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| Home » Other Hindu Gods and Goddesses » Lakshmi |
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Lakshmi |
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Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and fortune according to the Hindu mythology. She is also known as the goddess of love and beauty. All the Hindu houses offer her regular prayers and other offerings in order to seek her blessings. Thursdays are considered the holiest day to offer or worship this Hindu goddess. To gain success in terms of material wealth, people worship and offer special prayers before starting any new business venture. Lakshmi has many forms and names according to Hindu mythology. All her forms have different names and all the incarnations have different powers.
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It is believed by the Hindus that all the incarnations of the gods have the power to regulate every aspect of our lives. There are many gods and goddesses that are merely different incarnations of the other gods and goddesses. The consort of Lakshmi is Lord Vishnu her mount is an owl. Her seat is the lotus flower and the image of Lakshmi is that she has four hands seated on a lotus beside her is her owl.
Lakshmi was born to Bhrigu and Khyaati and her home was Swarga or heaven. She was cursed by Durvasa and had to leave Swarga and went to Ksheersagara to live. Lakshmi came out of her home Ksheersagara after the Samudra Manthan was performed. Lakshmi was married to Vishnu who is the considered the ultimate being. It is also stated in the holy scriptures that Lakshmi is also an illusion of the Lord Vishnu commonly known as Maya in Hindu mythology. The two forms of Lakshmi are commonly Bhudevi and Sridevi. Bhudevi is Mother Earth while Sridevi is the goddess of knowledge and wealth and is seen with other incarnation of Vishnu that is Narayan. All these are the same goddess but with different names and different powers. Another form of Lakshmi is the Mahalakshmi. She is the all powerful goddess and known as Shakti that is power. This form of goddess has many weapons and known as the Ashta Dasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi.
The close association of Lakshmi with the flower lotus has given the goddess its various names like Padma, Padmapriya, Padmasundari, Padmamukhi, Padmahasta, Kamala and the Padmamaladhara devi. All these names have different meanings all describing the beauty of Goddess Lakshmi. The other popular names of the goddess are Kamalika, Rujula, Indira, Chakrika, Rama and Manjushri. The goddess has a very benevolent expression and is considered the epitome of beauty. There are many temples across the country that are dedicated to the goddess. The temples are usually crowded on the Thursdays as it is the sacred day to worship the goddess.
During the festival of Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi and lord Ganesha are worshiped. It is believed that the goddess brings prosperity and wealth. On Diwali, the goddess is supposed to bless the mortals with her divine powers. Diyas are lighted with oil and sweets are offered to the goddess. The holy scriptures are recited by the priests in order to invoke the goddess Lakshmi. In many business houses of India, the goddess Lakshmi is worshiped for the businesses to prosper. |
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