VARALAKSHMI VRATAM

Rituals  ❘   Legends

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Information

The Hindu festival, 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the last Friday of the bright fortnight in the month of 'Shravan', in hindu calendar.

It is also called Aadi, which corresponds to the English months, July-August. The Varalakshmi Vratam is an important pooja performed by many women, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

This Vratam is marked with strict observance of certain practices and austerities. There are eight forces and energies recognised as the "Ashta Lakshmis" (the eight Lakshmis) by the Hindus.

They are - Sri (Wealth), Bhu (Earth), Sarasvati (learning), Priti (love), Kirti (Fame), Santi (Peace), Tushti (Pleasure) and Pushti (Strength). . Vishnu is called the 'Ashta Lakshmi Padhi', means the asylum for the eight-Lakshmis.

In fact, Lord Vishnu radiates these forces from him, which are worshipped as Lakshmis, since abstract force is beyond the comprehension of the ordinary people.

It is beleived that the worship of Lakshmi gives the energies of health, wealth and prosperity. Since Lakshmi is a woman, she will surely sympathise with women and bless them with these forces and energies.

Hence this Vratam is observed largely by women, invoking the blessings of Lakshmi on them and their families. This vratam has also blessed many women with children.

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Rituals

On this festival, the house is cleaned and rangoli is drawn in front of the houses. Women and girls tie yellow threads around their wrists. Thamboolam is given to other married women, who are invited to the house on the occasion.

The woman performing the puja observes a fast and different types of sweets are offered to the Goddess. A coconut smeared with turmeric and vermilion on the kalasha (bronze or silver vessel) is decorated the with a new cloth.

Some people decorate the kalasha with many kinds of jewels to make it look more beautiful. They place this kalasha on a plate filled with rice.

A kalash filled with rice or water, coins, turmeric, a whole lime, betel leaf and nut is prepared. The Goddess Lakshmi decorated with jewels is placed against the coconut.

The next morning the Goddess is welcomed to the specially installed pandal, by singing the songs of "VaraLakshmi". The main puja begins by worshiping Lord Ganesha,who is believed to remove all the obstacles and evil forces.

Later, goddess Mahalakshmi is invoked into the kalasha. Then a couple of torams (a bunch of nine threads with nine knots) is worshipped and tied one to the kalasha.

While the other one is tied around the right hand wrist of the lady performing the pooja. Later, the "Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam" is chanted.

It is followed by offering nine varieties of delicacies including both sweets and savories. Finally,prayers are sung, in the praise of goddess Varalakshmi and also other married woman is invited honouring her as a goddess Varalakshmi and offer her sweets.

In the evening, all the neighboring laides are invited to their homes and "Tamboolam" (an offering consisting of betel leaves, fruits, betel nuts, vermilion, turmeric and dakshina) is offered to them.

The women together sing the songs in praise of goddess Varalakshmi.

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The Varalakshmi Vratam Legends

Chitramani Punished

Once, Parvati and Parameswara were engrossed in playing a game of chess. Parvati was winning all the games succesively, but Parameswara claimed the victory of each game.

Parvati was very much upset with this and she wanted a refree to witness the victory. A creation of Parameswara, named 'Chitranemi' was made the refree. However, he everytime sided Parameshwara with partiality.

This provoked Parvati's anger and she cursed Chitranemi that he should become a leper for misusing the power and discharging the duties in most unfair manner.

When Chitranemi apologised and begged for Parvati's forgiveness and Parameswara added his entreaties to it, her anger got cooled down and she the further added that he would be cured of his disease by observing the VaraLakshmi Vratam.

On observing the Vratam, Chitranemi got rid of the dangerous disease.

Sarmadi's Dream

As per a legend, Mata Lakshmi is said to be aapeared in the dream of a pious woman named, Sarmadi, who was living in the city of Kuntinapura in Magadha (Bihar), India.

Mata lakshmi expressed her satisfaction at her devotion to her children. When she got up from her sleep, she took a bath and worshipped Lakshmi to ensure her blessings.

