महालक्ष्म्यष्टकम्

महालक्ष्मी को आठ श्लोक

 Introduction

This is the Mahālakṣmyaṣṭakam or «Eight stanzas to Mahālakṣmī». Lord Indra, regent of Heaven, was the author.

The episode of the churning of the ocean of milk represents the culminating moment in the history of Mahālakṣmī: Her appearance from the primordial waters as the supreme reward of the joint effort of gods and demons.

The gods were weakened and defeated by the demons. The cause of this loss of power was a curse of the sage Durvāsas: Indra, king of the gods, had received a sacred garland as a symbol of the goddess Śrī (that is, Mahālakṣmī), but he placed it on his elephant, which threw it to the ground and trampled it. The sage cursed Indra prophesying that, just as the abode of Śrī had been despised, the power of the gods would also decline. Faced with desperation, the gods went to Brahmā, who sent them to Viṣṇu. He indicated to them that the only solution was to obtain the amṛta, the nectar of immortality, by churning the ocean of milk.

Since the gods did not have sufficient strength, they were forced to pact a temporary truce with their enemies, the asuras or demons, promising them to share the nectar. They used the mountain Mandara as a churning stick and the serpent Vāsuki as a rope. The gods placed themselves at one end of the serpent and the demons at the other, alternating the pulls to make the mountain rotate. When the mountain began to sink, Viṣṇu adopted the form of the tortoise Kūrma to hold it on his shell.

After a process that lasted centuries, numerous treasures and wonderful beings began to emerge from the ocean: The poison Kālakūṭa that Śiva drank, the cow Surabhī, the horse Uccaiḥśravas, the elephant Airāvata, the jewel Kaustubha, the tree of desires, the apsara-s or celestial nymphs, and finally Dhanvantari with the cup of amṛta.

In the midst of these marvels, Mahālakṣmī emerged, seated on a lotus flower, resplendent with beauty. The gods, the great sages and the gandharva-s (the celestial musicians) offered her respectful worship. She did not find anyone worthy of being her husband. Finally she chose Viṣṇu, who granted her an eternal place on his chest. The demons, upon feeling abandoned by the goddess of fortune, remained deeply depressed.

Viṣṇu is the dominant god of the entire episode: Not only does he supervise the operation, but he also provides the two indispensable elements --the serpent Vāsuki and the tortoise Kūrma, both forms of his--. Therefore, when Śrī emerges from the ocean, she feels naturally attracted to the god who evidently is superior to the others. The association of Lakṣmī with Viṣṇu, the divine king par excellence, is coherent: She grants the royal authority that makes governing possible, and Viṣṇu is the one who designates the human agents, the righteous kings, whom she then empowers.

Now read the Mahālakṣmyaṣṭakam and experience Supreme Delight, dear Śiva.

Important: Everything that is between parentheses and in italics within the translation has been added by me to complete the sense of a given phrase or sentence. In turn, everything that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes additional clarifying information also added by me.

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 Mahālakṣmyaṣṭakam

इन्द्र उवाच।
नमस्तेऽस्तु महामाये श्रीपीठे सुरपूजिते।
शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्ते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥१॥
Indra uvāca|
Namaste'stu mahāmāye śrīpīṭhe surapūjite|
Śaṅkhacakragadāhaste mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||1||

Indra (indraḥ) said (uvāca):

May there be a salutation to You (namas te astu)! O Great Māyā (mahā-māye), Seat of Prosperity and Beauty (śrī-pīṭhe), worshipped by the gods (sura-pūjite), in whose hands are a conch, a disc and a club (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-haste)! O Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||1||

नमस्ते गरुडारूढे कोलासुरभयङ्करि।
सर्वपापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥२॥
Namaste garuḍārūḍhe kolāsurabhayaṅkari|
Sarvapāpahare devi mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||2||

Salutation (namas) to You (te) who rides mounted on Garuḍa (garuḍa-ārūḍhe), who generates fear in the demon Kola --the planet Saturn-- (kola-asura-bhayaṅkari), who annihilates all sins (sarva-pāpa-hare)! O Goddess Mahālakṣmī (devi mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||2||

सर्वज्ञे सर्ववरदे सर्वदुष्टभयङ्करि।
सर्वदुःखहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥३॥
Sarvajñe sarvavarade sarvaduṣṭabhayaṅkari|
Sarvaduḥkhahare devi mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||3||

O Omniscient One (sarvajñe), Giver of all boons (sarva-vara-de), who generates fear in all the wicked (sarva-duṣṭa-bhayaṅkari), who destroys all pains (sarva-duḥkha-hare)! O Goddess Mahālakṣmī (devi mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||3||

सिद्धिबुद्धिप्रदे देवि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनि।
मन्त्रमूर्ते सदा देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥४॥
Siddhibuddhiprade devi bhuktimuktipradāyini|
Mantramūrte sadā devi mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||4||

