Sri Kamakoti Mandali Sri Kamakoti Mandali

shrImAtre namaH line decor HOME :: line decor

Srisukta

The most important of the Vedic Mantras that are used during Homa, Vrata and eremonial !orship are the "urusha Sukta and the Shree Sukta# Shai$as, Shaktas and Vaishna$as use Shree Sukta alike# Most Hindus are familiar !ith this popular Sukta %ut are not a!are of its deep philosophical significance# Shree Sukta is one of the &Khila' Suktas of (ig Veda# &Khila' means an appendi)# This part does not %elong to the main part of the (ig Veda, %ut appears to ha$e %een included at a later time# (aatri Sukta, Shi$asankalpa Sukta, Medha Sukta, are all Khila Suktas# Sukta means a collection of Vedic mantras# A collection of Suktas is called a Mandala# (ig Veda has *+,Suktas, *+,.., mantras and ten Mandalas# All mantras are, ho!e$er not recogni/ed %0 special Sukta names# This special group includes the Agni Sukta %eginning !ith the (ik &Agnimiile' 1first Mandala, 2irst Sukta3, the "urusha Sukta %eginning !ith the (ik &Sahasra shiirsha' 1*+45+3, the 6e$i Sukta %eginning !ith the (ik &Aham rudre%hiH' 1*+4*,.3, the (atri Sukta %eginning !ith the mantra &(aatrii $0akh0adaa0atii' 1*+4*,73 and the Sri Sukta# The actual num%er of Suktas in the rig Veda is *+*7# Ho!e$er %0 addition of khila Suktas, kno!n as the Vaalikhil0a Suktas, the num%er %ecomes *+,-#

Shree Sukta is found at the end of the fifth mandala and %efore the commencement of the si)th mandala of rig Veda# This mandala is also called Atre0a mandala# 8ecause this Sukta comprises of fifteen (ig mantras, it is called & "anchadasharcha'# 6uring "ara0ana, additional $erses are also added, though these are not considered to %e a part of the Shree Sukta# Shree Sukta is $er0 popular %ecause it is used in the !orship of Sri 9akshmi, the goddess of !ealth and prosperit0# Ho!e$er it does not address 9akshmi as merel0 the goddess of !ealth and as the consort of Sri :ara0ana# It is a pra0er to the di$ine mother of the cosmos# She is seen as the $er0 po!er %ehind the sun and the moon# She is also identified !ith Agni or fire# Other gods like Shi$a and Vishnu depend on this cosmic Shakti or po!er for all their doings# She is &:ara0ani', the po!er of Sri :ara0ana, %ut at the same time she is also &Tr0am%ake', the consort of the three;e0ed 9ord, Sri Mahade$a#

The !ord &Shree' has its origin in the dhatu 1$er%al root3 &Shri0'# This means &to take refuge' or &to ser$e'# 80 adding &Aing' upasarga 1a preposition prefi)ed to roots3 to this dhatu, !e o%tain the !ord &Shree'# &Shree0ate sar$aiH iti ShreeH' ; !hich means Shree is that cosmic energ0 !ho is the refuge of all creatures# She e)ists as life and intellect, the greatest of all !ealths, in e$er0 %eing# Hence the Markande0a "urana sa0s, &<a 6e$i sar$a %hooteshu laksmi roopena samsthitaa'; I %o! do!n to that great goddess !ho is present as 9akshmi in all creatures# 9akshmi also means a sign or mark of haitan0a 1energ03 and Vi%hooti 1po!er or greatness3# This great goddess is referred to as &Ish!ari' ; the supreme leader of the uni$erse in the 6urga Saptashati# Thus Shree not onl0 means the goddess of !ealth, %ut also signifies the magnanimous aspect of Sride$i as the mother of the cosmos# Kalika "urana calls her, the second;less Atma$id0a and as the Maha$id0a, the great kno!ledge of the self# She is thus understood to %e the $er0 proto;t0pe of "ara%rahman# &Shree' indicates feminine gender# This is !hat makes the people attri%ute a feminine form to Sri 9akshmi# Ho!e$er, this great Tat$a of Shree is a%o$e the limited $isuali/ation of gender and form#

The 6akshinamurth0 Samhita sa0s, = <oshit "urusha roopena sphurantee $ish!amatrukaa' ; this great Tat$a, !hich is the root;cause of the uni$erse, shines in %oth male and female forms# Thus, this Tat$a of Shree represents %oth "urusha and "rakriti# Vamakesh!ara Tantra hence calls this great Shakti as the $er0 "ara%rahman# This Tat$a is !hat the aspirants of Tantra call 0oni and 9inga# The pre;conditioned form of Shree is &"ara%rahman'# The conditioned aspect of Shree is &"arashakti'# The great pillar of fire, !hich shines in the hearts of the illumined, destro0ing the darkness of dualit0, is indeed &Shree'# In the 6e$i >panishad, !hen Sride$i is asked, & ?ho are 0ou@'

She replies, & I am the 8rahman, from me is this !orld composed of "rakriti and "urusha'# The o%Aecti$e of this con$ersation is to indicate the non; separateness of the t!o a%o$e;said aspects# Thus the female or the Shakti Tat$a is non;different from the "urusha or Shi$a Tat$a, e$en as the moon and its shine# Though the deeper philosophical significance of Shree Sukta ma0 %e outlined thus, the Sukta also makes use of a %eautiful approach to the !orship of Saguna 8rahman, $isuali/ed here as Sri Mahalakshmi# The deit0 of Shree Sukta is a personification of auspiciousness and prosperit0# There are $arious commentaries on this khila Sukta# Sa0anachar0a and "rith$idharachar0a, !ho ha$e composed commentaries on the entire Vedas, ha$e also !ritten commentaries on Shree Sukta# ?e understand the actual meaning of the Sukta onl0 %0 referring to an0 of these enlightening commentaries# Another Shai$a scholar called Srikantha has also !ritten a !onderful commentar0 on Shree Sukta# He identifies Shree !ith Bauri and Caata$eda !ith Shi$a# There are man0 more !orks that ela%orate on Shree Sukta from the $ie!point of mantra Shastra# Some of these are: Mantrakalpaarna$a, Vaikhaanasa$id0a, 9akshmi0amala, Shreeratnakosha, Shreetat!a, Mahalakshmiratnakosha, Shree$id0a$ilasa etc#

Each mantra of this Sukta has a different (ishi 1seer3, handas 1metre3, 6e$i 1deit03 and Vini0oga 1ritual application3# If !e consider the entire Sukta as a !hole, then the (ishis are: Ananda, hikleeta, Kardama, Shreeda and Indira, !ho are said to %e the sons of goddess 9akshmi# The t!o deities of the Samashti Sukta 1the entire Sukta3 are Agni and Shree 6e$i# The $erse &Hiran0anar:aam' is said to %e the 8iAa of the Sukta# 8iAa is the source from !hich the entire mantra takes its origin# The $erse &Taam ma aa$aha' is the Shakti# Shakti is the part of the mantra !here the entire po!er of the mantra remains encapsulated# The $erse &Keertimriddhim' is the Kilaka# Kilaka is that pole or nail, to !hich the aspirant of the mantra has to tie up his mind, !ith complete concentration#

Here is a translation of the Sukta !ith some additional notes# I ha$e not tried to e)plain the "aari%haashika meaning of this great Sukta, re$ealing the aspects of Kunndalini 0oga and Sri$id0a, the sole reason %eing the scriptural inAunction that %ans re$ealing these to the uninitiated# Ho!e$er, e$er0 one can understand and appreciate the %eaut0 of this Sukta, as a pra0er to the mother of the cosmos# I ha$e follo!ed a transliteration scheme here, so that Vedic s!aras could %e incorporated into the Sukta#

The first Verse:

hiraD&:0a$ar:aaEMDF hariD&:iiEM suDF$ar:araAaDFtasraD&AaaEM G chaDFndraaEM hiDFra:maD&0iiEM laDFkShmiiEM AaataD&$edo maDF aa $aD&ha GG

O Caata$eda, %ring Sri 9akshmi to me, that 9akshmi !ho has a golden comple)ion, !ho is %eautiful like the female deer, !ho shines like the moon and !ho has an enchanting form#

This $erse is a pra0er to Agni or the Vedic fire;god# According to the Vedic rituals, all Bods and Boddesses are propitiated %0 means of fire;sacrifice# Hence, though the deit0 referred to here is indeed 9akshmi, the pra0er is to Agni# The 8iAa, Shakti and Kilaka of this mantra are respecti$el0, Shreem, Hrim and Klim# The deities are Caata$edaagni, Agni 6urga and Mahalakshmi# The !ord Caata$eda has $arious meanings# Some rele$ant meanings are listed here: The Maha%harata sa0s, & VedaaH t$adartham CaataaH' 1,H*,I*3 ; the Vedas are %orn for 0ouJ That great "urusha for !hom the Vedas originated is said to %e Caata$eda# All Vedic mantras are in$ocation of deities# Ordinar0 mortals, ha$ing their consciousness fi)ed in the earthl0 planes, cannot comprehend the di$ine forms of these deities# Thus all of them are $isuali/ed through the medium of Agni or sacrificial fire# The offerings to the $arious deities are offered to this sacred Agni# It is %elie$ed that Agni carries the offerings 1Ha$is3 to the respecti$e deities# Hence Agni is called Ha$0a$aahana or the $ehicle of Ha$is# The !ord Veda, !hich arises from the root &Vid' 1!hich means &to kno!'3 means consciousness or "raAnaa# The %eing in !hich this consciousness has manifested completel0 is called Caata$eda#

The one !ho kno!s e$er0thing is called Caata$eda# Veda also means Shastra or scripture# Shastra means to command or order# Vedas are called &"ra%husammita' %ecause the0 list the eternal commands of the great %eing, "ara%rahman# All religious rules and regulations ha$e their roots in the Vedas# The Vedas ha$e <agna 1fire;sacrifice3 as their $er0 foundation# <agna is possi%le onl0 through Agni# Thus Agni or <agna "urusha is called Shastra 0oni or the origin for all scriptural inAunctions# That great %eing !ho makes the e)ecution of the Vedic duties possi%le is called Caata$eda# Vedas assign karma 1action3 and Karma;phala 1the resulting fruit3# Men perform <agna for

o%taining its lucrati$e "hala# This phala is compared to mone0 or gold# The lord through the agenc0 of Agni grants the fruits of one's actions# Thus, Caata$eda is that great %eing !ho grants the fruits of the karma committed, as per the regulations re$ealed in the Vedas# Thus the !ord Caata$eda has all these meanings# This great Caata$eda Agni is freKuentl0 referred to as <agna :ara0ana, %ecause the scriptures assign the authorit0 o$er <agnas to 9ord Vishnu# If one has to in$ite Sri 9akshmi, it can %e possi%le onl0 %0 reKuesting her di$ine consort, :ara0ana, referred here as Caata$eda Agni# This claim is supported %0 the Sruti, & <aAno $ai VishnuH' 1Taittaree0a Samhita ; * , 7, I3# Similarl0 <agna "urusha is also seen as 9ord (udra, &Agnistu (udra E$a'# His !ife >ma indeed is the Shree !hose grace is sought in this $erse#