When the other women came to know of her dream and her getting blessed by Mata Lakshmi, they also started to worship Lakshmi.Soon, the custom speard over the whole capital and the VarLakshmi Vratam was observed by all the women.

Charumati's Devotion

Legend says that, the kingdom of old Magadha desh, had a prosperous town, named Kundina, where lived a brahmin woman named Charumati with her husband.

She devotedly served her husband and her parents-in-law. Goddess Mahalakshmi got impressed with her and appeared in her dream. Mata told her to worship Vara-Lakshmi.

She is the another form of Lord Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Charumati was also advised to worship and observe the Friday of Shravana month preceding the full moon day.

When Charumathi told about her dream to her family and others, she was encouraged by all to perform the Vratam. Soon, several other women also joined her in performing the pooja in a traditional way and worshipped Goddess Varalakshmi.

The women made offerings of delicious feast with utmost devotion. As they circumbulated (went round) the deity in prayer, glittering jewelry appeared on the bodies of these women and they got prospered very soon.

The women rewarded the brahmin priest, who guided to perform the pooja. The women were highly thankful to Charumathi, who shared her dream of VarLakshmi Vratam and helped them become prosperous.

This Vratam has no restriction of any caste or creed. It is also learned that this Vratam is being observed by the women of this modern world, who are getting the positive results of this VaraLakshmi Vratam.

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Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam

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Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam Lyrics

Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam Devnagari Script
देव्युवाच
देवदेव! महादेव! त्रिकालज्ञ! महेश्वर!
करुणाकर देवेश! भक्तानुग्रहकारक! ‖
अष्टोत्तर शतं लक्ष्म्याः श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ‖

ईश्वर उवाच देवि! साधु महाभागे महाभाग्य प्रदायकं |
सर्वैश्वर्यकरं पुण्यं सर्वपाप प्रणाशनम् ‖
सर्वदारिद्र्य शमनं श्रवणाद्भुक्ति मुक्तिदम् |
राजवश्यकरं दिव्यं गुह्याद्-गुह्यतरं परं ‖
दुर्लभं सर्वदेवानां चतुष्षष्टि कलास्पदम् |
पद्मादीनां वरान्तानां निधीनां नित्यदायकम् ‖
समस्त देव संसेव्यं अणिमाद्यष्ट सिद्धिदं |
किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन देवी प्रत्यक्षदायकं ‖
तव प्रीत्याद्य वक्ष्यामि समाहितमनाश्शृणु |
अष्टोत्तर शतस्यास्य महालक्ष्मिस्तु देवता ‖
क्लीं बीज पदमित्युक्तं शक्तिस्तु भुवनेश्वरी |
अङ्गन्यासः करन्यासः स इत्यादि प्रकीर्तितः ‖

ध्यानम्
वन्दे पद्मकरां प्रसन्नवदनां सौभाग्यदां भाग्यदां
हस्ताभ्यामभयप्रदां मणिगणैः नानाविधैः भूषितां |
भक्ताभीष्ट फलप्रदां हरिहर ब्रह्माधिभिस्सेवितां पार्श्वे
पङ्कज शङ्खपद्म निधिभिः युक्तां सदा शक्तिभिः ‖
सरसिज नयने सरोजहस्ते धवल तरांशुक गन्धमाल्य शोभे |
भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवन भूतिकरि प्रसीदमह्यम् ‖
ॐ प्रकृतिं, विकृतिं, विद्यां, सर्वभूत हितप्रदां |
श्रद्धां, विभूतिं, सुरभिं, नमामि परमात्मिकाम् ‖ 1 ‖

वाचं, पद्मालयां, पद्मां, शुचिं, स्वाहां, स्वधां, सुधां |
धन्यां, हिरण्ययीं, लक्ष्मीं, नित्यपुष्टां, विभावरीम् ‖ 2 ‖


