The Great Mother   

The oldest references to Lakshmi refer to her simply as Sri.  In the Vedic hymns to subjects of divine content, Sri is She who bestows capability, power and skillful advantage, that manifests as Beauty, luster, glory and high rank.  The later writings of the Vedas refer to her as the ruling power, dominion and majesty of kings and queens.  In some texts, Sri is referred to as the cushion upon which the royal one sits.  Those who are esoterically educated know immediately that this refers to the Kundalini Shakti, the Great Feminine Power sitting in reepose at the base of our spines. Sri also presides over riches, prosperity and abundance in general, leading to general well-being in the form of physical beauty and health, material prosperity and ruling potency.

Two Myths About Her Genesis  

The first states that she was "born" from the Great Spiritual Practices of Prajapati.  Now this is interesting, because the Prajapati are referred to as the forefathers of the forefathers of the forefathers of humanity.  Although they appear many times in spiritual accounts and histories, there is little about what they really were or what their nature and appearance were.  It is not altogether certain if they even had bodies in the sense that you and I do.  But here we find them again, performing austere spiritual disciplines that result in the creation of a seemingly conscious principle - Lakshmi - that personifies all that is wealth in any form.  

The second myth about her genesis relates to the churning of the Ocean of Consciousness shortly after the creation of the cosmos.  The duality of the universe had manifested in very way, and now the very forces of creation were emerging from the whirling energy, the vortex of activity that produced the very form of the universe. 

Light and darkness, positive and negative, centrifugal and centripetal forces whirled away driven by the emerging consciousness of the positive and negative beings that combined compose Shiva/Absolute Consciousness.

As the universe whirls, it is likened to "churning" the Ocean of Consciousness.  The object is to find or produce "that substance which will confer immortality."  Interestingly, the first substance to appear from this whirling of consciousness is poison. In the myth of creation, Shiva takes this poison and drinks it down to his throat area where it stays, harming nothing, including him.  Thus, both demons and celestials are saved from annihilation.  Among other things that emerge from this churning are the "Nectar of Immortality" which is brought forth by Dhanvantari, the celestial healer, and Lakshmi.

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Lakshmi, abundantly manifesting everywhere in the universe, also sits in us.  The second myth concerning her says that she sits patiently at the heart center, the anahata chakra.   

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When she came upon Vishnu, she was that he was wholly committed to teaching and leading sentient life everywhere to final salvation and liberation.  So touched was she by the power of his commitment that she deemed him worthy of her 

and entered his heart where she constantly resides.  It is said that whenever Vishnu incarnates to lead humanity back again to the Dharma/the Righteous Path, she comes with him.  With Rama, she was Sita.  With Krishna, she was Rukmini (his divine bride.)  With Buddha, she was the disembodied Tara that was always with him.

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The ten qualities or objects she brings are said to be:  food, royal power, universal sovereignty, noble rank, other forms of power besides royal power, holy luster, kingdom, fortune, bounteousness and beauty.

Lakshmi is associated with the Lotus Flower.  She is often shown sitting upon a lotus, with lotuses adorning her.  Indeed, she is often affectionately referred to as Padma, a word meaning lotus.  Lotuses spring from the mud.  From the fetid recesses of a foul and stagnant pond springs a most exquisite and beautiful flower.  In you and me, from even our most foul karma can spring the shining bounty of Lakshmi.  Again esoterically, padma also means chakra, indicating that she animates every positive attribute of our chakras.  So the lotus stands for purity and spiritual power, even in the midst of physical life here on this ball of earth spinning through space.

As the principle of wealth, Lakshmi includes not only material prosperity but all forms of abundance.  This can include health as wealth, family as wealth, children as wealth, enough food to eat, friends as wealth, beauty as wealth, and so forth.

Of equal importance, Lakshmi includes spiritual abundance as wall.  Compassion, sympathy, empathy, maternal love, the fire of maternal protection, and a constant and effortless flow of spiritual wisdom backed by Divine Authority are all included within the Lakshmi principle.  Because Lakshmi is so often identified with the munificence and softness of wealth and beauty, sometimes the power of Lakshmi is neglected or misunderstood.  Anyone who has tried to do harm to the child of a devoted mother and has faced her wrath has been given just a peek at another side of Lakshmi.  She comes to the aid of the noble-hearted seeker after truth who uses her mantras and chants her suktam with regularity and devotion. 

by Thomas Ashley-Farrand, Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony, Vol. I, pp. 188-191. 

Bharata/Bill Barry, a Certified Priest who lives in Massachusetts, is available for pujas and yajnas in his area. Please contact him at bill.barry@wildblue.net 

Parvati/Pat Murphy J has been certified by Sanatana Dharma Satsang as a Pujari.  She is available for pujas and yajnas in Los Angeles area.  Please contact her at patmurphyj@sbcglobal.net