Mahalakshmi – Goddess of Prosperity

Lakshmi is known for showering blessings in the form of prosperity, beauty and tranquility. Mother Lakshmi is like a most compassionate mother to all her spiritual children and is referred to as the world Mother. Sring is the seed-sound of Lakshmi and by soulfully repeating this mantra, Mahalakshmi and her divine qualities will be invoked.

Sri Chinmoy writes about Mahalakshmi, that she is for all, “She is for each individual soul, whether the soul is aspiring or unaspiring. She wants a peaceful harmony, light, beauty, sweetness and splendour in each individual. These are the qualities of the heart, and these Mahalakshmi embodies in infinite measure. Her devotees want to feel their oneness with the world and become the world. Inside the world they want to establish the divine harmony, the divine light.”

Mahalakshmi is the consort of Vishnu - the preserver of creation, who takes human incarnation whenever the balance of truth and righteousness is tipped towards the latter. When Vishnu takes incarnation, Lakshmi too comes to earth. She is said to have been Sita, when Vishnu was Rama and Rukmini the wife of Krishna.

The story of Druva in the Vishnu Puranas shows the compassion and the extent that she goes to protect her devotees. When Druva was a very little Prince he ran away from home in search of Vishnu. He wandered alone through the night until he came across a group of thieves. They stopped him in his tracks and stripped off his royal jewels and possessions. As they were contemplating killing him, Lakshmi appeared and sent venom spitting snakes on the bandits. Druva was relieved and continued his search for Vishnu, who sent Narada to help him. Narada instructed him to meditate in the forest to attain enlightenment and see Vishnu face to face.

Mother Lakshmi worried about her child’s safety there in the dense forest and asked Parvati to protect Druva from wild animals with her tiger. The tiger came just in time to save Druva from a cheetah. Druva continued to remain unperturbed in his meditation on Vishnu. Eventually Vishnu and Lakshmi came before him and placed him on Vishnus lap. Druvah was in ecstasy and was the youngest person to attain enlightenment, with the grace and protection of Lakshmi and Vishnu.