&9akshmi' means the one !ho has a mark or a sign# <aaskara :irukta sa0s, &9akshmi represents all those signs of happiness and !elfare that a man desires'# The !ord 9akshmi arises out of the dhatu &9ash' !hich means &to o%tain'# Thus 9akshmi means to o%tain the signs of happiness like !ealth, prosperit0 and kno!ledge, !hich she represents %0 her $er0 nature# "oetic hearts ha$e al!a0s identified 9akshmi !ith the lotus flo!er# The 6h0ana Shloka 1meditation $erse3 of Sri Mahalakshmi descri%es her like this, & Amala kamala Samsthaa' ; (esiding in a !hite stainless lotus# She holds lotuses in her hands and sports a garland of lotuses# The mandala used to !orship Sride$i is also called "adma mandala# The reference here is actuall0 to the si) 0ogic hakras in the human %od0# The goddess Shree, as the great Kundalini Shakti, resides in these lotuses#

The !ord &9akshmi' can also %e deri$ed from the roots &9a' !hich means &to gi$e' and &Kship' !hich means &to inspire'# Thus 9akshmi means the one !ho gi$es us the !ealth of kno!ledge that inspires us to achie$e the highest state of reali/ation of the Self# &Ma Aa$aha' ; this means &please send her to me' or &in$ite her to me'# This reKuest goes to Agni, !ho is actuall0 none other than Sri :ara0ana# Onl0 the great 9ord has the capacit0 to grant eternal !ealth of the kno!ledge of Self, called Shree# In an other sense, %0 performing Vedic sacrifices, one seeks to dra! the attention of 9akshmi#

Hiran0a means gold# It literall0 means &to shine' or &to steal'# Bold steals the hearts of men %0 $irtue of its luster and !orth# Bold is named as the king of all metals# Other minerals are called &"arthi$a' 1of the nature of earth3 !hereas gold is called &TaiAasa' 1of the nature of light or fire3# Hence gold is undou%tedl0 superior to all other metals# Similarl0, Sride$i shines %rightl0

amidst all other Bods and Boddesses, !ho appear dim in front of her# This speaks of the Vimarsha aspect of Sride$i, !hich is the sole cause for the appearance of this uni$erse# ?hen e$er0thing shines %ecause of her o!n light, ho! can an0thing %righter than Her E)ist@ Also %ecause she is the Shakti of Agni or Vishnu, it is %ut natural for her to ha$e a golden luster#

Harini in a literal sense means a female deer# It is seen in the "uranas that 9akshmi once came to earth assuming the form of a female deer# 6eer also signifies attraction and %eaut0, %oth of !hich are the inherent Kualities of Sride$i# Ho!e$er, a deer is e)tremel0 fast and to catch hold of it reKuires great strength and determination# Similarl0 to achie$e !ealth one needs to !ork hard and o$ercome the effects of past Karmas# On a higher le$el, one can achie$e the kno!ledge of the Self, !hich is the greatest of the treasures, onl0 %0 constant Sadhana and contemplation on the self# The 8rahma Vai$arta "urana speaks of the incident of the destruction of 6aksha's <agna %0 Shi$a# Seeing the terri%le Mahakala form of Shi$a, <agna "urusha assumed the form of a deer and %egan to run# Ho!e$er (udra, !ithin no time caught hold of the deer in his palms# <agna "urusha is the :irguna "ara%rahman, !hich indicates Vishnu# The form of the deer that he assumed refers of his Vaishna$i Shakti, !hich is 9akshmi# Also# Maha%harata calls Vishnu %0 the name &Harina' 1*H,*7,**L3# His eternal consort 9akshmi thus %ecomes Harini# Sride$i is also called Harini %ecause she has a golden 0ello! luster# 6e$i is referred to as &Haridraa%haa' 1ha$ing a turmeric like comple)ion3 in $arious "uranas and tantras# 8haga$ata "urana e$en speaks of the Haridraa Bauri $rata !here Sride$i is !orshipped in an image made of turmeric# This association of Sride$i !ith turmeric also earns her the name &Harini'#

Sride$i is descri%ed as Su$arnaraAatasraAaam'# &SraAa' means a garland or a necklace# The goddess is !earing a necklace made of gold and sil$er# :o!, !e said %efore that Sride$i !ears a garland of lotuses, so shouldn't this sound contradictor0# :oJ 8ecause a tender lotus has a natural golden glo! as !ell as a sil$er0 tinge of !hite# Thus, this again ma0 mean a garland of lotuses itself# Thus the goddess is %edecked !ith $alua%les, %oth natural and man; made# Thus, Sride$i is the Ad0a Shakti !ho is at the helm of all affairs, concerning %oth the animate creation as !ell as the inanimate forces of nature# Here Su$arna represents the $o!els and (aAata represents the consonants# Thus the goddess !ears a Matrika Mala, the garland of letters# :o!, the entire creation, according to Sha%da Vaada, arises out of sound# Thus, Sride$i is the Maha<oni from !hich the uni$erse takes %irth# She is also the origin and essence of all mantras, !hich are %ut permutations and com%inations of these Matrika letters# & handraam' ; The !ord & handra'

originates from the root &chadi'# This means to cause freshness or happiness 1Aahlaada3 or to shine# 8ecause Sride$i shines like the moon, she is called handraa# In the same !a0 as the moon causes delight to one and all, Sride$i also %rings tremendous delight to all those !ho see her from in their inner hearts# The ph0sical moon causes delight to the ph0sical e0es !hereas Sride$i %rings immense pleasure to the inner;e0es#

Moon al!a0s forms a prominent ornament in most forms of Sride$i# The Tithi :it0aa !orship in Srichakra follo!s the pattern of handra Kalaa or the lunar digits# Sri$id0a is referred to as hadra Vid0a or handrakalaa Vid0a in $arious scriptures# Also, one form of Sri$id0a is kno!n to ha$e handra as its (ishi 1seer3# The A0ushkara "ra0oga of the Kalpasutras prescri%es meditation on Sride$i in the lunar disc#

&Hira:ma0iim' ; Hiran0a means gold# Much has %een told a%out this alread0# 80 adding to this root, a prat0a0a called &ma0at', !e o%tain the !ord &Hiranma0i'# This prat0a0a gi$es the !ord t!o meanings %0 the !a0 of "raachur0aartha and Vikaaraartha# Since Sride$i has similar Kualities as that of the gold, she is seen as Hiran0as!aroopini# This is the "raachur0aartha# Also %ecause Sride$i is ha$ing a golden comple)ion, she seems to %e made of gold i#e# Hiran0a$igrahaa# This is the Vikaaraartha# Hiran0a also means &sacred' 1pa$itram $ai hiran0am3# That is, the great goddess !ho is free from all limitations and %oundaries of name, form and space, transforms herself so as to %ecome the efficient cause of this uni$erse# Though she is !ithout a form, she assumes multitudes of forms and shines in the hearts of the de$oted, !ith a golden luster# She is thus referred to as Hiranma0ii# This transformation 1"ari:aama3 is indicated %0 Hiran0a, !hich has to undergo a lot of processing %efore it o%tains its luster and %rightness# Shi$a is called Hiran0aretasa# Here, Hiran0a means "rakriti or nature and Shi$a is indicated to %e its $er0 seed# Kaalikaa "urana calls that po!er of Hiran0aretas "aramashi$a3, !hich is responsi%le for creation;destruction;preser$ation of the !orlds as Hiranma0ee#

The $ini0oga or the ritualistic application of this mantra has three forms: Adi%hautika, Adidai$ika and Aadh0aatmika# These three refer to fire;god, sun M moon and the Self as the respecti$e deities of the three Vini0ogas# The first in$ol$es using the mantra !ith a &s!aahaa' added at the end and offering ghee into sacrificial fire# The second in$ol$es meditating on Sride$i in the lunar disc# The third in$ol$es !orshipping the goddess, as one's o!n self !ith

"raanaagnihotra#

Maharshi Agast0a descri%es thus, &The intellect in the mind, the light in the sun, the shine in the moon, the luster in the gold, the %utter in milk, all these are forms of Sri Mahalakshmi'# The meditation $erse for this mantra is as follo!s:

kaant0aa kaaEnchanasanni%haaM himagiriprakh0airshchatur%hirgaAaiH hastotkShiptahira:ma0aam(NitaghaTairaasich0amaanaaM shri0am G naanaaratnasamuA!alaaM karalasatpadmaM kiriiToA!alaam kShaumaa%addhanitam%a%im%alasitaaM $ande#ara$indasthitaam GG

The second $erse:

taaM maDF aa $aD&ha Aaata$edo laDFkShmiimanaD&pagaaDFminiiD&m G 0as0aaDFEM hiraD&:0aM $iDFnde0aMDF gaamash!aMDF puruD&ShaanaDFhaM GG

O Caata$eda, in$oke that 9akshmi 1to4in me3 !ho is Anapagaamini 1sta%le3, %lessed %0 !hom, I shall o%tain gold, co!s, horses and men#

&Caata$eda, taam lakshmiim me aa$aha', these !ords are similar to !hat !e see in the pre$ious mantra# Ho!e$er, here Sride$i is gi$en an additional adAecti$e, Anapagaamini'# This refers to 9akshmi !ho shall sta%l0 reside in the Sadhaka !ithout deserting him for another person# Bold represents Sthaa$ara 1immo$a%le or inanimate3 !ealth !hereas co!s, horses and men represent Cangama 1mo$a%le or animate3 !ealth# 80 Sride$i's grace, one o%tains %oth these forms of !ealth# The men that this mantra speaks of, include children, friends, ser$ants and famil0 1putramitradaasa%hootaan ; Saa0ana 8haash0a3# It is said in (aaA0alakshmi Hrida0am that the attendants or follo!ers of Sride$i are co!s, horses and elephants# Thus, it %ecomes e$ident that !ith Her arri$al, the attendants also follo! and reside fore$er in the Sadhaka# o! represents Sat$a, horse raAas and elephant Tamas# Sride$i,

attended %0 these three Bunas, is ho!e$er %e0ond all the three, she is Trigunaateeta# 6epending on his o!n Kualit0, the Sadhaka sees Sride$i in one of these Buna forms# This mantra also has Caata$eda as its (ishi# The meter for this mantra is Anushtup# The presiding deit0 is Sri (aA0alakshmi# Her 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

chaturaE:ga%alopetaaM dhanadhaan0asukhesh!ariim G ash!aaruu6haamahaM $ande raaA0alakShmiiM hira:ma0iim GG ke0uurairmekhalaad0airna$ama:ikhachitair%huuSha:air%haasamaanaam G karpuuraamoda$aktraamaparimitak(Nipaapuur:anetraara$indaam GG hemaa%haaM di$0a$astraaM m(NigamadatilakaaM padma$aktraamudaaraam G shriilakShmiiM padmahastaaM nataAana$aradaaM sar$a%huut0ai namaamaH GG

The third $erse:

aDFsh!aDFpuur$aaM raD&thamaDFdh0aaM haDFstinaaD&dapraDF%odhiD&niim G shri0aMD& deDF$iimupaD&h!a0eDF shriirmaaD& deDF$ii AuD&Shataam GG

