It’s the day of Mahalakshmi puja they say, not only of Lakshmi Puja. There’s a difference between the two.
Mahalakshmi is one of the powers of the three powers, main powers, of Adi Shakti. As you know: Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali. Now these powers have powers at a material level also, at a subtler level also. So Mahalakshmi power is achieved after Lakshmi power, as they say.
So the Lakshmi…there are eight powers of Lakshmi. This Lakshmi was born, who came out of the sea, the great sea, which was churned thousands and thousands of years back. And She came out of the sea because She is the daughter of the sea. That’s why She’s called as Neeraja. ‘Neera’ means ‘water’ and ‘ja’ means ‘born out of’.
This has happened thousands and thousand [of] years back that She was born. So what is that? What is this Lakshmi symbolically, what is it expressing? It is expressing the awareness. Lakshmi expresses awareness, and She came out of the sea, you know that. The awareness first started growing in the sea. The life started existing in the sea, to begin with, and then it grew out. Without the life there is no awareness. First the life, because everything is jada (inanimate matter), everything is dead. And when it becomes life it means it has awareness. So the awareness started growing in the sea. This is the symbolic expression.
“The Mahalakshmi Power,” Diwali Puja. Hampstead (London), 9 November 1980
1.आदि लक्ष्मी (Aadi Lakshmi:):
सुमनसा वंदिता सुंदरी माधवि चंद्रा सहोदरि हेममये मुनिगण वंदिता मोक्श प्रदायिनि मंजुला भाशिणि वेदनुते पंकजा वासिनि देव सुपूजीता सद्गुण वर्शिणि शान्तियुते जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी आदिलक्ष्मी सदा पालय माँ
Sumanasa vandita sundari madhavi chandra sahodari hema maye |
muni gana mandita moksha pradayini manjula bhashini veda nute ||
pankaja vasini deva supujita sadguna varshini shanti yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini adi lakshmi sada palaya mam || 1 ||
Meaning
Oh Adi Lakshmi the
primordial goddess, protect me always. Pious hearted devotees bow to
you. You are beautiful spouse of Madhava, sister of moon, golden,
worshipped by sages and bestower of salvation. Your speech is sweet. You
are extoled by vedas. You stay on lotus flower. Devatas worship you.
You shower virtues. You are serene. Victory, Victory to you the dear
consort of Madhusudana.
2.धान्य लक्ष्मी (Dhanya lakshmi):
आइकली कलमशा नाशनि कामिनिवैदिक रुपिणि वेदमये
क्षीरा समुद्रा भावा मन्गळ रुपिणि मंतरा निवासिनि मंतरा नुते
मन्गळदायिनि अम्बुजवासिनि देवगणाश्रित पादयुते
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी धान्यलक्श्मि सदा पालय माँ
Ayi kali kalmasha nashini kamini vaidika rupini veda maye |
kshira samud bhava mangala rupini mantra nivasini mantra nute ||
mangala dayini ambuja vasini deva ganashrita pada yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini dhanya lakshmi sada palaya mam || 2 ||
Meaning:
Oh Dhanaya Lakshmi who
makes our granary full, you are destroyer of evils of Kali age. You are
vedas personified. You are born in milk- Ocean. You are in auspicious
Mantras and you are worshipped by Mantras. You stay on lotus. Devatas
take refuge at your feet. Victory, Victory to the dear consort of
Madhusudana.
3.धैर्या लक्ष्मी (Dhairya lakshmi):
जया वारा वर्शिणि वैश्णवि भार्गवि मंतरा स्वरुपिणि मंतरा मये
सुरगण पूजीता सीघरा फलड़ा ज्णान विकासिनि शास्त्रनुते
भावा भाया हारिणि पाप विमोचनि साधु जनाश्रित पादयुते
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी धैर्या लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माँ ||
Jaya vara varnini vaishnavi bhargavi mantra svarupini mantra maye |
sura gana pujita shighra phala prada jnana vikasini shastra nute ||
bhava bhaya harini papa vimochani sadhu jana shrita pada yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini dhairya lakshmi sada palaya mam || 3 ||
Meaning:
Oh Dhairya Lakshmi,the bestower of courage, you
grant boons and fruits quickly. You bestow knowledge. Scriptures adore
you. You dispel sins and wordly fears. Pious sages seek refuge at your
feet. Victory, victory to Dhairya Lakshmi the loving consort of
Madhusudana.
