Lakshmi
Dwadasha Stotra

Dwadasha Stotra 1 : SriSthuthi

Sristhuti gives prameya for moolatattva of siddhanta. It says that if one has to please Lakshmi, it is prudent to do narayana stotra- namaskara to sripathi. This stotra does Lakshmi sthuthi , force behind sustenance of universe along with Narayana by first doing anusandhana of infinite qualities of Narayana.

In current print this stotra is 8th/7th shloka, but according to HrishikeshaTeerthara Pata it is 1st padya. Acharya Bannanje says doing LakshmiUpasane is more difficult as Lakshmi is like mother, there are more rules to bring children to right path. Unlike Narayana upasane where rules are not rigid – just like real life parents.

This stotra is in vasantatilaka chandas.

This Lakshmi stotra composed by Acharya Madhwaa is very important for several reasons.


1. It brings out the unsurpassed superiority of Lakshmi over all other souls in a clear and unambiguous manner. The knowledge of Tharathamya (Gradation) is essential to earn the grace of God and achieve liberation.


2. Acharya Madhva has shown that inspite of her unsurpassed powers and greatness, Laskhmi should never be extolled seperately – but should always be extolled with her consort.


3. Even when speaking about the greatness of Lakshmi, one should never forget that even she is totally dependent on the Supreme Being. In fact, her unmatched powers by which she can

“Yam kaamaye tham ugram karomi, tham brahmaanam, tham sumedhaam”  

                                                                          —-      (Ambhrani Suktha)

I can make any one whom I desire into Rudra, Brahma or one with great wisdom – are derived from the Lord. She is always in total harmony with the Lord carrying out His wish in creation, destruction, maintenance of the world etc with single minded devotion.


4. Acharya Madhva says that her grace is essential for acquiring Jnana and securing Moksha, destroying the primordial ignorance which inhibits our realizing God’s and our own Swaroopa. A little sidelong glance from her eyes is enough to carry out all the activities of the world carried out by the great gods like Brahma, Shiva, Indra, Garuda, Shesha etc. 
In his Phalasthuthi Acharya Madhva says that this sthothra has extremely appropriate meanings and will secure all desires of the devotees who recite it with devotion to Lakshmi and the Supreme Being in the form of Ajitha.

Verse 1:

Vishvasthithipralayasargamahaavibhoothi
vritthiprakaashaniyamaavruthibandhamokshah 
Yasyaa apaangalavamaathratha oorjithaa saa shreeh
Yath kataakshabalavathyajitham namaami

Vishwa has 3 meanings –

  1. Jeeva – he enters into body ( vishati iti vishwaha)
  2. Chaturmukha brahma (adhi jeeva)
  3. Vaayudevaru ( one who breathes inside all)

Sthithi – iruvikke – Sustenance —— paralaya ———sarga. Laayanyasa – sthithinyasa –shristinyasa – common man should do anusandhana from sthithi and only sanyasi should do anusandhana from pralaya

Vaayu and brahma have long life – amrutha – even their body is destructed when they go to moksha. It is destructed in narasihmanamaka agni of bhagavanta.

Vaayu goes to brahmadevaru padavi and attains moksha.

Vibhuti – climbing heights in sadhane Maha vibhuti – only for brahma/ vaayu

Vrutti – just existence without sadhane Vrutti Prakasha – arivu from sense organs Prakasha – arivu from atma Prakasha niyama – gaining knowledge according to ones capacity. Avrutti – ajnanada avarana – removal of ignorance Bandhah, moksha – all these are facets of life

Ajitha – One who can’t be defeated. Sarvotthama. In chakshusha manavantara Ajitha roopa did samudra mathana along with gods in koorma roopa was holding mandara pravatha and gave amrutha to gods . Hence we should pray to give amrutha to us.

urjitha – lakshmi – purna abhivruddhi

Pradhana purusheshwaraha – Pradhana means lakshmi, Purusha means brahma – Ajitha is greater than both of them.

According to Vishnutattva nirnaya mangalacharne Ajitha gives protection to both kshara and akshara jeevas. (Kshara – brahma adhi jeevas ,akshara – lakshmi) . Triangle(triputi) consists of kshara (inside 16 fences), Akshara(one who put fences, and is nitya mukthe), purushottama – totally 18. We prostrate to such a god to free as from 16 senses.