I in$oke Shri 9akshmi, !ho has a line of horses in her front, a series of chariots in the middle, !ho is %eing a!akened %0 the trumpeting of elephants, !ho is di$inel0 resplendent# Ma0 that goddess, !ho is the Mother, grace me !ith her presence#

This mantra presents the picture of the Ao0ous arri$al of Sride$i to the Sadhaka# A line of horses leads her procession# Then follo!s her %eautiful chariot# 8ehind Her, one sees a herd of elephants, loudl0 making a trumpet; like noise# Or this means that Sride$i is arri$ing in a chariot dri$en %0 horses# In the pre$ious t!o $erses, the Sadhaka reKuested Caata$eda to %ring Sride$i to him# As a result of his pra0ers, 9akshmi is %eing %rought to the Sadhaka, as descri%ed in this (ik# Kno!ing that Sride$i is approaching him, the Sadhaka

further reKuests her to come directl0 to him# The !ord &>pah!a0e' means in$iting Sride$i to come near oneself#

2urther, &de$ii maa Aushataam' means &ma0 the great goddess come to me or near me'# Here the !ord &Maa' ma0 not %e looked upon as Aust the haandasa "ra0oga of the !ord &Maam', !hich means &m0'# It also means &mother'# The Sadhaka has to find some relation to associate himself !ith Sride$i, !ho is no! going to sta0 !ith him fore$er# Since She is the source of the entire creation 1Cagad0oni3, it is %ut natural for a %eing to recogni/e her as his mother# The horses, !hich lead Sride$i's procession, represent the senses 1Indri0as3 of man 1Indri0aani ha0aan aahuH3# (atha 1chariot3 is the %od0 of the Sadhaka 1shariiram rathame$a tu3# The presence of Sride$i in the chariot indicates her residence in the center of one's heart or in the center of one's $er0 %eing# Thus, she is recogni/ed here as one's $er0 self# Speaking in terms of <oga, the noise of the elephant indicates the a!akening of Kundalini# Man0 <ogis e)perience this noise !ith the a!akening and ascent of Kundalini Shakti#

&Sri' means &Shra0anii0aa' ; one in !hom e$er one seeks refuge# The !ord &6e$i' arises from the dhatu &di$' !hich means &to shine' or &to pla0'# 8ecause of Her shining presence in the Sadhaka, he %ecomes a!are of an0thing and e$er0thing# E$en the %asic a!areness of &Aham' 1I3 and &Idam' 1this3 is %ecause of her presence as the Vimarsha Shakti# The entire !orld is her pla0 or 9eelaa, as said in the 8rahma sutras 19oka$attu leelaa kai$al0am3# Thus she is rightl0 called &6e$i'# She is called Sride$i also %ecause she is e$er immersed in a cosmic pla0 along !ith Vishnu, !ho is represented %0 the !ord Sri, meaning auspiciousness# She is thus the Moola "rakriti or the primal nature, ne$er separate from the "urusha#

The (ishi of this (ik is Ananda, and the metre is Anushtup# The presiding deit0 is Sri 9akshmi# &>' is the 8iAa, &ta' is the Shakti and &Shriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

ta6id!ar:aapuur:aaM shashilapanataaTaE:ka0ugalaam darasmeraadhiiraaM karakalitapadmaaM d!ina0anaaM G lasadgrii$aaM kShaumaaEMshuka$ishadanaa%hii sarasiAaam

%haAaami t$aaM de$iiM pra:ataAanasau%haag0aAananiim GG

The fourth mantra:

kaaEM soDFsmiDFtaaM hiraD&:0apraaDFkaaraaMD& aaDFrdraam A!alaD&ntiiM t(NiDFptaaM taDFrpa0aD&ntiim G paDFdmeDF sthiDFtaaM paDFdma$ar:aaD&m taaEM iDFhopaD& h!a0eDF shri0aD&m GG

I in$ite that 9akshmi to me !ho is of the form of the supreme 8rahman, !ho has a smiling face, !ho has a golden luster, !ho is compassionate, !ho is %urning;%right, !ho is e$er satisfied and satisf0ing, !ho is residing in the lotus and !ho has a lotus;like rudd0 comple)ion#

&Kaam' is a name of the supreme 8rahman 1ka iti %rahma:o naama3# The identit0 of Sride$i !ith "ara%rahman, !hich !as hinted at in the pre$ious mantras, is e)plicitl0 declared here# 80 calling her 8rahman, she is descri%ed as %e0ond the reach of thoughts and !ords 1$aangmanaso ragocharaa3# She is also understood %e ha$ing &6urniruupa s!aroopaa'; it is impossi%le to comprehend or illustrate her true form %0 !ords or description# Here, a s0lla%le of the sacred Sri$id0a Mahamantra is encoded#

The !ord &Sosmitaa' ma0 %e %roken into three as follo!s, &Sa ; > ; smitaam'# &Sa' means &!ith'# &>' represents flo!# &Smita' means smile# Thus Sride$i is descri%ed as ha$ing a smile from !hich a %eatific smile flo!s out into the hearts of the Sadhaka, filling him !ith indescri%a%le Ao0# The normal laugh of the li$ing %eings is said to %e &"raakrita' or incidental# 6epending on circumstances, it $aries# It ma0 %e a smile, guffa! or laughter# Ho!e$er, the smile of Sride$i is the mark of the %liss or Ananda aspect of the 8rahman# This is eternal and transcendent# This smile holds in itself, the grace of the 8rahman, responsi%le for the appearance of the entire $isi%le uni$erse# These t!o !ords &Kaam sosmitaam' ha$e to %e read together to comprehend the a%o$e meaning#

&Hiran0a praakaaraam' ; "raakaara is the haandasa "ra0oga of "rakara, !hich means t0pe or $ariet0# Thus, this ma0 indicate t0pe, color, form or shape# In this sense, Sride$i has a %eautiful form or comple)ion that is compara%le to Hiran0a or gold# "raakaara also means a !all, fortress or an enclosure# It indicates a protecti$e co$ering that is used to safeguard something $er0 precious# This means that Sride$i resides !ithin a fortress of gold# >ntil one crosses o$er the %oundaries of lust, greed and temptation, represented %0 the golden fortress, %0 eliminating their $er0 cause, !hich is dualit0, one attains Sride$i# Isha$as0opanishat sa0s that the form of 8rahman is hidden %0 a co$ering of gold 1Hiranma0ena patrena sat0as0aapi hitam mukham3#

&Aardraa' means !et, and this further hints at the Kualities of %eing in contact !ith !ater 1Klinnaa3 and coolness 1Shiitala3# Ho!e$er, this !ord is freKuentl0 used to indicate compassion# Thus, %0 calling her Aardra, Sride$i is declared to %e compassionate# Achar0a has descri%ed Sride$i as the $er0 personification of compassion in $arious h0mns# Also, some commentators point out that this !ord indicates the %irth of 9akshmi from the ocean of milk 1Ksheera Saagara3# Aardraa is also the name of a :akshatra or a star# It is seen in the Smriti that the %irth star of Sri 9akshmi is Aardra, !hich incidentall0 happens to %e the fa$orite star of 9ord Shi$a too# The !etness spoken here also indicates the state of Kundalini Shakti soaked in Kulamrita, as descri%ed in the (udra0amala 1Amritaardraam kuliinaam taam kundaliim samupaasmahe3#

The !ord &C!alanti' is used to indicate that Sride$i is %right as the fire# She is the Moola "rakriti shining in the hearts of all creatures# Sincere Sadhakas %ehold her $ision inside, Aust as one sees the %right sun on the outside# It is her %rightness 1"rakasha3 that makes e$er0thing else $isi%le and e)istent 1Tas0a 8haasaa sar$amidam $i%haati3# Also, Sride$i is completel0 satisfied 1Triptaa3 and hence, she satisfies all other %eings 1Tarpa0antii3# Sride$i is thus the supreme 8rahman !ho is descri%ed to %e :it0atripta 1e$er satisfied3# Sride$i satisfies all %eings %0 granting their !orldl0 reKuests, and finall0 grants them li%eration, %0 granting them the greatest treasure of Atma Cnana 1the kno!ledge of the self3# Most descriptions of Sri 9akshmi picture her as seated on a lotus# Her cr0stal clear form also appears to %e of the same color as the lotus, due to reflection# She is the eternal "ara%rahman free from all Bunas or Kualities# Ho!e$er, she acKuires $arious attri%utes or Bunas and appears as the Saguna 8rahman to sho!er her grace on the less e$ol$ed de$otees, incapa%le of grasping the might0 truth of :irguna 8rahman# The scriptures recommend !orship of Sride$i !ith lotus flo!er %ecause it

represents purit0, prosperit0 and %eaut0# All these are also the Kualities of Sride$i# Hence 9akshmi is seen as %eing non;different from the lotus# Her residence is in the lotus hearts of the sincere and the de$oted#

The main aim of this mantra is to esta%lish Sride$i as %eing non;different from "ara%rahman# Onl0 !hen all senses and thoughts are clamed do!n %0 achie$ing a state of total satisfaction, does the light of 8rahman re$eal itself, as one's o!n self# This state of complete satisfaction can %e achie$ed onl0 %0 Sride$i's grace# The !ords &Ardra' 1!et3 and &C!alanti' 1%urning3 are contradictor0 according to the la! of nature# ?hat is !et cannot %e %urning# Ho!e$er, Sride$i is %e0ond the limitations of nature since "rakriti 1as seen %0 the Sankh0a theor03 happens to %e Aust an aspect or a part of hers# She is a%o$e the Tat$as of "rakriti and "urusha# She is the transcendent Sadakh0a Tat$a# 6ue to her compassion to!ards her children, grace flo!s out spontaneousl0 from her, into the hearts of the Sadhaka# This lights up his entire %eing !ith the effulgence of the supreme 8rahman# The (ishi of (ik is Ananda and the metre is 8rihati#

The presiding deit0 is Srilakshmi# The 8iAa is &Kaam', &Hriim' is the Shakti and &Shriim' is the Kilaka# The meditation $erse is as follo!s:

$aradaa%ha0ashukapustakakarakalitaaM kamalamadh0agaaM kala0e G kamalaaM samsmita$adanaaM kanakaa$ara:asthitaaM kaaEnchit GG

The fifth mantra:

chaDFndraaM praD&%haaDFsaaM 0aDFshasaaDF A!alaD&ntiiDFm shri0amD& loDFke deDF$aAuD&ShTaamudaaDFraam G taaM paDFdmaneD&miiMDF sharaD&:aDFmahaM prapaD&d0e alaDFkSmiirmeD& nash0ataaMDF t$aaM $(NiD&:e GG

I seek refuge in Sri 9akshmi, !ho is %eautiful like the moon, !ho shines %rightl0 in the !orld due to her fame, !ho is pleased !ith the Bods, !ho is generous and !ho is surrounded %0 lotus flo!ers# I seek 0ou 19akshmi3 to get

rid of m0 misfortune#

handra 1moon3 happens to %e Aust a part of Sride$i# ?hen 9akshmi came out of the milk0 ocean, a single ra0 of her %eaut0 ga$e rise to the moon# Since the moon !as %orn out of the milk0 ocean too, he is seen as Sride$i's %rother earning her the title & handrasahodari'# &"ra%haasa' means to shine %etter and %righter# Since Sride$i is said to ha$e the %rightness of crores of moons 1Kotichandraprakashe3, this adAecti$e %ecomes appropriate#

