In this Book
- Invoking Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth in Song and Ceremony
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: State University of New York Press
summary
A multi-faceted portrait of Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. Includes translations of verses used to invoke this goddess. 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.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xii
- INTRODUCTION
- pp. 1-12
- PART ONE: The Divine Personalities of Lakṣmī
- PART TWO: The Power of Poetry to Summon the Goddess
- PART THREE: Ceremony
- Lakṣmī Pūjā Text
- pp. 99-118
- PART FOUR: Song
- Vedic Hymns to Lakṣmī
- pp. 121-126
- Purāņic Songs to Lakṣmī
- pp. 127-148
- Tantric Songs to Lakṣmī
- pp. 149-202
- EPILOGUE: The Goddess Returns Home
- pp. 203-206
- Transliterated Sanskrit Texts
- pp. 207-248
- Bibliography
- pp. 265-274
Additional Information
ISBN
9781438433226
DOI
MARC Record
OCLC
704278458
Pages
291
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No