Śrī Sūktam

Śrī Sūktam

hiraṇyavarṇāṁ hariṇīṁsuvarṇa rajata-srajām |
candrāṁ hiraṇmayīṁ lakṣmīṁ jātavedo ma āvaha || 1 ||

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

tāṁ ma āvaha jātavedo lakṣmīm anapagāminīm |
yasyāṁ hiraṇyaṁ vindeyaṁ gāmaśvaṁ puruṣān aham || 2 ||

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!

aśvapūrvāṁ ratha-madhyāṁ hastināda prabodhinīm |
śrīyaṁ devīm upahvaye śrīrmā devī juṣatām || 3 ||

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

kāṁ sosmitāṁ hiraṇya prākārām ārdrāṁ jvalantīṁ tṛptāṁ tarpayantīm
padme sthitāṁ padma-varṇāṁ tām ihopahvaye śrīyam || 4 ||

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

candrāṁ prabhāsāṁ yaśasā jvalantīṁ śriyaṁ loke deva juṣṭām udārām
tāṁ padminīmīṁ śaraṇam ahaṁ prapadye'lakṣmīr me naśyatāṁ tvāṁ vṛṇe || 5 ||

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, penury, unhappiness and misfortune be utterly destroyed.

āditya varṇe tapaso'dhijāto vanaspatis tava vṛkṣo'tha bilvaḥ|
tasya phalāni tapasā nudantu māyāntarā yāśca bāhyā alakṣmīḥ || 6 ||

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

upaitu māṁ deva-sakhaḥ kīrtiśca maṇinā saha |
prādurbhūto’smi rāṣṭre'smin kīrtim ṛddhiṁ dadātu me || 7 ||

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

kṣut-pipāsāṁ malāṁ jyeṣṭhām alakṣmīṁ nāśayāmyaham |
abhūtim asamṛddhiṁ ca sarvān nirṇuda me gṛhāt || 8 ||

8. I shall drive away from myself impurities, hunger and thirst. O Goddess banish from my home all ill-luck, calamaities and poverty.

gandha-dvārāṁ durādharṣāṁ nitya puṣṭāṁ karīṣiṇīm |
īśvarīguṁ sarva bhūtānāṁ tām ihopahvaye śriyam || 9 ||

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

manasaḥ kāmam ākūtiṁ vācas satyam aśīmahi |
paśūnāguṁ rūpam-annasya mayi śrīḥ śrayatāṁ yaśaḥ || 10 ||

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 all kinds of domestic animals.

kardamena prajābhūtā mayi saṁbhava kardama |
śriyaṁ vāsaya me kule mātaraṁ padma mālinīm || 11 ||

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.

āpaḥ sṛjantu snigdhāni ciklīta vasa me gṛhe |
nica devīṁ mātaraggaś śriyaṁ vāsaya me kule || 12 ||

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

ārdrāṁ puṣkariṇīṁ puṣṭiṁ suvarṇāṁ hema mālinīm |
sūryāṁ hiraṇmayīṁ lakṣmīṁ jātavedo ma āvaha || 13 ||

13. O Jātaveda, 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.

ārdrāṁ yaḥ kariṇīṁ yaṣṭiṁ piṅgalāṁ padma mālinīm |
candrāṁ hiraṇmayīṁ lakṣmīṁ jātavedo ma āvaha || 14 ||

14. O Jātaveda, the Divine Fire! Bring me the anointed Lakshmi of golden hue. Bring the Mother who holds the mace in her hand. Lead the Deity of prosperity to my dwelling.

tāṁ ma āvaha jātavedo lakṣmīm anapagāminīm | yasyāṁ hiraṇyaṁ
prabhūtaṁ gāvo dāsyo'śvān vindeyaṁ puruṣān aham || 15 ||

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 śuciḥ prayato bhūtvā juhuyādājyam anvaham |
sūktaṁ pañca daśarcaṁ ca śrī kāma satataṁ japet || 16 ||

16. Whoever desire to obtain Lakshmi , should having purified himself and become equanimous, should daily offer fire sacrifice with ghee, reciting the 15 stanzas of this Śrī Sūkta.

padma-priye padmini padma -haste padmālaye padma-dalāyatākṣi |
viśva-priye viṣṇu mano’nukūle tvat pāda padmam mayi sannidhatsva ||

O Lakshmi with eyes like lotuses and to who 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.