Lakshmi: The Goddess of Fortune

The Goddess of wealth and fortune, Lakshmi, has a notable place in our Hindu mythology. Bound by an everlasting bond with Vishnu, she had stayed as his constant support. But do you know how Lakshi was born? And how did she choose Lord Vishnu as her consort? Let's find out.

Lakshmi, The goddess of wealth and fortune; Image source- Indus Scrolls

She also serves as the divine energy of Lord Vishnu. She assists him in the creation and protection of the universe. Lakshmi had supported Vishnu in every birth and had incarnated with him as his wife. When Vishnu incarnated as Rama, she supported him as Sita, and when he descended to earth as Krishna, she stayed with him as Rukmani. 

Lakshmi is typically pictured sitting on her Padmasana (throne of lotus) and holding a lotus as a symbol of fortune. In some Puranas, she is shown with four hands, which symbolize four different aspects of human life. However, in some others, she is depicted as having eighteen hands and sitting on the back of a lion. This form of Lakshmi is also known as Goddess Durga.

The dark clouds of terror floated over the Devas and Danavas. Adapting to another destructive product is something impossible now. In their search for Amrit (immortality drink), they encountered Bish (Poison) But in the hope that this struggle would be worth it, they continued the Sagar Manthan.

After the halahal poison, everyone was scared and clueless about the upcoming emerging product. But, the churning was extremely important to all, so they continued with their parts. This time, however, the procedure went off without a hitch. Everyone looked at the ocean with eager eyes and bated breath, hoping for something lucky and prosperous this time.

Their wait came to an end with a jerk in the sea. A golden-coloured woman, dressed gracefully, rose from the bed of the ocean through the ocean waves. She was sitting on a large pink lotus, and her glowing face lit up the place. Four elephants at four quarters bathed her with pious liquid from auspicious pots. And this was the emergence of the significant Goddess of our mythology, Goddess Lakshmi. 

Laksmi is the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, beauty, and fortune. She forms the most important form of the Hindu goddesses, Tridevi, along with Parvati and Saraswati. Since she was born from the sea foam, she was considered the daughter of the sea God, Va

As soon as the beautiful Goddess came upon earth, one of the Asura, Kalketu, set his lewd eyes on her. He insisted on her joining their Danava clan so that he could marry her later. Thus, he asked Brahma to gift Lakshi to them. But, Devraj Indra protested this idea and demanded Lakshmi for Devatas. He felt her majestic looks and angelic nature made her perfect for the Devas and not for the Daityas. 

Gradually, the conversation turned into an ugly verbal fight. This left Lakshmi annoyed, and she pleaded with Vishnu to tackle her problem. But Vishnu, not knowing what to do, directed her to Brahma. Hearing this, she rushed to Lord Brahma. 

Then Brahma stepped into the scene to restore the much-needed peace. He told everyone to treat a woman with respect and courtesy and asked Asuras not to mistreat her. 

Brahma gave Lakshmi the full freedom to accept or refuse a proposal and gave her the right to choose someone of her choice. Lakshmi was relieved by Brahma’s decision, and she chose to stay with the Devatas. She also chose Vishnu as her husband and tied an eternal bond with him.  

According to a variation, this was the point when the idea of Swayamvara was instigated. But, there can be several other notions too.

The birth of Lakshmi from Samudra Manthan; Image source- Pinterest

The eternal bond of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi; Image source- Pinterest