Invoking Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth in Song and Ceremony

Contents

Contents Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Goddess Arrives in Delhi 1 What Does It Mean to Invoke a Goddess? 3 On the Format of This Book 6 Sources: Sanskrit Texts and Popular Worship Manuals 8 PART ONE: The Divine Personalities of Lak∑m¥ 13 Chapter 1: The Awesome Power of Auspiciousness: Lak∑m¥ of the Vedic Traditions 15 The Primordial Lotus Goddess 15 The Goddess of Auspiciousness: Ír¥’s Essence, Lak∑m¥’s Form 18 Alak∑m¥, the Inauspicious 20 Chapter 2: Living the Good Life: Lak∑m¥ of the Puråˆic Traditions 23 The Burgeoning World of the Puråˆas 23 Lak∑m¥ and the Lords of the Three Realms: Indra, Vi∑ˆu, and Bali 24 All Women Are Embodiments of Lak∑m¥ 26 Lak∑m¥, Embodiment of the “Four Wealths” (Caturartha) 30 The Absence of Lak∑m¥: Is Lady Luck a Fickle Goddess? 42 Chapter 3: Living the Powerful Life: Lak∑m¥ of the Tantric Traditions 47 The World According to Tantra 48 Lak∑m¥ as Kuˆ∂alin¥ 49 Lak∑m¥, Íiva, and the “Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses” (Daßamahåvidyås) 52 viii CONTENTS The Grace-Bestowing Mother 56 Lak∑m¥ as Siddhi: Magical Attainment, Spiritual Power 58 PART TWO: The Power of Poetry to Summon the Goddess 61 Chapter 4: The Power of Vedic Hymns: Generating Auspiciousness 63 Reciting the Hymns (S¶ktas) 63 Ritual Application of the Vedic Hymns 65 Chapter 5: The Power of Puråˆic Songs: Drawing Down the Goddess 67 Reciting the Songs of Praise (Stotras) 67 The Propitious Glance of the Goddess 68 Fruits of the Recitations (Phala) 69 Chapter 6: The Power of Tantric Songs: Waking Up the Goddess 71 Alchemy of the Goddess: The Magic of Transformation 71 Vibratory Essence: Engaging the Sound-Forms of Lak∑m¥ 76 The Potency of a Woman’s Recitations 81 Literary Genres of the Tantric Songs 82 Structure of the Tantric Songs 83 PART THREE: Ceremony 91 Introduction: Invoking Lak∑m¥ in Ceremony: Lakƒm¥ P¶jå 93 Creating Space to Receive the Goddess 93 The Ancient Art of Hospitality 96 Structure of the Ceremony 97 Lakƒm¥ P¶jå Text 99 Preparation and Purification 99 Heart of the Ceremony: Receiving the Goddess 104 Outline of the Lakƒm¥ P¶jå 116 PART FOUR: Song 119 Vedic Hymns to Lak∑m¥ 121 Hymn to Ír¥ (Ír¥ S¶ktam) 121 Hymn to Lakƒm¥ (Lakƒm¥ S¶ktam) 124 ix CONTENTS Puråˆic Songs to Lak∑m¥ 127 Song for Lakƒm¥, Gracious Bestower of Blessings (Prasannavaradå Ír¥ Lakƒm¥ Stotram) 127 Song for the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Ír¥ Kamalå Stotram) 133 Lord Indra’s Song for Lakƒm¥ (Devaråja Indrak®ta Lakƒm¥ Stotram) 137 The Heavenly Gods’ Praise-Song for Lakƒm¥ (Ír¥ Daivak®ta Lakƒm¥ Stotram) 143 Eight Verses Praising Mahålakƒm¥ (Mahålakƒmyaƒ†akam Stotram) 146 Tantric Songs to Lak∑m¥ 149 The Secret Heart of Lakƒm¥ (Ír¥ Mahålakƒm¥ H®dayam) 149 Praise-Song for the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadå Stotram) 169 Song-Amulet of the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadå Kavacam) 170 Praise-Song for the Lotus Goddess (Kamalå Stotram) 171 108 Names of the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Ír¥ Kamalå Aƒ†ottaraßatanåma Stotram) 177 Song-Amulet of the Lotus Goddess (Kamalåtmikå Kavacam) 181 Song for the Lakƒm¥ of Spiritual Power (Ír¥ Siddhalakƒm¥ Stotram) 186 Song for the Glorious “Eyes of Indra” (Ír¥ Indråkƒ¥ Stotram) 190 Song-Formulary of the Glorious Mahålakƒm¥ (Ír¥ Mahålakƒm¥ Pañjara Stotram) 194 Secret Lakƒm¥ Incantation That Yields Immediate Results (Sadya÷ Phaladå Lakƒm¥stava H®dayam) 200 Epilogue: The Goddess Returns Home 203 Transliterated Sanskrit Texts 207 Lakƒm¥ P¶jå Text 207 Vedic Texts 211 Puråˆic Texts 213 Tantric Texts 222 Notes 249 Bibliography 265 Index 275 ...