Swamini Brahmaprakashananda
In the Mahālakṣmī- aṣṭakam, the Goddess Mahālakṣmī is visual- ized as the ādi-śakti or māyā-śakti, who is the cause of this universe. She is the one who manifests all three forms of the devī that we gener- ally know – Durgā, Lakṣmī, and Saraswatī. This mahā-śakti is triguṇātmikā, endowed with sattva, rajas, and tamas.
As Saraswatī she is jñāna-śakti-rūpiṇī and represents the sattva-guṇa. As Lakṣmī she is the icchā- śakti-rūpiṇī and represents the rajo-guṇa. As Durgā she is kriyā-śakti-rūpiṇī and represents the tamo-guṇa. As māyā-śakti she is the śakti of Parameśvara and is wielded by him to create this universe, sustain it, break it, and resolve it back into himself. Therefore, as Saraswatī she is the śakti of Brahmā, the creator; as Lakṣmī she is the śakti of Viṣṇu, the sustainer; and as Durgā she is the śakti of Śiva, the destroyer. In the Devī-māhātmyam she is described as the one who destroys all the asuras who threaten the jagat and who brings peace and happiness to the people.
She is worshipped popularly in eight forms as Aṣṭalakṣmī, looking at her through the different forms of wealth. As māyā-śakti, she is the cause of the ja- gat, and thus everything in this universe is her manifest form.
The eight forms are: Ādilakṣmī, the ādi-śakti; Dhanalakṣmī, the one who is in the form of wealth; Dhānyalakṣmī, the one who is in the form of all food; Gajalakṣmī, the embodiment of power and strength; Santānalakṣmī, the one who is in the form of prog- eny, children; Vīralakṣmī, the one who is in the form of courage and valour; Vijayalakṣmī, the one who is in the form of victory; Vidyālakṣmī, the one who is in the form of all knowledge. In short, everything in this universe is a manifest form of this ādi-śakti. Therefore, we look at the entire world with this reverence.
This Mahālakṣmī-aṣṭakam is the stuti of devī by Lord Indra. Now we shall look into the salient features of the stotra.
िमस्ऽे स्ुमिञामञायेरिीिीठे िरु िनूजत।े
शङ्खचक्रगदञािस् े मिञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े १॥
namaste’stu mahāmāye śrīpīṭhe surapūjite śaṅkhacakragadāhaste mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you who are māyā, the illusory power of the universe, the basis for all wealth, the one worshipped by divine beings, the one who carries the śaṅkha (conch), cakra (discus), and gadā (mace) in your hands. (1)
Here she is referred to as mahā-māyā and as the reposi- tory of all wealth, and the one who is worshipped by all the devas.
िमस्ेगरुडञारूढेकोलञािरुभयङ्कनर।
िविद्रञाििरेदनेवमिञालन्मििमोऽस्ुत॥े २॥
namaste garuḍārūḍhe kolāsurabhayaṅkari sarvapāpahare devi mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O! Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the one who is seated on Garuḍa, who destroyed the demon named Kolāsura, and who is the remover of all pāpa from your devotees. (2)
She is described as the one who destroyed the asura known as Kolāsura near modern-day Kolhapur in Ma- harashtra, India. The city has a very famous shrine of Mahālakṣmī and is called Kolhapur based on this event. It is said that Kolāsura prayed to the Goddess, asking her to permanently reside there in that city and for the city to be given his name.
िवज्द्रेिववद्ररदेिवदुद्रष्भयङ्कनर।
िवदुद्र ोःखिरे दने व मिञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े ३॥
sarvajñe sarvavarade sarvaduṣṭabhayaṅkari sarvaduḥkhahare devi mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the all- knowing, the one who grants every boon for the devo- tees, who creates fear in all the wicked; who is the re- mover of all sorrow. (3)
निनधिबनुधिप्रदेदनेवभनुतिमनुतिप्रदञानयनि।
मन्त्रमतू गे िदञा दने व मिञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े ४॥
siddhibuddhiprade devi bhuktimuktipradāyini mantramūrte sadā devi mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the giver of every kind of accomplishment and knowledge com- pletely, the one who generously gives enjoyment and mokṣa, who is in the form of all mantras always. (4)
आद्यन्रनितेदनेवआद्यशनतिमिश्वे नर। योगजेयोगिम्तू ेमिञालन्मििमोऽस्ुते॥५॥
ādyantarahite devi ādyaśaktimaheśvari yogaje yogasambhūte mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the begin- ningless and endless Goddess, the supreme Goddess of the universe, the ādi-śakti born of yoga (the power of Īśvara), the one who is in the form of that yoga-śakti itself. (5)
Here she is called yogajā because she is born of yoga- śakti, the power of Parameśvara. She herself is the very yoga-śakti of Īśvara, which he wields to manifest the universe. Therefore, she is called yoga-sambhūtā. She is in the form of all yoga, the pursuits of all living beings to achieve the fourfold puruṣārthas.
स्लू ि्मिू मिञारौर्दे मिञाशनति मिोदर।े मिञािञाििरे दने व मिञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े ६॥
sthūlasūkṣmamahāraudre mahāśakti mahodare mahāpāpahare devi mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the one who is the great terror of gross and subtle (wicked be- ings), the supreme power, the cause of the universe, the one who removes the great sins. (6)
िद्ञाििनस्त े दने व िरब्रह्मस्वरूनिनि।
िरमने श जगन्ञातञा मिञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े ७॥
padmāsanasthite devi parabrahmasvarūpiṇi parameśi jaganmātā mahālakṣmi namo’stu te
O Goddess Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you, the one seated on a lotus, the Goddess, whose svarūpa is paraṁbrahma, the absolute ruler of this world, and the mother of the world. (7)
श्वते ञाम्बरिरे दने व िञािञालङ्कञारभनू षत।े
जगन्थित े जगन्ञातमिद्र ञालन्मि िमोऽस् ु त॥े ८॥
śvetāmbaradhare devi nānālaṅkārabhūṣite jagatsthite jaganmātarmahālakṣmi namo’stu te