&<ashasaa A!alantiim' ; she is kno!n to e$er0 one due to her great fame# As !e said %efore, she is called &Sri' %ecause she is e$er0one's refuge# There is no one !ho does not kno! her# E$en the ignorant kno! her as &I' or &Aham'# The same meaning is %rought out in the name &Aa%aalagopa $iditaa' in Sri 9alita Sahasranama# Her fame is due to her Kualities of Aish!ar0a 1authorit0 o$er the entire uni$erse3, Sampat 1the po!er to fulfill all desires like !ealth, health and sal$ation3 and Audar0a 1generosit0, that makes her easil0 accessi%le to the de$otees3# These are the Kualities that attract de$otees to her#

&9oke shri0am' ; she is the great &Sri', the refuge of all creatures in the fourteen !orlds# All creatures desire her# She is the hope, help, and happiness of the !orld# she is the "raap0a 1the goal3, "raapaka 1the aspirant !ho attains the goal3 and also the means to achie$e the desired goal# She is %oth Siddhi and Sadhana# 9oka here also means "rakriti mandala# This constitutes of the three Bunas and t!ent0;four Tat$as, !hich are emanations from the Moola "rakriti or Sri# 8ecause these are de$oid of consciousness, the0 are not self; acting and depend on Sride$i completel0# Their e)istence and acti$it0 is purel0 %0 the !ill of Sride$i# This great Moola "rakriti, responsi%le for the entire "rakriti mandala, that constitutes of the $isual !orld or 9oka is here%0 identified as %eing none other than Sride$i#

&6e$aAushtaam' ; Sride$i is descri%ed as %eing pleased !ith Indra, Vishnu, (udra and other gods# Actuall0, she is pleased !ith all those, !ho reside in a state, predominated %0 Sat$a Buna# ?hen Sride$i appeared from the milk0 ocean, all the Bods praised her !ith melodious h0mns and offered their ser$ices to her# She !as pleased !ith their de$otion and granted them, all their desires# &Cushtaa' also means &!ith or &to com%ine !ith'# As soon as Sride$i materiali/ed from the milk0 ocean, she entered the heart of the great

9ord :ara0ana# This also earns her the title of 6e$aAushtaa 16e$ena Hari:aa Aushtaa ; Sri Buna ratna Kosha3# The great Shakti Kundalini is in a state of slum%er in the great ocean of milk called the Ksheera Sagara# After one gets o$er the poison of Halahala called dualit0, indi$idualit0 is lost completel0 in uni$ersal consciousness# Once a!akened %0 Bharshana 1indicated %0 the Manthana of the milk0 ocean3, she can !ait no more to unite !ith her 9ord, "aramashi$a# The much;desired nectar is the %oon of this eternal union of Shi$a and Shakti# She is e$er !ith her lord "ara%rahman 1Cushtaa3, as his insepara%le chit Shakti#

Another adAecti$e used in this conte)t is, &>daaraa', indicating the unparalleled generosit0 of Sride$i# This !ord has se$eral meanings like "ragal%ha 1of infinite greatness3 and Vistaara 1spreading e$er0!here3# One ma0 consider these Kualities as %eing related to the fame of Sride$i that !e spoke of earlier# The0 ma0 also %e considered as separate adAecti$es# The !orship offered to an0 Bod or goddess, e$entuall0 reaches the "ara%rahman or Sride$i# There is no restriction on her generosit0 to!ards them Aust %ecause the0 !orship other deities# It is through her po!ers, that the other deities grant %oons to their o!n de$otees, Aust as the moon reflects the Sun's light# The other deities, like the moon, appear to %e self;luminous %ecause of Sride$i# This further speaks of her generosit0# &"admanemi' ; &"adma', although primaril0 means lotus, it also stands for &"rapancha' or the uni$erse# Since Sride$i regulates 1:i0ama3 the acti$ities of the uni$erse, !hich is nothing %ut a proAection from her $er0 o!n self, she is called "admanemi# &:emi' also means &to %e surrounded'#

Sride$i is picturised as %eing surrounded %0 lotuses# 9otus signifies %eaut0, prosperit0, purit0 and a%undance, according to 9akshmi (ahas0a Tantra# ?ith Sride$i as the center of origin, all these Kualities, like ra0s of light, spread e$er0!here, %ringing the light of happiness and kno!ledge to the other!ise dark and gloom0 !orld# she is said to %e &"admana%hi' or one !ith the lotus; na$el# This is %ecause the na$el, according to 0oga Shastra, is the place from !hich most important :adis emanate# These nadis are circuits of "ranic energ0# All important manipulations occur at the :a%hi hakra, !hich is also the seat of energ0 storage# ?hen guru performs Sham%ha$a or "ragal%ha Maha$edha on the disciple, Kundalini Shakti suddenl0 appears as Sride$i in the Manipooraka of the Sadhaka# The aspirant is %0 no! prepared for this %0 performing certain Kri0as and Shushka Capa# He need not %other to a!aken Kundalini from Moolaadhaara as in the case of Kaulas# The purit0 and the predominance of Sat$a Buna in the path of Sama0achara allo!s one to completel0 transgress the lo!er t!o hakras of the nature of tamas#

Ho!e$er, due to the difficult0 in achie$ing a state of total Sat$a, one disco$ers his consciousness, personified %0 Kundalini, in the (aAasic hakra of Manipooraka# The ad$antage here is that one hardl0 needs to %other of all the dangers one faces !hile crossing the crucial hakra of S!adhishthana, for !hich a complete %alance is reKuired# Most kaulikas follo!ing Vamachara get stuck in this hakra and are fore$er thro!n into the c0cle of %irth and death#

Ascent of the ladder of Buna is gradual and is $er0 difficult for Sadhakas of Tamo Buna# It is pure %ullshit !hen people claim that one could transcend all the Bunas %0 an e)cess of raAas or tamas# This practicall0 does not happen# ?hen one raises himself from Tamas to (aAas, he still has traces of Tamas# This tamas is lost onl0 !hen the Sadhaka further rises to the le$el of Sat$a# 8ut he no! has traces of raAas# The state of Sat$a is the final state of e)it into the attri%uteless, :irguna Mahat# It is impossi%le to immediatel0 rise to the le$els of Sat$a from Tamas !ithout a gradual ascent# Most follo!ers of Vamachara !ho Kuote e)amples of Sri (amakrishna "aramahamsa and other such great personalities, actuall0 ha$e their claim !orking against themsel$es# These great men !ere alread0 esta%lished firml0 in the realms of the 8rahman, and all the0 did e)ternall0 !as simple child's pla0# The0 !ere alread0 esta%lished in a state !here the distinction of Sama0achara and Vamachara mattered no longer#

Some commentators read &"admanemiim' as &"adminiim iim'# "admini means a lotus;pond# It also directl0 signifies a lotus# ?ith no distinction !hatsoe$er %et!een Sride$i and the lotus, she is also called "admini# "adma means the !orld an "admini refers to its stalk 1"adminii "admalate$a 3# Sride$i, !ho is the Moola "rakriti is the stalk or the support of the uni$erse# &Iim' is the great 8iAa mantra of Sride$i# This further confirms the association of this Sukta !ith Sri$id0a# As said %efore, each mantra of the Sukta encodes a s0lla%le of Sri$id0a# I !ill not talk a%out this topic though, and those interested ma0 refer to !orks such as Sri Buna (atna Kosha and Sau%hag0a 9akshmi Kalpa#

The !ord &Taam' ma0 simpl0 mean &that' "admanemi# Ho!e$er it can also %e $ie!ed as a separate adAecti$e# Kamadhenu Tantra descri%es the letter &Ta' as "arashakti or Kundalini# It is also seen as the com%ined po!er of 8rahma, Vishnu and (udra 1Varnoddhaara Tantra3# It also signifies the Iccha or !ill of the goddess, responsi%le for the creation of the $isi%le uni$erse#

&sharanamaham "rapad0e' ; one pra0s for refuge in Sride$i, for getting rid of one's misfortune, !hich is caused mainl0 %ecause of A$id0a# This is also a pra0er addressed to Sride$i, reKuesting her protection# Sa0anachar0a and "rith$idharachar0a ha$e o%Aected to the usage of the !ord &Aham' in this conte)t, though it has come do!n traditionall0 o$er the ages#

&alakshmiirme nash0ataam t$aam $ri:e, ; !hat is not 9akshmi is Alakshmi# If Sride$i signifies %eaut0, prosperit0 and generosit0, Alakshmi signifies ugliness, lack and greed# The "uranas ha$e personified Alakshmi as a deit0 called C0eshtaa# It is said that C0eshta 6e$i came out of the milk0 ocean %efore 9akshmi as in hence regarded as her elder sister# It is also said that she !as follo!ed %0 Halahala poison# As soon as she emerged out, she !edded Kali 1the personification of kali 0uga3, !ho signifies all that is nast0 and %ad# She is thus called Kali$alla%he 1"adma purana3# Some identif0 6hooma$athi, a maha$id0a goddess !ith C0eshta, %ut !hat one needs to o%ser$e is that 6huma$athi is a !ido! !hereas C0eshta is !edded to Kali "urusha# Alakshmi cannot reside in a place !here there is presence of Sride$i# Thus, the Sadhaka here takes refuge in the lotus feet of Sride$i, to get rid of his Alakshmi# Seeing the competition %et!een 9akshmi and Alakshmi, he has chosen 9akshmi among the t!o# The !ord &Vri:e' indicates this choice or Vara:a# Alakshmi is nothing %ut the Kualities of kali that are em%edded in the dark cham%ers of human mind# 9a/iness, lust, greed, Kuarrelsome nature, cruelt0, d0oota, "aana 1taking to liKuor3, Maamsa 8hakshana 1eating meat3 are all said to %e Kualities of a person, that in$ite C0eshta 9akshmi to oneself 1Mahalakshmi (atna Kosha3# The usage of the !ord &Varana' is made to ad$ice the Sadhaka to gi$e up these Kualities, to achie$e 9akshmi#

The seer of this mantra is Ananda, handas is Trishtup and the presiding deit0 is Sar$aish!ar0a "radaa0ini Mahalakshmi# & ham' is the 8iAa, &:am' is the Shakti and &Shriim' is the Kilaka# The meditation $erse is as follo!s:

teAoma:6alamad0agaaEM d!ina0anaaM di$0aam%araalaE:k(Nitaam de$iiM padma$araa%ha0aaM karatalaiShchintaama:iM %i%hratiim G naanaa di$0a$i%huuSha:aaM cha %haAataaM daur%haag0asamhaari:iim naanaa%hiiShTa$arapradaananirataaM $ande paraaM de$ataam GG

The si)th mantra:

aaDFdiDFt0a$aD&r:eDF tapaDFso#adhiD&AaaDFto $anaDFspatiDFsta$aD& $(NiDFkSho#atha %iDFl$aH G tas0aDF phalaaniDF tapaDFsaa nuD&dantu maa 0aantaD&raaaDF 0aashchaD& %aaDFh0aa aD&lakShmiiH GG