In samskruta Namskara has 3 facets – 1.physical, 2. Vachika(stuthi),3. Manasika

The Goddess Shree (Lakshmi) causes with a side long glance of her eyes, the maintenance, destruction, creation, exhibition of great powers (such as Anima), life, knowledge, control, bondage ( in Samsara (due to Ajnana), and release (Moksha) of the entire world. Such great capacity in her which is greater than that of others like Brahma etc.is due to the kind look of Ajitha, the Supreme Being. I offer my prostrations to Him.

Sri Vishvapathi Tirtha explains the significance of the words 
Apangalavamaathratha – Athra nethranthavaachinaa apangashabdena kataksho lakshyathe . Here, Apanga means the side tips of the eyes. Lava means very little and Lavamathra – therefore means a very small look from the tip of her eyes. Kataksha also means Apanga – or the tips of the eyes. The entire process of creation, destruction, exhibition of special greatness and powers in the created Jivas, their bondage, release etc is done with such a little effort of Sri Lakshmi as the brief little side long glance from the tips of her eyes. She is therefore immeasurably greater than all the created Jivas including the great Brahma and Rudra etc. The Supreme Being in His form called Ajitha is so much greater than her, that His kind look at His consort gives her the enormous powers. This description brings out not only the greatness of Shree Devi, but also that of the Supreme Being graphically. Sri Madhva has also shown here that Shree should never be worshipped in isolation for favors , but always with her husband. Her grace is essential not only for the worldly benefits, but also for the destruction of the primordial Ajnana (which she herself in her form as Durga is the Abhimani devathaa), acquisition of correct Jnana (for which she is the Abhimani devathaa as Shree) and the securing of the grace of the Supreme Being to obtain Mukthi.

Lakshmi is described by two main Vedic sukthas – Ambhrani and Shree sukthas. The contents of these sukthas can be summarised as under –
Ambhrani Suktha :
Acharya Madhva has quoted Paingi shruthi in his Brihadaranyaka Bhashya – “Shreerbhoordurgaambhraneehreeshcha Mahalakshmeeshcha Dakshina” – being the names of Lakshmi. This is also explained in Harikathamruthasara –

“Gunathrayagalamaani Shree kumbhini mahaaadurgaa ambhranee
rukmini sathya shanthi krithi jaya maayaa mahalakumi 
janakajaa kamalaalayaa dakshineyu padmaa thrilokeswari 
anumahatthinoliddu upamaarahithalenisuvalu.” – Brihattharathamya
sandhi – 4.

Sayana in his Bhashya had written that Ambhrani was the daughter of a Rishi called Ambhrana and had extolled herself. This is laughable as the so called Rishi’s daughter had described herself as greater than Brahma, Rudra, being their creator etc. An Apaurusheya shruthi which is part of Rig Veda – being the 125 th Sooktha of the tenth Mandala – can not be debased in this manner. Acharya Madhva has given the authority of Paingi shruthi to show that Ambhrani is the name of Lakshmi. Sri Vadiraja has given a Niruktha quote – “Ambhrani vaagaathmaanam thushtaava” and has shown that the word means Am bhibharthi nayathi cha -She supports and takes to their destination (various souls). 
This suktha is summarised as follows :
“Mahalakshmi is the primary cause for the creation, maintenance and demise of various gods like Brahma, Rudra etc. She gives them their powers and position. She controls all activities of the world, being the Abhimani devatha for Prakruthi and gives food, wealth, and all wordly possessions. She destroys the famous destroyer Rudra (who had removed the fifth head of Brahma) in the Universal dissolution. She has the capacity even to give Moksha. But her consort Narayana who dwells in the sea is the source of all her powers as He gives her the capacity and she is dependent on Him. There is none greater than Him. The Suktha also informs of the togetherness of Lakshmi and Narayana which is never ever broken. She is His greatest devotee and has never been subjected to bondage as all other souls are – being Nithya Mukta. The first shloka of Dvadasha Sthothra neatly sums up the information about the relationship between the Supreme Being and His consort given in Ambhrani suktha.
Those who perform the ritual of Devara Puja, would have recited the following shlokas :
“Utthapthojvalakanchanena rachitham  maanikyojvaladeepa deepthivilasallakshmeevilaasaaspadam”

The sacred, divine and effulgent shrine (mantapa) in which the Lord resides is itself the product of Mahalakshmi’s devotion to her consort. Similarly when we perform Abhisheka to the Lord, we say “Shushrooshaam shri hareh Lakshmeeh snanam kaarayathi prabhoh” – Mahalakshmi will always perform all the services to the Lord including His bath etc. When offering Naivedya we say –

“Ramaabrahmadibhih devaih niyamena samarpitham  Bhakthaanugrahakaamena sveekarthavyam thvayaa hare”

The Naivedya is to be considered as offered not by us, but by Laskhmi assisted by Brahma etc. The food is actually properly placed (Pariveshathi) by Lakshmi herself. One is reminded of the Devara Naama – Yenu dhanyalo Lakumi yentha maanyalo, Saanuraagadinda Hariya thaane seve maaduthihalu” – where Sri Puranadara daasaru says that – 

“Koti koti bhruthyariralu haatakaambaraana seve satiyillade maadi poornagunalu sukhisuthihalu”.