4.ग़ज़ा लक्ष्मी (Gaja Lakshmi:):
जया जया दुर्गति नाशनि कामिनी सर्वा फलप्रदा शास्त्रमये
रता ग़ज़ा तुरागा पदाति समाव्रुत परिजना मन्डित लोकनुते
हरिहरा ब्रह्मा सुपूजीता सेवित ताप निवारण पादयुते
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी श्री ग़जालक्ष्मी सदा पालय माँ ||
Jaya jaya durgati nashini kamini sarva phala prada shastra maye |
ratha gaja turaga padayi samavrta parijana mandita loka nute ||
hari hara brahma supujita sevita tapa nivarini pada yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini gaja lakshmi rupena palaya mam || 4 ||
Meaning:
Oh
Gaja Lakshmi worshipped by elephants. You destroy adversity. You
fulfill wishes. You are surrounded by chariots,elephants, horses and
infantry and others. Hari, Siva and Brahma admire your prowess. Your
sacred feet eradicate all afflictions. Victory, victory to the dear
consort of Madhusudana.
5. सन्तान लक्ष्मी (Santana Lakshmi:):
आई खागा वाहिनी मोहिनि चक्रिणि राग विवर्धीनी ज़्णानमये
गुण गण वारधि लोकहितैशिणि सपतसवरा यूटा गानयुते
सक़ाला सुरासुर देव मुनीश्वर मानव वंदिता पादयुगे
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी सन्तान लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माँ|| Santana lakshmi
Ayi khaga vahini mohini cakrini raga vivardhini jnana maye |
guna gana varidhi lokahi taishini svara sapta bhushita gana nute ||
sakala sura sura deva munishvara manava vandita padayute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini santana lakshmi sada palaya mam || 5 ||
Meaning:
Oh Santana
Lakshmi,bestower of progeny, Garuda bird is your mount. You spread love.
You are knowledge personified. You are paragon of virtues and well
wisher of all. You are praised in songs embellished with seven musical
notes. All devatas, demons, divine sages and human beings bow to your
feet. victory, victory to the dear consort of Madhusudana.
6. विजया लक्ष्मी (Vijaya lakshmi):
जया कमलासनि सदगति दायिनि ज्णान विकासिनि गानमये
अनुदिना मार्चीटा कुमकुंआ धूसारा भूषिता वासित वाद्यनुते
कनकधारा स्तुति वैभवा वंदिता सांकरा देशिक मान्य पदे
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी विजया लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माँ||
Jaya kamala sani sadgati dayini jnana vikasini gana maye |
anudina marcita kunkuma dhusara bhushita vasita vadya nute ||
kanaka dhara stuti vaibhava vandita shankara deshika manya pade |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini vijaya lakshmi sada palaya mam || 6 ||Meaning:
Oh
Vijaya Lakshmi the bestower of success, you are seated on lotus. You
bestow beatitude. You shower love and bloom knowledge. You are fully
covered by kumkum when worshipped. You are praised with instrumental
music. Your glory is recited in Kanakadhara stotram. Sankaracharya
prostrates at your sacred feet. Victory, Victory to dear consort of
Madhusudana.
7. विद्या लक्ष्मी (Vidhya lakshmi)
प्रणत सुरेश्वरि भारती भार्गवि शोकविनासिनि रत्नमये
मणिमय भुशण कर्ण विभुशण शान्ति समाव्रुत हास्यमुखे
नवनिधि दायिनि कालीमाला हारिणि काम्य फलप्रदा हास्तयुते
जया जयहे मधुसूदाना कामिनी विद्यालक्श्मि सदा पालय माँ||
Pranata sureshvari bharati bhargavi shoka vinashini ratna maye |
mani maya bhushita karma vibhushana shanti samav.rta hasya mukhe ||
navanidhi dayini kavimala harini kamita phala prada hasta yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini vidya lakshmi sada palaya mam || 7 ||
Meaning:
Oh
Vidya Lakshmi the bestorwer of erudition, please protect. You are
Bhargavi and you are Bharati. You alleviate grief of all. You are
adorned with a variety of gems and your ear hangings are studed with
gems. Your cheerful face radiates peace. You are bestower of all the
nine types of wealth. You eradicate evils of Kali Age. You fulfill
desires. Victory, Victory to dear consort of Madhusudana.
8. धना लक्ष्मी (Dhana lakshmi):
धीमी धीमी धिन धीमी ढिंधिमी ढिंधिमी डुनडुबही नाद सुपुर्ण मये
गुमा गुमा गुँगूमा गुँगूमा गुमगुमा सांखा निनाद सुवाद्य नुते
वेद पुराण्यितिहास सुपूजीता वैदिका मार्ग प्रदर्शय
Dhimi dhimi dhin dhimi dhin dhimi dhin dhimi dun dubhi nada supurna maye |
ghuma ghuma ghum ghuma ghum ghuma ghum ghuma shankha ni nada suvadya nute ||
veda purane itihasa supujita vaidika marga pradarsha yute |
jaya jaya he madhu sudana kamini dhana lakshmi rupena palaya mam|| 8 ||
Meaning Oh Dhana Lakshmi the bestower of prosperity, You engross in rhythmic sounds ‘Dhim dhim’. You are worshipped with divine sound of Conch and other instruments. You are worshipped by Vedas, Puranas and mythology. You show us the vedic path. Victory, Victory to Dhanalakshmi the dear consort of Madhusudana.
