Sumanasa Vandita

Today is sashti, the sixth day of Navaratri. Following my South Indian heritage I continue my homage to Goddess Lakshmi today.

We Hindus are so accepting of plurality in singularity and vice versa that I forget how alien the concept must seem to the rest of the world! We accept that the ultimate Brahman, has no form yet we are happy to worship God in innumerable forms. We invoke the same Gods by many names and sometimes in many forms. It is as if we can merge the many into one and see the one as many with no trouble at all!! How wonderful is that!!

Hinduism has succeeded in flourishing over the millenniums because of its ability to adapt and evolve, retaining the old yet adding facets and nuances which keep it alive. Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, has been worshipped for thousands of years but its only in recent times, the past 40 years or so, that we worship her in the eight forms called Ashtalakshmi अष्टलक्ष्मी. The eight forms seem to vary from region to region but the most accepted are the ones in the Ashtalakshmi Stotram, a prayer addressed to each of these forms written in the 1970’s by Mukkur Srinivasa Varadachariyar. For the lyrics, see footnote. The eight forms are :

• Aadi Lakshmi आदि लक्ष्मी The Primeval Lakshmi.
• Dhaanya Lakshmi धान्य लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of Grain. Grain represents food here so it is She who is the provider of all sustenance.
• Dhairya Lakshmi धैर्य लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of Courage. She who gives us the courage to succeed for such courage is worth its weight in gold.
• Gaja Lakshmi गज लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of the Elephant. The elephant represents wealth in livestock.
• Santaana Lakshmi संतान लक्ष्मी  The Lakshmi of the Progeny. She who provides us with the incomparable wealth of children.
• Vijaya Lakshmi विजय लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of Victory. She who blesses us to succeed.
• Vidyaa Lakshmi विद्या लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of Knowledge. She who blesses us with the knowledge required to attain prosperity.
• Dhana Lakshmi धन लक्ष्मी The Lakshmi of Wealth. She who blesses us with wealth. A very popular form for worship.

Bombay Jayashri has sung the first verse of this stotram in her album Anubhavam. Listen below to Sumanasa Vandita in Raga Revati below. If you would like to know more about the raga, click here.

Allternate link : Click here.

To listen to the full stotram, click here.

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Footnote (Lyrics) :

अष्टलक्ष्मी स्तोत्रं

आदि लक्ष्मी
सुमनस वन्दित सुन्दरि माधवी चन्द्र सहोदरी हेममये |
मुनिगण वन्दित मोक्ष प्रदायिनी मंजुल भाषिणि वेदनुते ||
पङ्कज वासिनि देव सुपूजित सद्गुण वर्षिणी शांतियुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि आदिलक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम्||१||

धान्य लक्ष्मी
अयिकलि कल्मष नाशिनि कामिनी वैदिक रूपिणि वेदमये |
क्षीर समुद्भव मङ्गल रूपिणि मन्त्र निवासिनि मन्त्रनुते | |
मङ्गल दायिनि अम्बुज वासिनि देवगणाश्रित पादयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि धान्यलक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् || २||

धैर्य लक्ष्मी
जय वर वर्णिनी वैष्णवि भार्गवि मन्त्र स्वरूपिणि मन्त्र मये |
सुरगण पूजित शीघ्र फलप्रद ज्ञान विकासिनि शास्त्रनुते ||
भवभय हारिणि पाप विमोचनि साधुजनाश्रित पादयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि धैर्यलक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् ||३||

गज लक्ष्मी
जय जय दुर्गति नाशिनि कामिनि सर्व फलप्रद शास्त्रमये |
रथ गज तुरगपदादि समावृत परिजन मण्डित लोकनुते ||
हरिहर ब्रह्म सुपूजित सेवित ताप निवारिणि पादयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि गजलक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् ||४||

संतान लक्ष्मी
अयि खग वाहिनि मोहिनि चक्रिणि राग विवर्धनि ज्ञानमये |
गुणगण वारिधि लोक हितेषिनि स्वर सप्त भूषित गाननुते |
सकल सूरासुर देव मुनीश्वर मानव वन्दित पादयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि संतान लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् || ५ ||

विजय लक्ष्मी
जय कमलासनि सत्गति दायिनि ज्ञान विकासिनि गानमये |
अनुदिनमर्चित कुङ्कुम धूसर भूषित वासित वाद्यनुते ||
कनक धरास्तुते वैभव वन्दित शंकर देशिक मान्य पदे |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि विजय लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् ||६ ||

विद्या लक्ष्मी
प्रणत सुरेश्वरी भारति भार्गवि शोक विनाशिनि रत्नमये |
मणिमय भूषित कर्ण विभूषण शान्ति समावृत हास्यमुखे ||
नवनिधि दायिनि कलिमल हारिणि कामित फलप्रद हस्तयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि विद्या लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् ||७||

धन लक्ष्मी
धिमिधिमि धिम्धिमि धिम्धिमि धिम्धिमि दुन्धुभि नाद सुपूर्णमये |
घुमघुम घुङ्घुम घुङ्घुम घुङ्घुम शङ्ख निनाद सुवाद्यनुते ||
वेदपूराणेतिहास सुपूजित वैदिकमार्ग प्रदर्शयुते |
जय जय हे मधुसूदन कामिनि धन लक्ष्मी सदा पालय माम् || ८||

For transliterated lyrics and translation, click here.