Invoking Lakshmi

Constantina Rhodes

Description

Beautiful, beloved Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, happiness, and abundant good fortune. This fascinating book is the first comprehensive guide to this celebrated goddess, her worship, and the deeper spiritual domain of prosperity she reveals. Constantina Rhodes presents over five hundred elegantly translated Sanskrit verses, including devotional songs, mantras, visualizations, and ceremonial instructions that devotees use to invoke Lakshmi.

Rhodes uses these texts to develop a richly detailed portrait of Lakshmi, revealing unexpected dimensions of this enigmatic deity. Even as Lakshmi is best known as a goddess of wealth and well-being, she also maintains a strong esoteric presence, expressing herself as Siddhi, the magnificent Tantric goddess of spiritual power, and as Kundalini Shakti, the transformative cosmic force that exists within each individual. These identities express the "prosperity consciousness" that is the essential nature of the goddess and the divine source of all wealth. Invoking Lakshmi is not only a matter of calling upon the external form of the goddess but also of aligning one's consciousness with the very essence of prosperity

Acknowledgements

Introduction: The Goddess Arrives in Delhi

What Does It Mean to Invoke a Goddess?
On the Format of This Book
Sources: Sanskrit Texts and Popular Worship Manuals

Part One: The Divine Personalities of Laksmī

1. The Awseome Power of Auspiciousness: Laksmī of the Vedic Traditions

The Primordial Lotus Goddess
The Goddess of Auspiciousness: Śrī's Essence, Laksmī's Form
Alaksmī the Inauspicious

2. Living the Good Life: Laksmī of the Purānic Traditions

The Burgeoning World of the Purānas
Laksmī and the Lords of the Three Realms: Indra, Visnu, and Bali
All Women are Embodiments of Laksmī
Laksmi, Embodiment of the "Four Wealths" (Caturārtha)
The Absence of Laksmī: Is Lady Luck a Fickle Goddess?

3. Living the Powerful Life: Laksmī of the Tantric Traditions

The World According to Tantra
Laksmī as Kundalinī
Laksmī, Śiva, and the "Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses" (Daśamahāvidyās)
The Grace-Bestowing Mother
Laksmī as Siddhi: Magical Attainment, Spiritual Power

Part Two: The Power of Poetry to Summon the Goddess

4. The Power of the Vedic Hymns: Generating Auspiciousness

Reciting the Hymns (Sūtkas)
Ritual Application of the Vedic Hymns

5. The Power of Purānic Songs: Drawing Down the Goddess

Reciting the Songs of Praise (Stotras)
The Propitious Glance of the Goddess
Fruits of the Recitations (Phala)

6. The Power of Tantric Songs: Waking Up the Goddess

Alchemy of the Goddess: The Magic of Transformation
Vibratory Essence: Engaging the Sound Forms of Laksmī
The Potency of a Woman's Recitations
Literary Genres of the Tantric Songs
Structure of Tantric Songs

Part Three: Ceremony

Introduction: Invoking Laksmī In Ceremony: Laksmī Pūjā

Creating Space to Receive the Goddess
The Ancient Art of Hospitality
Structure of the Ceremony

Laksmī Pūjā Text

Preparation and Purification
Heart of the Ceremony: Receiving the Goddess
Outline of the Laksmī Pūjā

Part Four: Song

Vedic Hymns to Laksmī

Hymn to Śri (Śrī Sūktam)
Hymn to Laksmī (Laksmī Sūtkam)

Purānic Songs of Laksmī

Song for Laksmī, Gracious Bestower of Blessings (Prasannavaradā Śrī Laksmī Stotram)
Song for the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Stotram)
Lord Indra's Song for Laksmī (Devarāja Indrakrta Laksmī Stotram)
The Heavenly Gods' Praise Song for Laksmī (Śrī Daivakrta Laksmī Stotram)
Eight Verses Praising Mahālaksmī (Mahālaksmyastakam Stotram)

Tantric Songs to Laksmī

The Secret Heart of Laksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Hrdayam)
Praise-Song for the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Stotram)
Song-Amulet of the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Kavacam)
Praise-Song for the Lotus Goddess (Kamalā Stotram)
108 Names of the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Astottaraśatanāma Stotram)
Song-Amulet of the Lotus Goddess (Kamalātmikā Kavacam)
Song for the Laksmī of Spiritual Power (Śrī Siddhalaksmī Stotram)
Song for the Glorious "Eyes of Indra" (Śrī Indrāksī Stotram)
Song-Formulary of the Glorious Mahālaksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Pañjara Stotram)

Sujets

• Hinduism
• East Asian religions

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 29 septembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781438433226
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

INVOKING LAKSHMI The Goddess of Wealth in Song and Ceremony

/ Constantina Rhodes

InvokingLakshmi

Siddhalakshmi:GoddessofPower

InvokingLakshmi

TheGoddessofWealthin SongandCeremony

Constantina Rhodes

FrontCover:Lakshmi Seated on LotusnIideg.oP.;arpopulaimaster Twentiethcentury.Author’scollection.

Coverphotoofauthor.Photocredit:EdWolf

FRONTSPIECE:Siddhalakshmi: Goddess of PowerNnescpral;.Iondiptitae 1694.Pigmentoncloth.CourtesyRubinMuseumofArt.

Publishedby State University of New York Press, Albany

©2010StateUniversityofNewYork

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Production,LaurieSearl Marketing,AnneM.Valentine

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Rhodes,ConstantinaEleni,[date] InvokingLakshmi:thegoddessofwealthinsongandceremony/Constantina Rhodes. pc.m. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-1-4384-3321-9(hardcover:alk.paper) 1.ity)udeyers—PrakahsLiHdnim(.smcins—Hotiodevandiritdncyrasiot 2.Hinduhymns—Historyandcriticism.3.Lakshmi(Hindudeity)—Cult.I.Title.

