Śrī-Sūktam

om̐ ǀ śrī̱ gu̱ru̱bhyo̱ nama̱ḥ | hari̍ḥ om̐ ǁ

OM. Salutations to the Guru. Hari is OM.

hira̍ṇya-varṇā̱ṁ hari̍ṇīṁ su̲varṇa̍ raja̲ta sra̍jām |

ca̱ndrāṁ hi̱raṇ-ma̍yīṁ la̱kṣmīṁ jāta̍vedo ma̱ āva̍ha || 1 ||

O Jataveda! O Agni! Invite, for my sake, the Goddess of good fortune, the golden-hued lady, the doe-like, moon-like maiden wreathed in gold and silver.

tāṁ ma̱ āva̍ha̱ jāta̍vedo la̱kṣmīm ana̍pagā̱minī̎m |

yasyā̱ṁ hira̍ṇyaṁ vi̱ndeya̱ṁ gām-aśva̲ṁ puru̍ṣān-a̱ham || 2 ||

O Knower-of-all-beings! Take me to the Goddess of good fortune - not a fickle deity, but One who is unswerving. May I obtain gold, cows, horses and men from Her. May I be blessed with all the material comforts, such as wealth, cattle, conveyances, friends, servants and progeny.

a̱śva̱-pū̱rvāṁ ra̍tha-ma̱dhyā̱ṁ ha̱stinā̍da pra̱bodhi̍nīm |

śrīya̍ṁ de̱vīm-upa̍hvaye̱ śrīr mā̍ de̱vī ju̍ṣatām || 3 ||

I invoke Mother Lakshmi to approach me with horses ahead and chariots in the middle and tumultous sounds of elephants.

kā̱ṁ so̎smi̱tāṁ hira̍ṇya prā̱kārā̍m-ā̱rdrāṁ jvala̍ntīṁ tṛ̱ptāṁ ta̱rpaya̍ntīm |

pa̱dme̱ sthi̱tāṁ pa̱dma-va̍rṇā̱ṁ tām i̱hopa̍hvaye̱ śrīyam || 4 ||

I invoke the smiling Goddess of prosperity, lotus-like in colour, beaming, content, satisfied, seated on a lotus, in a rampart of gold. She transcends all sense perception. She is absolute.

ca̱ndrāṁ pra̍bhā̱sāṁ ya̱śasā̱ jvala̍ntī̱ṁ śriya̍ṁ lo̱ke de̱va ju̍ṣṭām-udā̱rām |

tāṁ pa̱dminīmī̱ṁ śara̍ṇam-a̱haṁ prapa̍dye alakṣmīr me̍ naśyatā̱ṁ tvāṁ vṛ̍ṇe || 5 ||

I seek refuge in the brilliant Goddess who is generous and delightful. This Goddess of prosperity is assiduously sought after by devas. May Her opposite - alakshmi - denoted by desire, anger, greed, poverty, unhappiness and misfortune be utterly destroyed.

ā̱di̱tya va̍rṇe̱ tapa̱so ‘dhi̍ jā̱to vana̱spati̱s tava̍ vṛ̱kṣo ‘tha bi̱lvaḥ |

tasya̱ phalā̍ni̱ tapa̱sā nu̍dantu mā̱yānta̍rā̱ yāś ca̍ bā̱hyā a̍la̱kṣmīḥ || 6 ||

O Deity, dazzling like the Sun’s orb! The bilva tree which comes to fruition without flowering has sprung from your austerity. Its fruits are the result of your penance. May the bilva fruit dispel any ignorance and impediments, inner and outer. May they destroy my misfortune.

upa̍itu̱ māṁ de̍va-sa̱khaḥ kī̱rtiś ca̱ maṇi̍nā sa̱ha |

prā̱du̱rbhū̱to ‘smi̍ rāṣṭre̱ ‘smi̲n kī̱rtim-ṛ̍ddhiṁ da̱dātu̍ me || 7 ||

May the friend of the Devas approach me with fame and precious stones. I am born in this country. May Kubera bless me with prosperity and celebrity.

kṣut-pi̍pā̱sāṁ ma̍lāṁ jye̱ṣṭhām-a̍la̱kṣmīṁ nā̍śayā̱myaham |

abhū̍ti̱m asa̍mṛddhi̱ṁ ca sarvā̱n nirṇu̍da me̱ gṛhā̎t || 8 ||

I shall drive away from myself impurities, hunger and thirst. O Goddess banish from my home all bad luck, calamities and poverty.