अदितिं च, दितिं, दीप्तां, वसुधां, वसुधारिणीं |
नमामि कमलां, कान्तां, क्षमां, क्षीरोद सम्भवाम् ‖ 3 ‖
अनुग्रहपरां, बुद्धिं, अनघां, हरिवल्लभां |
अशोका,ममृतां दीप्तां, लोकशोक विनाशिनीम् ‖ 4 ‖

नमामि धर्मनिलयां, करुणां, लोकमातरं |
पद्मप्रियां, पद्महस्तां, पद्माक्षीं, पद्मसुन्दरीम् ‖ 5 ‖

पद्मोद्भवां, पद्ममुखीं, पद्मनाभप्रियां, रमां |
पद्ममालाधरां, देवीं, पद्मिनीं, पद्मगन्धिनीम् ‖ 6 ‖

पुण्यगन्धां, सुप्रसन्नां, प्रसादाभिमुखीं, प्रभा
ं | नमामि चन्द्रवदनां, चन्द्रां, चन्द्रसहोदरीम् ‖ 7 ‖

चतुर्भुजां, चन्द्ररूपां, इन्दिरा,मिन्दुशीतलां |
आह्लाद जननीं, पुष्टिं, शिवां, शिवकरीं, सतीम् ‖ 8 ‖

विमलां, विश्वजननीं, तुष्टिं, दारिद्र्य नाशिनीं |
प्रीति पुष्करिणीं, शान्तां, शुक्लमाल्याम्बरां, श्रियम् ‖ 9 ‖

भास्करीं, बिल्वनिलयां, वरारोहां, यशस्विनीं |
वसुन्धरा, मुदाराङ्गां, हरिणीं, हेममालिनीम् ‖ 10 ‖

धनधान्यकरीं, सिद्धिं, स्रैणसौम्यां, शुभप्रदां |
नृपवेश्म गतानन्दां, वरलक्ष्मीं, वसुप्रदाम् ‖ 11 ‖

शुभां, हिरण्यप्राकारां, समुद्रतनयां, जयां |
नमामि मङ्गलां देवीं, विष्णु वक्षःस्थल स्थिताम् ‖ 12 ‖

विष्णुपत्नीं, प्रसन्नाक्षीं, नारायण समाश्रितां |
दारिद्र्य ध्वंसिनीं, देवीं, सर्वोपद्रव वारिणीम् ‖ 13 ‖

नवदुर्गां, महाकालीं, ब्रह्म विष्णु शिवात्मिकां |
त्रिकालज्ञान सम्पन्नां, नमामि भुवनेश्वरीम् ‖ 14 ‖

लक्ष्मीं क्षीरसमुद्रराज तनयां श्रीरङ्गधामेश्वरीं |
दासीभूत समस्तदेव वनितां लोकैक दीपाङ्कुराम् ‖
श्रीमन्मन्द कटाक्ष लब्ध विभवद्-ब्रह्मेन्द्र गङ्गाधरां |
त्वां त्रैलोक्य कुटुम्बिनीं सरसिजां वन्दे मुकुन्दप्रियाम् ‖ 15 ‖

मातर्नमामि! कमले! कमलायताक्
षि! श्री विष्णु हृत्-कमलवासिनि! विश्वमा
तः! क्षीरोदजे कमल कोमल गर्भगौरि!
लक्ष्मी! प्रसीद सततं समतां शरण्ये ‖ 16 ‖

त्रिकालं यो जपेत् विद्वान् षण्मासं विजितेन्द्रियः |
दारिद्र्य ध्वंसनं कृत्वा सर्वमाप्नोत्-ययत्नतः |
देवीनाम सहस्रेषु पुण्यमष्टोत्तरं शतं |
येन श्रिय मवाप्नोति कोटिजन्म दरिद्रतः ‖ 17 ‖

भृगुवारे शतं धीमान् पठेत् वत्सरमात्रकं |
अष्टैश्वर्य मवाप्नोति कुबेर इव भूतले ‖
दारिद्र्य मोचनं नाम स्तोत्रमम्बापरं शतं |
येन श्रिय मवाप्नोति कोटिजन्म दरिद्रतः ‖ 18 ‖