BL1225.L32R426010 294.5’2114—dc22

10987654321

2010005367

For my beautiful daughter, Alexandra

Acknowledgments

Contents

Introduction:TheGoddessArrivesinDelhi WhatDoesItMeantoInvokeaGoddess? OntheFormatofThisBook Sources:SanskritTextsandPopularWorshipManuals

PARTONE:TheDivinePersonalitiesofLak∑m¥

Chapter1:TheAwesomePowerofAuspiciousness: Lak∑m¥oftheVedicTraditions ThePrimordialLotusGoddess TheGoddessofAuspiciousness:Ír¥’sEssence, Lak∑m¥’sForm Alak∑m¥,theInauspicious

1 3 6 8

1

3

1 1

Chapter2:LivingtheGoodLife:Lak∑m¥ofthe PuråˆicTraditions TheBurgeoningWorldofthePuråˆas23 Lak∑m¥andtheLordsoftheThreeRealms:  Indra,Vi∑ˆu,andBali AllWomenAreEmbodimentsofLak∑m¥26 Lak∑m¥,Embodimentofthe“FourWealths”(Caturartha)  TheAbsenceofLak∑m¥:IsLadyLuckaFickleGoddess?42

Chapter3:LivingthePowerfulLife:Lak∑m¥ofthe TantricTraditions TheWorldAccordingtoTantra Lak∑m¥asKuˆ∂alin¥ Lak∑m¥,Íiva,andthe“TenGreatWisdomGoddesses”  (Daßamahåvidyås)

4

5 5

xi

18 20

8

2

2

30

3

4

4

4

7

9

5

2

viii

C O N T E N T S

TheGrace-BestowingMother Lak∑ams ¥Siddhi:MagicalAttainment,SpiritualPower

PARTTWO:ThePowerofPoetrytoSummontheGoddess

Chapter4:ThePowerofVedicHymns:Generating Auspiciousness  RecitingtheHymns(S¶ktas)  RitualApplicationoftheVedicHymns

Chapter5:ThePowerofPuråˆicSongs:DrawingDown theGoddess  RecitingtheSongsofPraise(Stotras) ThePropitiousGlanceoftheGoddess FruitsoftheRecitations(Phala)

Chapter6:ThePowerofTantricSongs:WakingUp theGoddess AlchemyoftheGoddess:TheMagicofTransformation VibratoryEssence:EngagingtheSound-FormsofLak∑m¥ ThePotencyofaWoman’sRecitations LiteraryGenresoftheTantricSongs StructureoftheTantricSongs

PARTTHREE:Ceremony

Introduction:InvokingLak∑m¥inCeremony: CreatingSpacetoReceivetheGoddess TheAncientArtofHospitality StructureoftheCeremony

Lakƒm¥ P¶jåTetx PreparationandPurification HeartoftheCeremony:ReceivingtheGoddess OutlineoftheLakƒm¥ P¶jå

PARTFOUR:Song

VedicHymnstoLak∑m¥  Hymn to Ír¥(Ír¥ S¶ktam)  Hymn to Lakƒm¥(Lakƒm¥ S¶ktam)

Lakƒm¥ P¶jå

6

1

6

56 58

5

68

71 76 81 82 83

63 63

67 67

69

71

91

93 93 96 97

104

99 99

116

119

121 121 124

C O N T E N T S

PuråˆicSongstoLak∑m¥  Song for Lakƒm¥, Gracious Bestower of Blessings (Prasannavaradå Ír¥ Lakƒm¥ Stotram) Song for the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Ír¥ Kamalå Stotram)  Lord Indra’s Song for Lakƒm¥(Devaråja Indrak®ta  Lakƒm¥ Stotram)  The Heavenly Gods’ Praise-Song for Lakƒm¥(Ír¥ Daivak®ta  Lakƒm¥ Stotram)  Eight Verses Praising Mahålakƒm¥(Mahålakƒmyaƒ†akam  Stotram)

i

x

127

127 133

137

143

146

TantricSongstoLak∑m¥149  The Secret Heart of Lakƒm¥(Ír¥ Mahålakƒm¥ H®dayam)149  Praise-Song for the Bestower of Wealth(Dhanadå Stotram)169  Song-Amulet of the Bestower of Wealth(Dhanadå Kavacam)170  Praise-Song for the Lotus Goddess (Kamalå Stotram)171  108 Names of the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Ír¥ Kamalå  Aƒ†ottaraßatanåma Stotram)177  Song-Amulet of the Lotus Goddess (Kamalåtmikå Kavacam)181  Song for the Lakƒm¥ of Spiritual Power(Ír¥ Siddhalakƒm¥  Stotram)186  Song for the Glorious “Eyes of Indra”(Ír¥ Indråkƒ¥ Stotram)190  Song-Formulary of the Glorious Mahålakƒm¥(Ír¥ Mahålakƒm¥  Pañjara Stotram)194  Secret Lakƒm¥ Incantation That Yields Immediate Results   (Sadya÷ Phaladå Lakƒm¥stava H®dayam)200

Epilogue:TheGoddessReturnsHome

TransliteratedSanskritTexts  Lakƒm¥ P¶jåtxeT VedicTexts PuråˆicTexts TantricTexts

Notes249

Bibliography

Index275

203

207 207 211 213 222

265