victory to Vijay Lakshmi!
7. Dhana Lakshmi: Dhana is wealth. Wealth comes in many forms: Nature, Love, Peace, Health, Prosperity, Luck, Virtues, Family, Food, Land, Water, Will Power, Intellect, Character, etc. With the grace of mother Dhana Lakshmi we will get all these in abundance.
8. Vidya Lakshmi: Vidya is education. Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity, Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity, Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability, Adaptability Humility, Tenacity, Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity, Charity, Generosity and Purity are the eighteen qualities imbibed through proper education that only can give immortality.

As you can tell, we love this great goddess and can’t get enough information about her!