Dhanalakshmi

Lakshmi (ˈlʌkʃmi; लक्ष्मी, IAST: Lakṣhmī; or Lakṣmī; ) is one of the principle goddesses in Hinduism. She was first mentioned in the Śrī Sūkta of the Rigveda. She is regarded as the goddess of wealth, fortune, love, beauty, Māyā, Yoga Maya, joy and prosperity. She is both the wife and divine energy (shakti) of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the Supreme Being in the Vaishnava tradition. Lakshmi is often depicted with Saraswati and Parvati as forming the trinity (Tridevi). It is described that for mankind, 8 types of goals (lakshmi) are necessary according to Hinduism: spiritual enlightenment, food, knowledge, resources, progeny, abundance, patience, and success. Hence there are Ashta Lakshmis ('Eight Lakshmis'): Ādi ('primeval'), Dhānya ('grain'), Vidya ('knowledge'), Dhana ('money'), Santāna ('progeny'), Gaja ('elephant'), Dhairya ('courage'), and Vijaya ('victorious') Lakshmi. In most legends, Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the primordial ocean (Samudra manthan), choosing Vishnu as her eternal consort. The Vishnu Purana mentions that when Vishnu descended on the Earth as the avatars Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi descended as Sita and Rukmini. Lakshmi is also known by the honorific Shri, as she is endowed with six auspicious qualities (guṇas). She represents the material world of the earthly realm as the mother goddess, referred to as Bhūmi. In South India, she is also known by her twin identities as Bhudevi and Sridevi, and in another form, as Nila Devi. In Bengali Hindu culture, Lakshmi is considered as the daughter of Durga. Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman with an owl as her vehicle, signifying the importance of economic activity in maintenance of life, her ability to move, work and prevail in confusing darkness. She typically stands or sits like a yogin on a lotus pedestal, while holding a lotus in her hand, symbolizing fortune, self-knowledge, and spiritual liberation. Her iconography shows her with four hands, which represent the four aspects of human life important to Hindu culture: dharma, kāma, artha, and moksha. Archaeological discoveries and ancient coins suggest the recognition and reverence for Lakshmi existing by the 1st millennium BCE. Lakshmi's iconography and statues have also been found in Hindu temples throughout Southeast Asia, estimated to be from the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The festivals of Diwali and Sharad Purnima (Kojagiri Purnima) are celebrated in her honor.

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