O great mother !ho shines like the Sun, %ecause of the po!er and glor0 of 0our penance, the 8il$a tree has gro!n up# 80 0our grace, in the form of the fruit of the 8il$a tree, ma0 all misfortunes and inauspiciousness residing in m0 interior and e)terior perishJ

Adit0a Varne ; Adit0a is the name of Sri Sur0a, the sun of Aditi# His Varna or color is of the nature of pure %rightness# Thus, it is descri%ed that Sride$i shines %rightl0 like the sun# Sride$i is descri%ed as ha$ing the comple)ion of the rising sun 1Tarunaaruna$adaruna$arne ,,4H Sau%hag0a SanAi$anam3# Here, $enera%le commentators ha$e pointed out that the 8ala Mahatripurasundari form of Sride$i is s0m%olicall0 indicated 1tanumadh0aam mahaalakshmiim %aalaam tripurasundariim3# This adAecti$e is $ariousl0 seen to deri$e a 8iAa of Sri$id0a and also the "ancha "rana$as of Sri$id0a# These can %e easil0 deri$ed follo!ing some simple sutras# Ho!e$er, this has to %e learnt from one's Buru directl0#

Ta$a tapasodhiAaataH $anaspatiH %il$aH ; Here there are references to penance performed %0 9akshmi# The !ord &Tapas' arises from the root &tap' !hich means to %urn# Thus Tapas is something, !hich causes ph0sical difficult0 1$i$idha klesha Aanakam karma3# Taps, according to (atna Kosha means 8rahma Sankalpa# According to <ogini Tantra 1*,.3, Vishnu had t!o !i$es Saras!ati and 9akshmi# Vishnu !as more attenti$e to!ards Saras!ati and this greatl0 %othered 9akshmi# She !ent to SriShaila and performed a se$ere penance to please 9ord Mahade$a# "leased %0 her austerities, 9ord Shi$a granted her a place in Sri Vishnu's heart# A 8il$a tree gre! in the place !here Sride$i performed her penance# This tree %ecame a fa$orite of %oth Sri 9akshmi and 9ord Mahade$a# According to Vaamana "urana, Sride$i performed a se$ere penance for the !elfare of the entire uni$erse, in Kanchipuram, on the %anks of ri$er :eelaa# A 8il$a tree sprouted from her right hand in that place#

According to 8rihaddharma "urana, 9akshmi performed penance to please 9ord Shi$a in Kapaaalamochana Kshetra# "leased !ith her, 9ord granted her, his fa$orite 8il$a tree#

According to Agni "urana, !hen Sride$i !as roaming in the form of Kaamadhenu, the celestial co!, 8il$a tree gre! on the dung that fell from her, in Kolhapura# Skaanda "urana, Kalika "urana and 8rahmanda "urana also speak of 9akshmi's penance in a forest of 8il$a trees# Since 9akshmi resides in the 8il$a tree, its fruit is called &Shriphala' and &9akshmiphala'# Cust as Sri "ar$ati resides in tulasi, Sri Saras!ati in goose%err0 tree, Sri 9akshmi is said to reside in 8il$a tree# 8il$a leaf consists of three 6alas 1petals or lea$es3, !hich represent 8rahman, Vishnu and (udra and its stalk represents Adi Shakti 1Cnaana%haira$a Tantra 5th "atala3# It is also %elie$ed that 8il$a tree took its %irth on the third da0 of Shulka "aksha in the month of Vaishakha# This da0 is cele%rated as 8il$a Ca0anti#

In this (ik, 8il$a is referred to as &Vanaspati'# Vanaspati means a tree !ithout flo!ers, %ut ha$ing fruits 1ApuShpaaH phala$antaH3# 8il$a is also called a Vanaspati %ecause of its medicinal properties# Its po!er to cure $arious diseases is also attri%uted to the penance of 9akshmi# It is also used in Tantric alchem0 and in Ka0akalpa#

Tapasaa tas0a phalaani maa 0aa antaraa 0aaH %aah0aaH cha alakshmiiH nudantu ; The useage of the !ord &Tapas' for the second time indicates Anugraha 1grace3 rather than penance here# Or, it ma0 also mean !orship or >pasana# It is !ished here that the 8il$a fruits, sanctified %0 ha$ing %een offered Sride$i %0 means of "ooAa, shall eliminate one's misfortune 1Sri Sukta 8hash0a3# ?e ha$e alread0 anal0/ed the !ord &Alakshmi'# Here t!o t0pes of Alakshmi, internal and e)ternal, are spoken of# Internal Alakshmi refers to ego, ignorance, greed, lust and other undesira%le Kualities# E)ternal Alakshmi refers to sinful acti$ities, lack of cleanliness, la/iness, disease, po$ert0 and performing actions %anned %0 the Vedas# Thus, one pra0s to Sride$i to eliminate one's Alakshmi %0 sho!ering Her infinite grace# Here, the !ord &Maa' is taken to mean &Maam' 1me3 or ma0i 1in me3# Sride$i is reKuested to eliminate AshriiH, present in the Sadhaka#

An alternati$e is to split the sentence as: &maa0aa antaraa0aaH cha %aah0aaH alakshmiiH'# Here Ma0a refers to AAnana 1ignorance3 or dualit0 16$aita3# The !ord Antaraa0aaH speaks of all the %anes that result from ignorance and dualit0# Thus, !e reKuest Sride$i to thro! these out 18aah0a3 from us#

The seer of this mantra is Ananda, handas is Trishthu%h and 6eit0 is Sri Mahalakshmi# &Aam' is the 8iAa, &Shriim' is the Shakti and &Hriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

ud0adaadit0asaE:kaashaaM %il$akaanana madh0agaam G tanumadh0aaM mahaa%aalaaM dh0aa0edalakShmiiparihaari:iim GG

The se$enth mantra:

upaiD&tu maaM deD&$asakhaH kiiDFrtishchaD& ma:iD&naa saDFha G praaDFduDFr%huuDFto#asmiD& raaShTreDF#asmin kiiDFrtim(NiD&ddhiM daDFdaatuD& me GG

O motherJ I ha$e originated in this kingdom# Ma0 fame and the friend of 6e$a 1Ku%era3 Aoin me !ith ornament %0 their compan0, ma0 I %e gi$en fame and a%undance#

6e$asakaH ; This literall0 means the god's friend# This actuall0 refers to Ku%era, the 9ord of !ealth, !ho is said to %e a friend of 9ord Mahade$a 1de$asha%do mahaade$e roo6haH ku%eraH tr0am%akasakhaH ; Aanda$allee V0aakh0aa3# Ku%era !as %orn as the son of Vishra$as and Ila$ila# He pleased 9ord Shi$a %0 se$ere austerities and %0 his grace, %ecame the 9ord of riches# Mahade$a, pleased !ith Sat$ic nature, made him the head of the northern Kuarter and %esto!ed respect to him %0 calling him his friend 1Eeshaanasamhita3# 2ollo!ing the orders of Sri Mahade$a, 9akshmi agreed to reside fore$er !ith Ku%era# 80 in$iting Ku%era, one is actuall0 looking at his riches, Sat$ic Kualities and the :a$anidhis 1nine great treasures3# One cannot hope to achie$e these riches !ithout the grace of Sride$i# :o!, since !e ha$e

alread0 in$ited Sride$i and o%tained her grace, !e are read0 to in$ite the riches that accompan0 Sride$i# It is also said in Eeshaanasamhita that Ku%era holds the authorit0 to grant 9akshmi to the deser$ing and the de$oted# Hence, one reKuests for his grace#

&Kiirti' here refers to a goddess !ho is the presiding deit0 of fame and popularit0# It is %0 her grace that one performs deeds that earn great name and fame 1kiirth0a%himaaninii tadaakh0aa 0asho%himani de$ataa3# She is said to %e the daughter of 6aksha "raAapati and !ife of <ama# She is also regarded as one among the "ari$ara 6e$is of Sride$i# Her accomplices are Mati 1intellect3, 60uti 1%rightness3, "ushti 1nutrition3, Samriddhi 1prosperit03, Tushti 1%liss arising out of satisfaction3, Aarog0a 1health3, Ca0aa 1$ictor03, Shraddhaa 1de$otion3#

Maninaa Saha ; Mani refers to an ornament !earing !hich, one gets rid of sins and misfortune 16haara:aat paapaallaksmii $inaashakam ; (aaA$alla%ha3# Here the reference is actuall0 to hintamani, the !ish;fulfilling gem# It also came out of the milk0 ocean, along !ith Sri 9akshmi and is regarded as her Amsha 1part3# Also, Kamadhenu 1the celestial co!3, Kalpa$riksha 1the celestial tree3, Sudhaa 1nectar3, Ira$ata 1celestial elephant3, >cchaihshra$as 1the celestial horse3, Apsaras 1the di$ine damsels3, Kaustu%ha 1the ornament decorating the chest of :ara0ana3 and handra; all these are also said to %e Amshas of Sride$i 1Saurasamhita3# The !ord &Mani' assumes more significance, !hen seen along !ith the !ord &6e$asakha'# Ku%erea is the 9ord of a class of semi;di$ine %eings called the <akshas# Mani%hadra is a <aksha, !ho is said to %e the minister of Ku%era, !ho protects the nine great treasures# He is also %elie$ed to %e the protector of tourists# Maha%harata sees him as the 9ord of forests and !aterfalls# In olden da0s, people regularl0 pra0ed for his grace 1tathaa no 0aksharaa6 ad0a ma:i%hadraH prasiidatu ; Maha%harata H,5I,*,73#

>paitu ; >pa O Etu ; This means &come near me' or &Aoin me'# Since Ku%era, Mani%hadra and Kiirti are "ari$ara 6e$athas of Sride$i, the0 naturall0 command respect# Hence this special in$itation# "raadur%huutaH asmi Asmin raashTre ; &I ha$e originated, appeared or taken %irth in this kingdom'# Kingdom ma0 here mean earth# Ho!e$er, it refers to the Hiran0aloka, a plane of higher consciousness, o%taina%le solel0 %0 Sride$i's grace# 80 o%taining Sride$i's grace, the Sadhaka has got rid of all dualities and ignorance, and he no! finds himself in a plane of higher consciousness# He sees this as a ne!

