Ashtalakshmi
The eight Lakshmis - Adi, Dhanya (grain), Dhairya (courage), Gaja, Santana (progeny), Vijaya, Vidya (knowledge), Dhana (wealth).
Goddess of wealth, fortune, abundance, beauty, and auspiciousness - material and spiritual.
Who Lakshmi is
Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu and the goddess of Shri - prosperity in every sense: wealth, health, fertility, beauty, and the inner riches of devotion and grace. Seated or standing on a lotus, gold coins streaming from her hand, she is invited into every home, business, and heart at Diwali.
What Lakshmi embodies
She is Shri - abundance and auspiciousness itself, the active grace of Vishnu’s preserving power. There are eight Lakshmis (Ashtalakshmi) governing the eight forms of wealth: prosperity, grain, courage, progeny, victory, knowledge, and more - for she teaches that true wealth is far wider than money.
Birth & origin
Lakshmi arose from the Samudra Manthana - the churning of the milk-ocean. As the devas and asuras churned, she emerged radiant upon a full-blown lotus, garland in hand, and chose Vishnu as her eternal lord, taking her place at his side. As Shri she is ever with him: where Vishnu is, there Lakshmi dwells.
When: Eternal (Shri); her emergence at the Samudra Manthana is her best-loved narrative.
Family & vahana
Consort
Vishnu (Narayana).
Vahana (mount)
The owl (Ulluka); the elephant and the lotus are her constant emblems.
Iconography
Golden-hued, four-armed, seated or standing on a pink lotus, holding two lotuses and showering gold coins (varada-mudra of giving), flanked by elephants (Gaja-Lakshmi) bathing her with water - radiant, serene, adorned in red and gold.
Forms & aspects
Gaja-Lakshmi
Flanked by elephants pouring water - royal abundance.
Dhanalakshmi
The form invoked for material prosperity at Diwali.
Sridevi & Bhudevi
As Vishnu’s two consorts - prosperity and the nurturing earth.
Key stories
Rising from the ocean
Of the fourteen treasures churned from the milk-ocean, Lakshmi was the most radiant; she garlanded Vishnu, and fortune followed the gods who had laboured with devotion - a lesson that abundance flows to sustained, dharmic effort.
Lakshmi leaves the proud
When Indra slighted the garland of sage Durvasa, Lakshmi withdrew from the heavens and the worlds grew poor - until the gods churned the ocean to win her back. Fortune flees arrogance and returns to humility and right effort.
Mantras
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah
The Lakshmi bija-mantra for abundance and grace.
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद
Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseeda Praseeda
From the Mahalakshmi mantra for prosperity.
Major temples
Mahalakshmi (Mumbai)Kolhapur Mahalakshmi (Maharashtra)Ashtalakshmi (Chennai)Padmavathi (Tiruchanur, Tirupati)Lakshmi Narayan temples nationwide
Festivals
Diwali / Lakshmi PoojaVaralakshmi VratamAkshaya TritiyaKojagari Lakshmi Pooja
How Lakshmi is worshipped
Welcomed at Diwali with cleaned, lit homes, rangoli, lotus and red flowers, the Lakshmi Ashtakam and Shri Suktam, and offerings of sweets and coins. Friday is her day; she favours cleanliness, generosity, and contentment.
The teaching
True wealth is broad - health, knowledge, courage, progeny, and devotion, not money alone - and it flows to dharma, generosity, and humility while fleeing greed and pride. Lakshmi teaches that abundance is grace to be shared, not hoarded.