ga̱ndha̱-dvā̱rāṁ du̍rādha̱rṣā̱ṁ ni̱tya pu̍ṣṭāṁ karī̱ṣiṇī̎m |

ī̱śvarī(g)ṁ̍ sarva̍ bhūtā̱nā̱ṁ tām-i̱hopa̍hvaye̱ śriyam || 9 ||

I invoke here in this world the Goddess of prosperity, the Mother Earth, who is inviolable. She is of inexhaustable nourishment, representing the wealth of cattle. She is the mistress of all creatures.

mana̍sa̱ḥ kāma̱m-ākū̍tiṁ vā̱caḥ sa̱tyam a̍śīmahi |

pa̲śū̱nāṁ rū̱pam anna̍sya̱ ma̲yi̱ śrīḥ-śra̍yatā̱ṁ yaśa̍ḥ || 10 ||

May all my desires be fulfilled. May all my intentions come true and my utterances by truthful. May the Goddess be with me forever in the form of abundant food, increased fame, fine form and all kinds of domestic animals.

ka̲rdame̍na pra̍jā-bhū̱tā ma̱yi̲ saṁbha̍va ka̱rdama |

śriya̍ṁ vā̱saya̍ me ku̱le mā̱tara̍ṁ padma̱ māli̍nīm || 11 ||

O Kardama! By your advent, the Goddess has become a Mother, do reside with me. Establish the Mother, the Goddess of prosperity, wreathed with garlands of lotuses, in my habitation.

āpa̍ḥ sṛ̱jantu̍ sni̱gdhā̱ni̱ ci̱klī̱ta va̍sa me̱ gṛhe |

ni ca̍ de̱vīṁ mā̱tara̱ṁ śriya̍ṁ vā̱saya̍ me ku̱le || 12 ||

Let the waters produce friendly results. O Chiklita! (Kamadeva) Come and stay with me. Make your Mother, the Goddess of plenty, abide in my abode.

ā̱rdrāṁ pu̱ṣkari̍ṇīṁ pu̲ṣṭi̲ṁ su̱va̱rṇāṁ he̍ma̲ mā̱linīm |

sū̱ryāṁ hi̱raṇma̍yīṁ la̲kṣmīṁ jāta̍vedo ma̱ āva̍ha || 13 ||

O Jataveda, the Divine Fire! Bring me the golden Lakshmi, moist with compassion. Endowed with tawny colour, she nourishes the worlds. She is attended by elephants. She wears a garland of flowers and is bedecked in gold.

ā̱rdrāṁ ya̱ḥ kari̍ṇīṁ ya̲ṣṭi̲ṁ pi̱ṅgalāṁ pa̍dma̲ mā̱linīm |

ca̱ndrāṁ hi̱raṇma̍yīṁ la̲kṣmīṁ jāta̍vedo ma̱ āva̍ha || 14 ||

O Jataveda, the Divine Fire! Bring me the annointed Lakshmi of golden hue. Bring the Mother who holds the mace in Her hand. Lead the Deity of prosperity to my dwelling.

tāṁ ma̱ āva̍ha̱ jāta̍vedo la̱kṣmīm-ana̍pagā̱minī̎m |

yasyā̱ṁ hira̍ṇya̱ṁ prabhū̍ta̱ṁ gāvo̍ dā̱syo ‘śvā̎n vi̱ndeya̱ṁ puru̍ṣān-a̱ham || 15 ||

O Mystic Fire! Bring me Lakshmi who will always stay with me. May I be endowed by Her grace, wealth in plenty, horses and cattle, maids and servants, friends and companions.

yaḥ śuci̱ḥ praya̍to bhū̱tvā̲ ju̱huyā̍d-ājya̱m-anva̍ham |

sūkta̍ṁ pa̱ñca-da̍śarca̱ṁ ca̲ śrī̱-kāma̍ sata̱taṁ ja̍pet || 16 ||

Whoever desires to obtain Lakshmi, having purified himself and become equananimous, should daily offer a fire sacrifice with ghee, reciting the 15 stanzas of this Sri Suktam.

padma̍-priye padmini padma̲-haste padmā̍laye padma-dalāya̍tākṣī |

viśva̍-priye̱ viṣṇu mano̍ ‘nukū̱le tvat pā̍da pa̱dmaṁ mayi̱ san-ni̍dhastva ||

O Lakshmi with eyes like lotuses and to whom lotuses are dear, who holds lotuses in her hands, and dwells within the lotus of the heart, the beloved of the whole world and the One to whom Vishnu concedes, may Your Lotus Feet always be the object of contemplation for me.

ma̲hā̲de̲vyai ca̍ vi̲dmahe̍

viṣṇupa̱tnyai ca̍ dhīmahi

tanno̍ lakṣmī praco̱dayā̎t ||

We meditate on Maha Lakshmi, we fix our minds on the wife of Vishnu. May Lakshmi inspire us.

oṁ śānti̱ḥ śānti̱ḥ śānti̍ḥ ||

OM…peace, peace, peace.