%irth# He is no! in the kingdom of Bod or of Sride$i#

Some commentators ha$e identified this as the Srinagara, the di$ine 9oka of Sri Mahatripurasundari# One attains Hiran0aloka, after he is !et 18haira$a0amala3# This !etness, one has to note, is due to Kulamrita, that flo!s as result of the union of Kundalini !ith "aramashi$a#

Kiirtim riddhim dadaatu me : Kirti here means &fame'# (iddhi means Samriddhi or prosperit0, the facilit0 to enAo0 all forms of lu)uries# (iddhi also refers to Animaa and other Siddhis 1(iddhiH Ashtaish!ar0asamriddhiH3# 9ike Kirti, (iddhi is also a "ari$ara 6e$i of Sride$i, as is regarded as the !ife of Ku%era 1Maha%harata and Hari$amsha3# Thus, this is a pra0er to Sride$i to grant Siddhi, Samriddhi, (iddhi and Kiirti to men, !ho ha$e taken %irth on earth#

The seer of this mantra is Ku%era, handas is Anushtup and deit0 is Ma:imaalinii Mahalakshmi# &>m' is the 8iAa, &Mam' and &8loom' are the Shakti and &Shriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

raaAaraaAesh!ariiM lakShmiiM $aradaaM ma:imaaliniiM G de$iiM de$apri0aaM kiirtiM $ande kaam0aarthasiddha0e GG

The Eighth (ik:

kShutpiD&paaDFsaamaD&laaM A0eDFShThaaM aD&laDFkSmiiM naashaD&0aaDFm0ahaD&m G a%huuD&tiDFmasam(NiddhiDFM cha sar$aaMDF nir:uD&da meDF g(NihaaD&t GG

I shall get rid of C0eshta 9akshmi, the em%odiment of all misfortunes and difficulties like thirst and hunger, %0 0our grace# O motherJ 6ri$e out of m0 house, pain and po$ert0#

C0eshta %rings !ith her, hunger, thirst, po$ert0, ill health and %ad thoughts# She is the elder sister of Sride$i %ecause she came out of the milk0 ocean %efore Sride$i 1Shri0aH praagutpannaa3# She is descri%ed in the "adma "urana to %e of an ugl0, disgusting form# She emerged out of the milk0 ocean !earing a red dark sari and decorated !ith red flo!ers# She approached the 6e$as, !ho asked her to inha%it all those places, !hich !ere dirt0, !hich !ere the places of residence of the !icked, !hich !itnessed constant fights and !hich housed acti$ities not accepta%le %0 the scriptures# Sri 9akshmi e)tols control o$er the star (ohini, !hereas C0eshta presides o$er the star &C0eshta'# "eople a$oid performing an0 auspicious acti$ities in this particular star#

A%hooti means Anaish!ar0a 1po$ert03# This ma0 also %e seen as Asam%hooti 1defeat3# Asamriddhi means &!ithout progress or gro!th' 1Vriddhi (aahit0a ; "rith!idhara 8hash0a3# The Sadhaka is pra0ing to Sride$i to dri$e these out of his home#

The seer of this mantra is Sri Maha$ishnu# The metre is Anushtip and deit0 is Sar$aish!ar0akaarini Mahalakshmi# The 8iAa is &kshum', &ham' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# I ha$e seen the traditional usage of the %iAas &ram ; hriim ; shriim; hriim; ram' for purposes of Capa and :0asa !ith regard to this mantra# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

aAEnaanapaatakatamaHsthiti suur0arashmim daur%haag0a%huudhara$idaara:a $aAramii6e G rogaartighorama:i mardana pakShiraaAam lakShmiipadad!a0amanartha haraM sukhaarthii GG kha6gaM sa$aatachakraM cha kamalaM $arame$a cha G karaishchatur%hir%i%hraa:aaM dh0aa0et chandraananaaM shri0am GG

The ninth mantra:

gandhaD&d!aaDFraaM duD&raadhaDFrShaaM niDFt0apuD&ShTaaM kariiDFShi:iiD&m

G iiDFsh!aDFriiM sar$aD&%huutaaDFnaaM taamiDFhopah!a0eDF shri0aD&M GG

I shall in$ite 1!elcome3 Sri 9akshmi !ho is as patient and forgi$ing as the earth, !ho is al!a0s prosperous, and !ho is the supreme mistress of all creatures#

Bandhad!aaraam duraadharshaam ; The sense of smell 1Bandha3 is a characteristic of "rith$i Tat$a or the earth element 1ghraanagraah0o gunaH gandhaH 3# Sri 9akshmi is like the door to this sense of smell and hence she is recogni/ed to %e none other than "rith$i or mother earth# 8hu is a form of 9akshmi# She is also !orshipped as Vasudhaa 9akshmi or Vasundharaa# The special Kualities of the earth are her forgi$ing nature, patience and eKual lo$e to!ards all creatures# To indicate that her patience is indestructi%le %0 an0one, the !ord &6uraadharshaa' is used 1kenaapi dharshitum ashak0am3# This also means that no creature can li$e !ithout "rith$i or %0 acting against her 1durdharsha P duHsaaham3#

<et another meaning is that the non;de$oted can ne$er o%tain the grace of Sride$i# She can onl0 %e pleased %0 true de$otion and not %0 an0 other method or forcefull0# The same is indicated in the (ahas0a :aama Saahasra in the name ; 8hakti$ash0aa# :it0apushtaam kariishiniim ; "ushti means to o%tain nutrition or to gro! stronger and healthier# Earth is maAor source of "ushti for all li$ing %eings from time immemorial# She ne$er runs out of her po!er to grant "ushti to all her children# Thus, Sride$i in her aspect as 8hoo 9akshmi, is :it0apushtaa# This also indicates the $egetation on earth 1nit0am sadaa sas0aadi%hiH samriddhaam3# Sride$i grants pushti to all %0 means of Sas0a Sampat 1$egetation3# This aspect of Sride$i is also called &Shaakam%hari'#

Kariisha means dr0 co!;dung 1shushka goma0a3# This is traditionall0 used in India not onl0 to cook food, %ut also in Agni Kar0a# The resulting fire is called &Karishaagni'# :o! since the earth 1!ho is non %ut Sride$i3 is main reason for the sur$i$al of all plants and hence the animals# Thus, Kariisha is an indirect product of the earth itself# Thus, She is called KariiShini# This actuall0 means Bosamriddhi 1a%undance of co!s and other domestic animals3# It also indicates that Sride$i is the main force that regulates unrestricted

performance of the Vedic duties# Thus, here !e see t!o %oons that are granted to us %0 Sride$i in the form of earth: Sas0asamriddhi and "ashusamriddhi#

It is !ell kno!n that Sri 9akshmi resides in the hind portion of the co!# Hence, !orship of co! is an eas0 !a0 to o%tain Sride$i's grace# Sar$a%hootaanaam iish!arii ; She is the Kueen or the head of all creatures# All creatures are %orn out of the earth, sustained %0 the earth and are destro0ed into the earth finall0# The responsi%ilit0 of all Ci$as is on 9ord :ara0ana, !ho is here referred to as Ish!ara# His consort, Sri 9akshmi, is rightl0 called Ish!ari# Iha upah!a0e ; the Sadhaka in$ites and !elcomes Sride$i to him, into his life and %eing#

This mantra illustrates the greatness of "rith$i, !ho is the "rat0aksha form of Sride$i# It is said in Srirahas0a that the manifestations of Sri 9akshmi are man0, the important %eing 8hoomi, Shree, 6urga, :eelaa and Tulasi# Since 8hoomi possesses all the Kualities of the other a$ataras, she is called Vi%hootinaa0ikaa# The greatness of mother earth is indicated %0 a mantra in the Mahaanaaraa0a:ii0a of the Taittari0a Shaakhaa# The $er0 first name of the 9alita Ashtottara also refers to Sride$i's incarnation as %hoomi 1%hooroopa sakalaadhaaraa0ai namaH3# Cust as Sur0a and Agni are the "rat0aksha forms of :ara0ana 1Soor0anara0ana ; Agninara0ana3 or Shi$a, 8hoomi is the $isi%le manifestation of Sride$i#

Some commentators ha$e also e)plained this $erse as %eing addressed to Agni or fire# All Kualities that !e attri%uted to %hoomi are also applica%le to Agni# Ho!e$er, in the pre$ious mantras !e considered Agni in the masculine form as Caata$eda# Here !e in$oke Agni in a feminine form, !hich is the com%ination of %oth Agni and Shree# It is nothing %ut the Ardhanareesh!ara Tat$a that !e see here# Thus, the deit0 in$oked here is ShreeOAgni P Shr0agnee#

The seer of this (ik is Sri Maha$ishnu and the handas is Anushtup# The presiding deit0 is Sh0agnee or Sri Mahalakshmi# &gam' is the 8iAa, &hriim' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

kalpadroH paadamuule drutakanakani%haaM chaarusiEMhaasanasthaam

hastaiH padmau $aradama%ha0aM dhaara0antiiM cha maalaam G naanaa%huuShaaM su$eShaaM ma:imakuTadharaaM di$0agandhaanulepaaM dh0aa0etsampuur:akaamapradakarakamalaaM kam%uka:ThiiM h(Nida%Ae GG

There is another 6h0ana Shloka in the %ook Vaikhanasa Vid0a, !hich seems to e)tol the meaning of this mantra in simple !ords:

go$(NindaanugataaM dh0aat$aa sura%hiM sas0amaaliniim G p(NithulaaM praa:inaamiishaaM durdharShaaM shri0amarcha0et GG

The tenth mantra:

manaD&saHDF kaamaDFmaakuuD&tiM $aaDFchaH saDFt0amaD&shiimahi#D G paDFshuunaaM ruupaD&mannaDFs0a ma0iDF shriiH shraD&0ataaMDF0ashaHD& GG

Ma0 all m0 desires %e accomplished %0 0our grace# Ma0 truth %e esta%lished in m0 speech# Ma0 I %e granted "ashusamriddhi and Annasamriddhi# Ma0 !ealth and fame reside in meJ

manasaH kaamam ; &Kaama' means desire# ManasaH kaaama means the desire of the mind# The fulfillment of this reKuires Sride$i's grace# Hence this pra0er# This again encodes a 8iAa of Sri$id0a# Aakootim ; In Vedic literature, the meaning of this !ord is taken as &determination or mental resol$e'# The 6hatu &kuu' has the meaning & to decide or to %e determined'# To this, the >pasarga &Aa' has %een added, !hich means &from e$er0!here' 1samantaat3# Thus, the meaning of the complete !ord %ecomes: &to $ie! or consider all details and then arri$e at a decision or resol$e the mind'# Thus, Kaama is desire and the mental resol$e to achie$e that desire or Kaama is aakooti 1Sankalpa3# Cust as Kaama is personified as the son of 8rahma, and the hus%and of (ati, aakooti is the daughter of Manu and Shataroopa and the !ife of "rithushena 1Athar$ana$eda ; 5,*H*,,3# VaachaH Sat0am ; This means &Truth in !ords' 1$aagindri0as0a 0aathaarth0am3# The Sadhaka reKuests

Sride$i to make him speak onl0 truth# :ot Aust this, %ut also grant him :igrahaanugraha Saamarth0a 1the po!er to curse or grant %oons3# This is !hat is termed as Vaaksiddhi# ?hen ones heart and mind are pure %0 complete adherence to truth, his spoken !ords are materiali/ed into truth# Sat0am not onl0 means truth %ut is also the name of 8rahman# Thus, the de$otee is determined %oth %0 Vaak and manas 1mind and speech3 to o%tain the supreme 8rahman or Sride$i#

"ashoonaam ruupam annas0a roopam : The term &"ashu' indicates all those animals that help one to carr0 one's Vedic duties righteousl0, like the co!, horse, %uffalo, elephant etc# 1BaAaash!agomahish0aadi3# Here the !ord &(oopa' should not %e taken as &form or appearance' %ut as &"raachur0a' or &8aahul0a' 1a%undance3# The intention of the Sadhaka is to o%tain a%undant "ashu Sampat 1!ealth of the cattle3#

