Diwali is celebrated by Hindu’s all over the world and is often recognized for its colourful displays of a multitude of lights, and hymns honoring Lakshmi on her day called as Lakshmi Pujan. It is said that on this joyous day, Goddess Lakshmi showers her blessings of abundance and prosperity.
Goddess Lakshmi is the Shakti of Lord Vishnu, and as his consort, she dispenses good luck and protection. The earliest Vedic literature calls her Sri, which later developed under the name Lakshmi. Lakshmi means “goal,” and it represents the goal of human life which includes both worldly and spiritual prosperity. The four arms of Lakshmi represent the four goals of human life: Dharma (righteousness) Kaama (genuine desires), Artha (wealth) and Moksha (liberation).
Lakshmi is often related to fertility, and the lotus is a symbol that is most commonly used to represent that. The lotus flower symbolizes fertility and how life is rooted in the essence, the navel of Lord Vishnu from where the Lotus emerges. The mud from which the lotus grows is representative of the material world, and Goddess Lakshmi who sits above the mud on the lotus represent a state of refinement that transcends the material world.
Lakshmi’s son is named Kardama, meaning mud, which signifies her being like fertile soil in a harvest. Early villagers worshipped Lakshmi in the form of cow dung in certain instances, because of her relation to abundant harvests.
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