Sri Sukta Parayanam
Lakshmi Sukta: Hymn to The Goddess Lakshmi
Some of the most famous verses of admiration of the Goddess Lakshmi are found in the appendix of the Rig Veda. The "Sri Sukta" or "Lakshmi Sukta" is considered to be one of the most popular and "well-tested" among Lakshmi devotees. It is used in many forms of worship. It is a composition of fifteen verses that have very specific intentions and guidelines for honoring Lakshmi. And a sixteenth verse contains the method for attaining desires. This translation by J.L. Gupta for B.C. Butala Books embellishes the meanings of this ancient text in parenthesis.
O Jataveda! Bring Laksmi (the Goddess of Wealth) of golden color to me, (bring her to me) who is remover of sins, who is (resplendent) with her garlands of (lotuses of) gold and silver, who is the source of pleasure like the moon (for the universe) and who possesses a lot of (wealth) gold, etc. (1)
O Jataveda! Bring me that Laksmi who will not ever desert me and by whose grace I may get gold, cows, horses and sons together with other descendants. (2)
I invoke Goddess Sri (Laksmi) who has the cavalry before her and the chariots (carried by horses) in the middle, who delights the world by the resounding trumpet of elephants (attending on her). May she be graceful to me and reside at my place forever! (3)
I invoke Sri, the blissful goddess, who is sweet-smiling, who lives in a hall of gold, who is full of compassion and drenched with it from the heart (due to the fact of being bathed by attending elephants or having risen from the milky ocean), who is resplendent at the seat of the lotus, is lotus-hued, and who bestows all pleasures to her devotees. (4)
I take refuge in Sri who is the effulgent one like the moon, who shines with the fame of herself, who is adored by the Gods like Indra, etc. Who is benevolent in offering gifts, who dwells in the middle of the lotus, who protects all (her devotees). May the poverty be removed from my end, (and for that) I invoke you, O Goddess Laksmi. (5)
O (Laksmi) of sun-like lustre! The Tree of the name Bilva was produced by your penance. May the fruits of that tree remove all our ignorance, distresses and other extrinsic things by (our) penance. (6)
O Mother Laksmi! May the Gods like Indra, Kubera (friend of Mahadeva) come to me together with fame and gems. (Here the fame is Sati, the daughter of Daksa, and the gems are the friends of Kubera like Manibhadra) I am born in this world and may you (Kubera) give me fame and plenty for wealth. (7)
I destroy the poverty (Alakshmi which is the cause of hunger and thirst, which is the elder sister of Laksmi, and which is impure.) O Goddess, please get the paucity of wealth from my abode obliterated and all the hurdles in the way of the acquisition of wealth be removed. (8)
I invoke Sri, who is to be gotten by offering fragrant flowers, who is unassailable, who has abundance of crops and wealth and cattle, and who is supreme of all beings. (9)
O, Laksmi! May we realize all the wishes of our hearts and willingness, the truth of our words, the wealth of cattle (milk, curd, etc.) and forms of food. May Goddess bring me fame and wealth too. (10)
O Kardama! Come dwell in me. Make Sri, who is the Universal Mother and who is adorned with a garland of lotuses, dwell in my family. (11)
(It is said that Lord Varuna produces oily substances, i.e., beautiful things) The beauty in substances is known as Laksmi. She has three sons―Kardama, Chikleeta and Sruti. Here Chikleeta is prayed: O Chikleeita (son of Laksmi)! Come to dwell in my house, and, not only you but make your mother (also Mother of The Universe), Laksmi, also live in my abode. (12)
O Lord Agni, (God of Fire)! Bring to me Laksmi, who is very kind, who has elephants around her pouring water on her (for her bath), who is the goal of sacrificial rites, who is tawny-hued, who is decked with a garland of lotuses, who is lustrous like the moon and thus enlightening the living beings and also possessed of plenty of wealth. (13)
O Jataveda! Bring to me Mother Laksmi, who is always compassionate to her devotees, who punishes the wicked ones, who is golden (exquisitely beautiful) color, who puts on garland of gold, who is wealth (herself), and who makes the whole world illumine like the sun. (14)
O Jataveda! Bring to me Laksmi who will never leave me and by whose grace I may get plenty of gold, prosperity, cows, horses, servants and other descendants. (15)
One who aspires for the attainment of Laksmi, should regularly, in a sanctified and determined way, offer the cow-ghee in oblation and recite all the 15 verses of Sri Suktam. (16)
- Sri Suktam, translated by Jawaharlal Gupta, published by B.C. Butala