सब कुछ जाननेवाली, सबको वर देनेवाली, समस्त दुष्टों को भयभीत करनेवाली और सब के दु:खों को दूर करनेवाली, हे देवी महालक्ष्मि! तुम्हें नमस्कार है॥
My salutations to the divine Mahalakshmi (the great Lakshmi). She is the one who knows all that is there to know (is omniscient), who blesses one and all, who instills fear in the minds of wicked and evil human beings, and who destroys all sorrows.
sarvajñē sarvavaradē sarvaduṣṭabhayaṅkari|
sarvaduḥkhaharē dēvi mahālakṣmi namō’stu tē||
Mahalakshmi or Maa Lakshmi has been worshipped on the Indian subcontinent for millennia. Some of her earliest representations show her flanked by two elephants (गज-लक्ष्मी) – this form has survived even in the 21st century. While she is generally referred to as the ‘Goddess of Wealth’, Lakshmi seated on a lotus, bestows a lot more.
The grand Indian festival of ‘Diwali’ or ‘Deepawali’ is when salutations to Shri (श्री) reach their zenith. Varalakshmivrata is another festival devoted to her.