भुक्त्वातु विपुलान् भोगान् अन्ते सायुज्यमाप्नुयात् |
प्रातःकाले पठेन्नित्यं सर्व दुःखोप शान्तये |
पठन्तु चिन्तयेद्देवीं सर्वाभरण भूषिताम् ‖ 19 ‖
इति श्री लक्ष्मी अष्टोत्तर शतनाम स्तोत्रं सम्पूर्ण म्

Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam English Script
DEVYUVACHA
Devadeva! mahādeva! trikālagya! maheśvara!
Karuṇākara deveśa! bhaktānugrahakāraka! ‖
Aśhṭottara śataṃ lakśhmyāḥ śrotumicChāmi tattvataḥ ‖

ISHWARA UVACHA
Devi! sādhu mahābhāge mahābhāgya pradāyakaṃ |
Sarvaiśvaryakaraṃ puṇyaṃ sarvapāpa praṇāśanam ‖
Sarvadāridrya śamanaṃ śravaṇādbhukti muktidam |
Rājavaśyakaraṃ divyaṃ guhyād-guhyataraṃ paraṃ ‖
Durlabhaṃ sarvadevānāṃ chatuśhśhaśhṭi kaḻāspadam |
Padmādīnāṃ varāntānāṃ nidhīnāṃ nityadāyakam ‖
Samasta deva saṃsevyaṃ aṇimādyaśhṭa siddhidaṃ |
Kimatra bahunoktena devī pratyakśhadāyakaṃ ‖
Tava prītyādya vakśhyāmi samāhitamanāśśṛṇu |
Aśhṭottara śatasyāsya mahālakśhmistu devatā ‖
Klīṃ bīja padamityuktaṃ śaktistu bhuvaneśvarī |
Aṅganyāsaḥ karanyāsaḥ sa ityādi prakīrtitaḥ ‖

DHYANAM
Vande padmakarāṃ prasannavadanāṃ saubhāgyadāṃ bhāgyadāṃ
hastābhyāmabhayapradāṃ maṇigaṇaiḥ nānāvidhaiḥ bhūśhitāṃ |
Bhaktābhīśhṭa phalapradāṃ harihara brahmādhibhissevitāṃ
Pārśve paṅkaja śaṅkhapadma nidhibhiḥ yuktāṃ sadā śaktibhiḥ ‖
Sarasija nayane sarojahaste dhavaḻa tarāṃśuka gandhamālya śobhe |
Bhagavati harivallabhe manoGYe tribhuvana bhūtikari prasīdamahyam ‖

AUM
Prakṛtiṃ, vikṛtiṃ, vidyāṃ, sarvabhūta hitapradāṃ |
Sraddhāṃ, vibhūtiṃ, surabhiṃ, namāmi paramātmikām ‖ 1 ‖

Vāchaṃ, padmālayāṃ, padmāṃ, śuchiṃ, svāhāṃ, svadhāṃ, sudhāṃ |
Dhanyāṃ, hiraṇyayīṃ, lakśhmīṃ, nityapuśhṭāṃ, vibhāvarīm ‖ 2 ‖

Aditiṃ cha, ditiṃ, dīptāṃ, vasudhāṃ, vasudhāriṇīṃ |
Namāmi kamalāṃ, kāntāṃ, kśhamāṃ, kśhīroda sambhavām ‖ 3 ‖

Anugrahaparāṃ, buddhiṃ, anaghāṃ, harivallabhāṃ |
Aśokā,mamṛtāṃ dīptāṃ, lokaśoka vināśinīm ‖ 4 ‖

Namāmi dharmanilayāṃ, karuṇāṃ, lokamātaraṃ |
Padmapriyāṃ, padmahastāṃ, padmākśhīṃ, padmasundarīm ‖ 5 ‖