The following specific references are made for the offer of worship to God, which involve Lakshmi –
Ramaaroopashwethadveepaaya namah (similarly Anathaasana and Vaikunta are also forms of Ramaa.)
Ramaaroopaa mahaadivyarathnamantapaaya namah
Ramaaroopakandanaalasahitha padmaaya namah
Devavaamakone sathvaabhimaaninyai shriyai namah
Dakshinakone rajobhimaninyai bhoomyai namah
Devaprushtakone upabarhanaroopayai thamobhimaaninyai durgaayai namah
Thadupari Ramaaroopa chithraasanaaya namah”


Thus it will be seen that Mahalakshmi is actually performing the worship while using the small contribution from the souls – in the same manner as a mother will lead her child to offer Namasthe to elders.
Shri Harikathaamruthasara has this to say about the powers of Mahaalakshmi –

GUNATHAARATHAMYA SANDHI
“Paramapurushana roopagunavanu sarasi kaambalu pravahadandadi
nirupamalu nirdushtasukhasampoornalenisuvalu
harige dhaamathrayavenisi  aabharana vasanaayudhagalaagi
iddu arigalane samharisuvalu aksharalenisikondu”
“Eethagimthaananthagunadali
shree tharuni thaa kadimeyenipalu
neetha mukthalu nirvikaaree thrigunavarjithalu
dhauthapaapa virinchi pavanara
maatheyenipa mahaalakumi 
vikhyaathalaagihalella kaaladi shruthipuraanadolu”.


AROHANA THARATHAMYA SANDHI
“Shree mukundana mahile lakumi
Mahaamahimegenembe brahmeshamarendrara 
shrishti sthithi layagaisi avaravara
dhaamagala kalpisi koduvalajaraamaranalaagiddu sarva
swaami mama guruvendupaasane maalpalacchyuthana”

Mahaalakshmi is equal to the Supreme Being in respect of Vyapthi or pervasion in space and time (Desha and Kaala). She takes infinite forms to match the infinite forms of Hari and is able to visualise the infinite auspicious qualities of her consort as a flood continuously. Thus she is able to appreciate the qualities of the Supreme Being more than any one else and thus is called Nirupama – matchless. She has no doshas or defects and is always full of bliss. There is no change – increase or decrease of bliss in her case. She is never bound in Samsara, as she herself binds all other souls in Samsara being the Abhimani of Thrigunaathmaka Prakruthi. She has taken the forms of all the abodes of the Lord, His ornaments, weapons and clothes. As Sudarshana Chakra Abhimani devatha, her form as Goddess Durga destroys evil persons how ever mighty they be. She does not suffer destruction of her forms ever and in her case, birth means Pradurbhava like her husband.
Inspite of all these attributes Mahalakshmi is inferior from Hari by infinities of auspicious qualities. But the next souls in Tharathamya or Gradation, Brahma and Vayu are inferior to her by a factor of a crore for similar qualities and by infinite qualities of the type which do not even exist in them.  Mahalakashmi carries out according to God’s will the creation ,  maintenance and destruction of all souls in Samsara. She gives the position and powers of Brahma, Shiva and Indra etc. She herself is changeless and always worships her consort as the master of every one, and her Guru (teacher).
Another important aspect of her personality is that she is the Abhimani devatha of Shruthi and Smrithis. Thus all sacred God knowledge is obtained only with her blessings, through a swaroopa Guru etc. Though the infinite Vedas proclaim God’s auspicious qualities, they also describe her qualities in a secondary way. Inspite of her being associated with God fully from infinite time and her unmatched capacity and devotion, she has not been able to understand even a small fraction of His infinite nature. This is usually described as her being lost in contemplation of all the auspicious qualities of the tip of His nail – and not having completed it.
The remaining stotras composed by Acharya Madhwa amplify and state her superlative qualities – while offering his prayers to Ajitha form of the Lord, due to whose blessings, Mahalakshmi has such capabilities.


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