&Anna' means food# This applies to the four $arieties of eata%les that are recogni/ed %0 the scriptures: 8haksh0a, 8hoA0a, 9eh0a and hosh0a# This refers to Anna Samruddhi 1a%undance of food3# Shrii 0ashaH ma0i Shra0ataam: &Shrii' is here meant to indicate &!ealth'# This shrii includes in itself all the aforesaid $irtues like kirti, "ashu sampat, Anna samruddhi etc# These !ill %e undou%tedl0 o%tained if one is a%le to o%tain Sride$i's grace# &<ashas' signifies the fame that is o%tained %0 performing Satkar0as 1%eneficial deeds3# "eople !ith a%undant !ealth engage themsel$es continuousl0 in 8hoga 1enAo0ment3 and forget their duties# This earns them &Kukh0aati' 1%ad name or %ad pu%licit03# Thus, it is not sufficient if one achie$es !ealth, %ut should also o%tain &<ashas', o%taina%le %0 strict adherence to 6harma# Thus, Sadhaka pra0s to Sride$i to grant %oth these 1Brihe Sampat hitte 6harmam3# He hopes that %0 Sride$i's grace, these $irtues !ill reside in him 1tadupaasake ma0i Aashra0ataam3#

It is also possi%le to group these !ords as follo!s: &"ashoonaam roopam' and &Annas0a 0ashaH'# &Anna' indicates an0 material that is of the nature of Traigun0a 1three Kualities3 or Shaadgun0a 1si) Kualities3# The three Bunas, as !e kno! are, Sat$a, raAas and Tamas# The si) Kualities are Cnana 1kno!ledge3, 8ala 1strength3, Aish!ar0a 1prosperit0 or !ealth3, Viir0a 1$alor3, Shakti and TeAas 1%rilliance or %rightness3# Here, the !ord &<ashas' is read to gi$e the meaning of &Vriddhi' 1prosperit03# It is to %e noted that the 9akshmi Sahasranama 1from (udra0amala3 has the name, &Annas0a <ashase namaH'#

Thus, Vaaksdiddhi and 8hogasiddhi are the main fruits of this mantra# Its seer is Kaama, metre is Anushtup and deit0 is 8hogalakshmi# &Mam' is the 8iAa, &sham' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

taaM dh0aa0et sat0asaE:kalpaaM lakSmiiM kShiirodanapri0aaM kh0aataaM sar$eShu %huteShu tat$aAEnaana%alakri0aam G kaant0aa kaaEnchanasanni%haaM d!ina0anaaM kalhaaramaalaa$atiim kastuuriitilakaaM karaishcha kamale ka:The cha muktaa$aliim GG sheShaasheSha$isheSha%huuSha:arataaM sam%i%hratiiM ku:6alaam G padmaakShiiM %haAa sar$adaa%hilaShita praapt0ai sam(Niddhashri0ai GG

The ele$enth mantra:

kardaD&meDFna praD&Aaa%huuDFtaa maDF0i sam%ha$aDF kardaD&ma G shri0aMD& $aaDFsa0aD& me kuDFle maaDFtaraMD& padmaDFmaaliD&niim GG

9akshmiJ <ou ha$e progen0 in Kardama# Hence, O Kardama, ma0 0ou reside in me# Make Mother Sri, adorned !ith garlands of lotuses, to ha$e Her a%ode in m0 ancestral line#

Kardamena praAaa%huutaa ; Kardama !as a "raAapati in the Maan$antara named S!aa0am%hu$a# According to Vishnu 8haga$ata 1H#*,#,73, he !as %orn of 8rahma's shado!# The same description is also seen in 8rahma$ai$arta "urana 18rahmakhanda ; ,,3# He is said to ha$e married Manu's daughter 6e$ahooti# Ho!e$er, Vishnu "urana speaks of a (ishi called Kardama, !ho took to se$ere austerities to please Sride$i, in order to please her# As a result, !hen Sri 9akshmi emerged out of the milk0 ocean, she accepted him as her father# Here, the !ords &kardamena praAaa %hoota' speak of Sride$i, !ho appeared as the daughter of Kardama#

Kardama is one of the three sons 1Maanasa "utras3 of Sride$i# The others are

Ananda and hikleeta# 8ecause of Kardama, Sride$i %ecame a mother, %0 ha$ing him as her son 1prakrishtam apat0am 0as0aaH saa suputra$atii it0arthaH3# Ma0i sam%ha$a ; the Sadhaka reKuests Kardama to sta0 in his house fore$er and to %e graceful to him# Maataram shri0am padmamaaliniim ; Here Sride$i is descri%ed using t!o adAecti$es# &Maataa' means mother# Since this mantra is addressed to Kardama, Sride$i is referred to as the mother of Kardama# This ma0 %e read as &ta$a maataram' ; &0our mother', referring to Kardama alone# Ho!e$er, &ta$a' is a$oided here to indicate the uni$ersal motherhood of Sride$i# She is not onl0 Kardama's mother, %ut also of the m0riads of uni$erses that originate from her# The (ahas0a :aama sahasra has gi$en the utmost importance to the motherhood of goddesses %0 ha$ing the $er0 first name as &Srimata'#

The second adAecti$e is &"admalinini'# "adma means "rakriti 1nature3 and a garland of lotuses means nothing %ut the different Tat$as like A$0akta, mahat, Indri0as etc# Hence, this adAecti$e descri%es Sride$i as the Mulaprakriti, !ho !ears 1%ears3 all these Tat$as and hence the entire uni$erse, !hich is %ut a congregation of these Tat$as# She is thus rightl0 called &Mata'#

Me kule $aasa0a ; The Sadhaka is reKuesting Kardama to inspire his mother 9akshmi to ha$e her a%ode in the ancestral line of the Sadhaka# This is a pra0er to Sride$i, through Kardama# &Kula' means house, famil0 or lineage# The Sadhaka !ants the grace of 9akshmi not onl0 for himself, %ut also for his ancestors 1"itrus3 and the generations to come# The Sadhaka is sure that %0 in$iting Kardama, his mother 9akshmi !ill also come to reside !ith her son in the Sadhaka, o!ing to her motherl0 affection to!ards Kardama# In a much deeper sense, Kardama means Banesha, the 9ord of the Indri0as or the senses 1kardamam am%ikaasoonum gananaatham samaashra0et ; Vara$arnini Tantra3# He resides in the Moolaadhaara, acting as the doorkeeper of Kundalini# 1:o!, the stor0 of Banesha guarding "ar$ati makes more sense rightJ3 It is impossi%le to approach her, !ithout his permission# Hence, an aspirant al!a0s %egins Shakti Sadhana !ith Banesha >pasana# The Sadhaka is pra0ing to Sri Banesha to reside in him and to %e graceful# 80 this, the ascent of Kundalini %ecomes possi%le# The goddess can then ascend and tra$erse the path of kula 1i#e# the si) Adharas3 to attend "aramashi$a# The mala referred to here is the Akshara mala, !hich has Kundalini as the sutra and the letters of the Sanskrit alpha%et as the %eads# The letter &Ksham' is the meru, situated in the AAna hakra# The !ord &"adma' means &letter' here 1$arnaaH padmasamapra%haaH ; Kri0oddisha Tantra3#

The (ishi of this mantra is &Kardama' and the metre is Anushtup# The presiding goddess is Mahalakshmi# &Kam' is the 8iAa, &$am' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# The meditation $erse is as follo!s:

sa$asaa gauri$a priitaa kardamena tathendiraa kal0aa:ii madg(Nihe nit0aM ni$aset padmamaalinii G dh0aa0et haaTakasanni%haaM d!ina0anaaM di$0aam%araalaE:k(Nitaam satphullodara padmakomala0ugashriimatkaraam%horuhaam GG naanaaratnakiriiTaku:6alalasad$aktraam%uAaaM padminiim G sar$aa%hiiShTaphalapradaananirataaM sampatsam(Niddh0ai sadaa GG

The t!elfth mantra:

aapaHDF s(NiAaD&ntuDF snigdhaaD&ni chikliiD&taDF $asaD& me g(NiDFhe G ni chaD& deDF$iiM maaDFtaraMDF shri0aMD& $aaDFsa0aD& me kuDFle GG

Ma0 the hol0 !aters create harmonious effects# O hiklita, progen0 of SriJ (eside at m0 homeQ and arrange to make 6i$ine Mother Sri sta0 in m0 lineageJ

AapaH snigdhaani sriAantu ; &Ap' means !ater in a general sense# Here ho!e$er, the reference is to the Aap0a 6e$atas 1the deities of !ater3# The entire creation is sustained %0 the element of !ater# It is the <oni or source of the entire creation since the creation is reputed to ha$e %egun from !ater# The mar$elous Kualit0 of !ater is its adhesi$enessQ its a%ilit0 to %inds things together# It is this Kualit0 of !ater that makes it all;sustaining# Adhesi$eness also speaks of friendship or harmon0# Thus, the Sadhaka pra0s to the Ap0a 6e$atas to generate harmon0 and friendship# Here, !e must $isuali/e !ater as the personification of Sride$i's grace#

The (ishi of this mantra intends to create 1SriAana3 peace and harmon0 in the uni$erse %0 in$oking the grace of Sride$i in the form of !ater# This is the greatness of our Vedic literature# There is not an inch of narro!ness an0!here# The pra0er is not onl0 for the !ell;%eing of one's o!n self and famil0, %ut also for the !elfare of the entire uni$erse#

hikliita ; hiklita is a (ishi, !ho is also a son of 9akshmi# The different commentators $ariousl0 interpret him, as the son of 9akshmi, Kaama 1Manmatha, the god of lo$e3, handra 1moon3 and as the doorkeeper of Sride$i's residence# It is, ho!e$er appropriate to identif0 hiklita !ith Kaama# Kaama 1desire or lust3 is %orn of Anna 1food3 and Cala 1!ater3# He is responsi%le for the $arious happenings of the illusionar0 !orld# This mantra is addressed to him# 6e$im mataram shri0am cha me kule ni $asa0a ; Similar to the pre$ious mantra, this also descri%es Sride$i as the mother of hiklita in particular and as the mother of the cosmos in general# The additional adAecti$e used here is &6e$i'# Since she shines 1dii$0ati3 in e$er0 %eing in the form of maternal instinct, she is called &6e$i'# Again, the Sadhaka is seeking the grace of Sride$i, through the agenc0 of her son hiklita or Kaama# 9akshmi is descri%ed to %e e)tremel0 affectionate to!ards Kaama, !ho !as %orn as her son "rad0umna 1in Krishna$atara3# 80 o%taining his grace, the Sadhaka hopes, Sride$i shall also grace him# >ntil one !ins o$er lust, Vir0a 1regenerati$e fluid3 cannot %e transformed into chit# Till this happens, the a!akening of Kundalini is impossi%le# Onl0 !ith the force of chit, a!akening and ascent %ecome possi%le# Thus, one needs to !in o$er the cardinal urge completel0 to o%tain the grace of Sride$i# The Kaama that !e talk a%out here is the intense cra$ing for Sride$i's grace, and not of an0 ph0sical desire# This naturall0 %rings a%out hitta Suddhi and hence, Vir0a "arishkarana#