Padmodbhavāṃ, padmamukhīṃ, padmanābhapriyāṃ, ramāṃ |
Padmamālādharāṃ, devīṃ, padminīṃ, padmagandhinīm ‖ 6 ‖

Puṇyagandhāṃ, suprasannāṃ, prasādābhimukhīṃ, prabhāṃ |
Namāmi chandravadanāṃ, chandrāṃ, chandrasahodarīm ‖ 7 ‖

Chaturbhujāṃ, chandrarūpāṃ, indirā,minduśītalāṃ |
Ahlāda jananīṃ, puśhṭiṃ, śivāṃ, śivakarīṃ, satīm ‖ 8 ‖

Vimalāṃ, viśvajananīṃ, tuśhṭiṃ, dāridrya nāśinīṃ |
Prīti puśhkariṇīṃ, śāntāṃ, śuklamālyāmbarāṃ, śriyam ‖ 9 ‖

Bhāskarīṃ, bilvanilayāṃ, varārohāṃ, yaśasvinīṃ |
Vasundharā, mudārāṅgāṃ, hariṇīṃ, hemamālinīm ‖ 10 ‖

Dhanadhānyakarīṃ, siddhiṃ, sraiṇasaumyāṃ, śubhapradāṃ |
Nṛpaveśma gatānandāṃ, varalakśhmīṃ, vasupradām ‖ 11 ‖

śubhāṃ, hiraṇyaprākārāṃ, samudratanayāṃ, jayāṃ |
Namāmi maṅgaḻāṃ devīṃ, viśhṇu vakśhaḥsthala sthitām ‖ 12 ‖

Viśhṇupatnīṃ, prasannākśhīṃ, nārāyaṇa samāśritāṃ |
Dāridrya dhvaṃsinīṃ, devīṃ, sarvopadrava vāriṇīm ‖ 13 ‖

Navadurgāṃ, mahākāḻīṃ, brahma viśhṇu śivātmikāṃ |
TrikālaGYāna sampannāṃ, namāmi bhuvaneśvarīm ‖ 14 ‖

Lakśhmīṃ kśhīrasamudrarāja tanayāṃ śrīraṅgadhāmeśvarīṃ |
Dāsībhūta samastadeva vanitāṃ lokaika dīpāṅkurām ‖
Srīmanmanda kaṭākśha labdha vibhavad-brahmendra gaṅgādharāṃ |
Tvāṃ trailokya kuṭumbinīṃ sarasijāṃ vande mukundapriyām ‖ 15 ‖

Mātarnamāmi! kamale! kamalāyatākśhi!
Srī viśhṇu hṛt-kamalavāsini! viśvamātaḥ!
Kśhīrodaje kamala komala garbhagauri!
Lakśhmī! prasīda satataṃ samatāṃ śaraṇye ‖ 16 ‖

Trikālaṃ yo japet vidvān śhaṇmāsaṃ vijitendriyaḥ |
Dāridrya dhvaṃsanaṃ kṛtvā sarvamāpnot-yayatnataḥ |
Devīnāma sahasreśhu puṇyamaśhṭottaraṃ śataṃ |
Yena śriya mavāpnoti koṭijanma daridrataḥ ‖ 17 ‖

Bhṛguvāre śataṃ dhīmān paṭhet vatsaramātrakaṃ |
Aśhṭaiśvarya mavāpnoti kubera iva bhūtale ‖
Dāridrya mochanaṃ nāma stotramambāparaṃ śataṃ |
Dāridrya mochanaṃ nāma stotramambāparaṃ śataṃ |
Yena śriya mavāpnoti koṭijanma daridrataḥ ‖ 18 ‖

Bhuktvātu vipulān bhogān ante sāyujyamāpnuyāt |
Prātaḥkāle paṭhennityaṃ sarva duḥkhopa śāntaye |
Paṭhantu chintayeddevīṃ sarvābharaṇa bhūśhitām ‖ 19 ‖

Iti śrī lakśhmī aśhṭottara śatanāma stotraṃ sampūrṇam

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August Festivals