O Goddess (devi) who grants success and intelligence (siddhi-buddhi-prade), who concedes worldly enjoyment and Liberation (bhukti-mukti-pradāyini), who are always the Personification of the Mantra (mantra-mūrte sadā)! O Goddess Mahālakṣmī (devi mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||4||

आद्यन्तरहिते देव्याद्यशक्तिमहेश्वरि ।
योगजे योगसम्भूते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥५॥
Ādyantarahite devyādyaśaktimaheśvari|
Yogaje yogasambhūte mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||5||

O Goddess (devi) who lacks beginning and end (ādi-anta-rahite), Supreme Lady and Primordial Power (ādya-śakti-mahā-īśvari), born of Yoga (yoga-je), who are Yoga (yoga-sambhūte)! O Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||5||

स्थूलसूक्ष्ममहारौद्रे महाशक्ति महोदरे।
महापापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥६॥
Sthūlasūkṣmamahāraudre mahāśakti mahodare|
Mahāpāpahare devi mahālakṣmi namo'stu te||6||

O Great Śakti (mahā-śakti) who is Very Terrible towards (the wicked beings, whether they be) gross or subtle (sthūla-sūkṣma-mahā-raudre)! O You, the Great-Wombed One (mahā-udare) who destroys great sins (mahā-pāpa-hare)! O Goddess Mahālakṣmī (devi mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||6||

पद्मासनस्थिते देवि परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणि।
परमेशि जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥७॥
Padmāsanasthite devi parabrahmasvarūpiṇi|
Parameśi jaganmātarmahālakṣmi namo'stu te||7||

O Goddess (devi), You who remain in lotus posture (padma-āsana-sthite) (and) are the essential nature of the Supreme Brahma (para-brahma-svarūpiṇi)! O Supreme Lady (parama-īśi), Mother of the universe (jagat-mātar)! O Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||7||

श्वेताम्बरधरे देवि नानालङ्कारभूषिते।
जगत्स्थिते जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥८॥
Śvetāmbaradhare devi nānālaṅkārabhūṣite|
Jagatsthite jaganmātarmahālakṣmi namo'stu te||8||

O Goddess (devi), You who wear white garments (śveta-ambara-dhare) (and) are adorned with various ornaments (nānā-alaṅkāra-bhūṣite)! O You who reside in the world (jagat-sthite), Mother of the universe (jagat-mātar)! O Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmi), may there be a salutation to You (namas astu te)!||8||

महालक्ष्म्यष्टकस्तोत्रं यः पठेद्भक्तिमान्नरः।
सर्वसिद्धिमवाप्नोति राज्यं प्राप्नोति सर्वदा॥९॥
Mahālakṣmyaṣṭakastotraṁ yaḥ paṭhedbhaktimānnaraḥ|
Sarvasiddhimavāpnoti rājyaṁ prāpnoti sarvadā||9||

The devout (bhaktimān) person (naraḥ) who (yaḥ) recites (paṭhet) (this) hymn of eight stanzas to Mahālakṣmī (mahā-lakṣmi-aṣṭaka-stotram) always (sarvadā) obtains (avāpnoti... prāpnoti) all successes --or «all supernatural powers»-- (sarva-siddhim) (as well as) sovereignty --or «a kingdom»-- (rājyam)||9||

एककाले पठेन्नित्यं महापापविनाशनम्।
द्विकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं धनधान्यसमन्वितः॥१०॥
Ekakāle paṭhennityaṁ mahāpāpavināśanam|
Dvikālaṁ yaḥ paṭhennityaṁ dhanadhānyasamanvitaḥ||10||

The one who (yaḥ) recites (this hymn) (paṭhet) always (nityam) once (a day) (eka-kāle) (achieves) the total destruction of great sins (mahā-pāpa-vināśanam), (and the one who) recites (it) (paṭhet) always (nityam) twice (a day) (dvi-kālam) becomes endowed with money and grain (dhana-dhānya-samanvitaḥ)||10||

त्रिकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं महाशत्रुविनाशनम्।
महालक्ष्मीर्भवेन्नित्यं प्रसन्ना वरदा शुभा॥११॥
Trikālaṁ yaḥ paṭhennityaṁ mahāśatruvināśanam|
Mahālakṣmīrbhavennityaṁ prasannā varadā śubhā||11||

The one who (yaḥ) recites (this hymn) (paṭhet) always (nityam) three times (a day) (tri-kālam) (obtains) the total annihilation of great enemies (mahā-śatru-vināśanam), (and) the Giver of boons (varadā), (that is,) the Auspicious (śubhā) Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmīḥ), would be (bhavet) always (nityam) pleased (with such a person) (prasannā)||11||

॥इतीन्द्रकृतं महालक्ष्म्यष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्॥
||Itīndrakṛtaṁ mahālakṣmyaṣṭakaṁ sampūrṇam||

||Thus (iti), (the hymn of) eight stanzas to Mahālakṣmī (mahālakṣmi-aṣṭakam) composed by Indra (indra-kṛtam) is complete (sampūrṇam)||

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 Información Adicional

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

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