The seer of this mantra is hiklita, Anushtup is the handas and the deit0 is Amritesh!ari Mahalakshmi# &Am' is the 8iAa, &9am' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

dh0aa0et kalpatarormuule ratnasimhaasane sthitaam padmad!a0adharaaM padmaaM $aradaa%ha0adhaari:iim G sar$aratna$ichitraaE:giiM raktashriipaadapiiThikaam hemada:6asitac hatrachaamarad!a0a $iiAitaam GG

The thirteenth mantra:

aaDFrdraaM puShkariD&:iiM puDFShTiM piDFE:galaaD&M padmaDFmaaliD&niim G chaDFndraaM hiDFra:maD&0iiM laDFkShmiiM AaataD&$edo maDF aa $aD&ha GG

In$oke for me, O Caata$eda, 9akshmi !ho is compassionate, attended %0 elephants, !ho nourishes all, adorned !ith garland of lotuses, ha$ing a golden;red comple)ion, shining like the moon and lustrous like the gold#

Ardraam ; ?e ha$e anal0/ed this !ord in the pre$ious mantra# This ma0 %e understood to mean compassionate or as ha$ing soothing 1cooling ; shiitala taapahaarii3 Kualit0# The description hidden here is of Sri BaAalakshmi, !ho is ser$ed %0 t!o elephants# She is !et %ecause of the nectar that flo!s out from the golden $essels held %0 the t!o elephants# The (ishis ha$e here%0 indicated hittaparikarma as the means of attending Sride$i# ?hen a Sadhaka refines his mind %0 de$eloping Kualities like Maitri 1friendship !ith the !orld3, Muditaa 1%liss3, Karunaa 1compassion3 and Titikashaa 1endurance3, he %ecomes eligi%le to in$ite and recei$e Sride$i#

"ushkariniim ; &"ushkara' means a male elephant# Thus, &"ushkarini', means a female elephant# It is %elie$ed that eight elephants assist Sri Adishesha %0 holding the earth in all the eight directions# These are kno!n as the &6iggaAas'# These elephants are e)tremel0 de$oted to Sride$i and sho! their de$otion to her %0 %athing her !ith nectar# This is indicated in the meditation $erse of Sri Mahalakshmi# Ho!e$er, BaAalakshmi is depicted as accompanied %0 t!o elephants on either side, holding golden $essels# These t!o are called &Mamakaara' 1possessi$eness3 and &Mada' 1ego3# The golden Kalashas that the0 hold are &Aasha' 1desire3 and &"riiti' 1attachment or lo$e3# The cool !ater 1or nectar3 that flo!s from these $essels is called &Tripti' 1satisfaction3#

"ushkarini also means a lake or a pond filled !ith lotuses# The lotus creeper is also called "ushkarini# Hence, this depicts Sride$i as holding lotus creepers or as li$ing in a lotus pond# "adma "urana speaks of an incident in !hich Sride$i, angr0 !ith Indra and other 6e$atas, hid herself in a lotus pond#

"ushti ; means to nourish# The presiding deit0 of nourishment is Sri 9akshmi 1"usht0a%himaaninii 3# The Markande0a "urana sa0s, &<aa 6e$i sar$a %hooteshu pushti roopena samsthita'# The entire uni$erse o%tains sustenance and nourishment from Her#

"ingalaa ; &"inga' means fire# The reddish;0ello! color in the edge of the flaming fire is called "ingala# Here, this is descri%ed to %e Sride$i's comple)ion# (ed depicts (aAas and <ello! represents Sat$a# Sride$i fulfills the desires of %oth these kinds of Sadhakas# These respecti$el0 indicate 6i$0a and Vira %ha$as of Sadhakas# "ingalaa is also a name of Sri 6urga# There are $arious %ooks on Tantra, !hich e)tol the !orship of Sri 6urga like "ingalaa mataprakasha, "ingalaa prana$opanishat etc#

:o further discussion of the rest of the !ords is necessar0 since these ha$e alread0 %een anal0/ed# This mantra hints at a "ra0oga like the one indicated in 9alitopakh0ana# A Sadhaka has to chant this mantra, in$oking Sri 6e$i in the lunar or%it# This is said to grant Amritat$a Siddhi 1immortalit03# The t!o elephants that !e spoke of, refer to 9alata and 9alana hakras, !hich are responsi%le for the flo! of Kulamrita# The tantras also descri%e the Kulamrita as ha$ing a reddish color# Kundalini, nourished and satisfied !ith Kulamrita, returns to Moolaadhaara, still soaked in amrita# Also, the place of concentration here is AAna hakra, !hich is the location of handra mandala 1not to %e confused !ith the hicchandra mandala of the Sahasrara3#

The seer of this (ik is Caata$eda, metre is Anushtup and goddess is Sri Mahalakshmi# &Aam' is the 8iAa, &S!aaha' is the Shakti and &shriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is as follo!s:

aakaashapadmaakarachandra%im%a pla$ollasantiiM paripuur:akaantim G padmasthitaaM padmakaraaM prapad0e lakShmiiM alakShmii $ini$(Nitta0e#an$aham GG

The fourteenth mantra:

aaDFrdraaM 0aHkariD&:iiM 0aDFShTiM su$ar:aaD&M hemaDFmaaliD&niim G suur0aaM hiDFra:maD&0iiM laDFkShmiiM AaataD&$edo maDF aa $aD&ha GG

In$oke for me, O Caata$eda, 9akshmi !ho is compassionate, holding a rod, ha$ing a golden comple)ion, adorned !ith golden ornaments, %rilliant as the sun, da//ling like gold#

<aHkariniim 0ashtim ; some commentaries feel that the !ord &<ahkarini' is a distortion of the !ord &<ashtikarini', !hich means &holding a rod or 6anda'# Sri 9akshmi is thus the 6harma de$ata, !ho holds the dharma 6anda# This also speaks of her form as <ama or death# She is also death or Mrit0u# She is the death of all limited and dualistic o%Aects or concepts# &Karini' means a female elephant and &<ah' means &to stroll'# Thus Sride$i is depicted in this (ik as a strolling female elephant# This adAecti$e is a s0non0m of the !ord &"ushkarini' that !e sa! in the pre$ious mantra#

Su$arnaam ; Su$arna is the polished, refined form of gold# Thus, Sride$i is descri%ed to %e ha$ing a golden luster# Su$arna also means the %est color or gift, if !e split the !ord as &Su' ; &the %est' and &$arna' ; &color or gift'# The greatest of all gifts is sal$ation 1Moksha 9akshmi3 and Sride$i alone is capa%le of granting it# &Hema' ; It %asicall0 means &gold' again# Sri 6e$i is picturised as decorated !ith golden ornaments# Ho!e$er, Hema also means Sumeru mountain, !hich is the fa$orite a%ode of Sride$i# Sride$i is the Moola "rakriti 1nature personified3, adorned !ith the mountains as her ornaments# Sumeru forms her golden necklace 1haimamaalaam sumer$aatmam gale dhrit$aa prakaashati ; Kalika "urana3#

Soor0a ; the sun, responsi%le for the sustenance of the entire creation is none other than Sri :ara0ana# Thus, his Vaishna$i Shakti is called Suur0aa# She is %rilliant like the sun, destro0ing the glooming darkness of ignorance and dualit0# This mantra in$okes Sride$i in the solar or%it#

A "ra0oga instructs the Sadhaka to chant this mantra, !hile performing Trataka on the rising sun# This is said to confer eighteen Maha Siddhis# I ha$e actuall0 seen a great Sadhu !ho !orshipped Sri Mahatripurasundari !ith Sri Sukta# He meditated on Sride$i, chanting this particular mantra, fi)ing his

ga/e on the sun# This is ho!e$er, possi%le onl0 after a tremendous <ogic Sadhana# Some 6h0ana $erses that I ha$e included here are from his cop0 of Sri Sukta "ra0oga# In the 0ogic sense, the Sur0a mandala is situated in the Anahata lotus# The Vaikhanasa Tantra asks the Sadhaka to meditate on Sri 6e$i in his heart lotus, %athing her !ith de$otion and respect#

The lotus %looms onl0 after sunrise# In the same !a0, the grace of Sride$i causes the heart of the de$otee to %loom# The Vedic culture has seen and !orshipped all deities in the solar or%it# He is the "rat0aksha 8haga$an in the age of kali# This also indicates the non;difference %et!een 9akshmi and Sri Ba0athri# 8oth are of the form of 8rahma Vid0a# A scholar from Orissa 1I do not recall his name3 has %eautifull0 %rought out the essence of this Sukta, deri$ing at the same time, the secret formulas of Ba0athri and "anchadashi# ?hat most people chant e$er0da0 is actuall0 Sa$itri and not Ba0athri# The actual formula of Ba0athri is said to %e hidden in the Vedic literature# The great Achar0a of Sringeri Sri Vid0a Tirtha S!amigal once said that the actual formula of Ba0athri !as self; re$elator0# It re$eals itself !hen a person attains the necessar0 spiritual state#

The seer of this mantra is Caata$eda, metre is Anushtup and the goddess is Sri (aA0alakshmi# &Sriim' is the 8iAa, &ham' is the Shakti and &hriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is:

padmaM ma:ima0aM kum%haM ikShuchaapaM cha %i%hratiim G puShpa%aa:aaM mahalakShmiiM dh0aa0ed raaA0apradaa0iniim GG

The fifteenth mantra:

taaM maDF aa $aD&ha Aaata$edo laDFkShmiiM aD&napagaaDFminiiD&m G 0as0aaMDF hiraD&:0aMDF pra%huuD&taMDF gaa$oD& daaDFs0osh!aanD& $iDFnde0aMDF puruD&Shaanaham GG

In$oke for me O Caata$eda, that Boddess 9akshmi, !ho is e$er unfailing, %eing %lessed %0 !hom I shall !in !ealth in plent0, cattle, ser$ants, horses

and men#

This is like the "halashruti for the entire Sukta# The seer of this mantra is Ku%era, metre is "rastaara pankti and deit0 is Sar$a Sau%hag0a 9akshmi# &Hriim' is the 8iAa, &shriim' is the Shakti and &hriim' is the Kilaka# The 6h0ana Shloka is:

dh0aa0ellakShmiiM prahasitamukhiiM raaA0asimhaasanasthaam mudraashaktiM sakala$inutaaM sar$asamse$0amaanaam G agnau puuA0aaM akhilaAananiiM hema$ar:aaM hira:0aam %haag0opetaaM %hu$anasukhadaaM %haarga$iiM %huutidaatriim GG

The rest of the $erses, are said to %e onl0 "halashruti# Since the fifteenth $erse is alread0 a "halashruti Shloka, these are not accepted to %e a part of the actual Sukta# The scholars feel that these ha$e %een added some time later %0 the :iruktakaras# Most of these are popular shlokas from the Smriti and hence I ha$e omitted them here# Some Sadhakas use these shlokas too for "urascharana, %ut this is not necessar0# I !as told %0 m0 guru to recite the Sukta *+- times and then conclude the Capa %0 chanting these $erses# 8ut some !orks on mantra Shastra like the SamraA0a lakshmi Hrida0a instruct the Sadhaka to include these shlokas as !ell in the Capa#

paraam%aa prii0ataam