Lakshmi is also called Sri or Thirumagal because she is endowed with six auspicious and divine qualities, or gunas, and is the divine strength of Vishnu. In Hindu religion, she was born from the churning of the primordial ocean (Samudra manthan) and she chose Vishnu as her eternal consort. When Vishnu descended on the Earth as the avatars Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi descended as his respective consort. In the ancient scriptures of India, all women are declared to be embodiments of Lakshmi. The marriage and relationship between Lakshmi and Vishnu as wife and husband is the paradigm for rituals and ceremonies for the bride and groom in Hindu weddings. Lakshmi is considered another aspect of the same supreme goddess principle in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.
Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman with an owl as her vehicle, signifying the importance of economic activity in maintenance of life, her ability to move, work and prevail in confusing darkness. She typically stands or sits like a yogin on a lotus pedestal and holds lotus in her hand, a symbolism for fortune, self-knowledge and spiritual liberation. Her iconography shows her with four hands, which represent the four goals of human life considered important to the Hindu way of life: dharma, kāma, artha, and moksha. She is often depicted as part of the trinity (Tridevi) consisting of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati.
Archaeological discoveries and ancient coins suggest the recognition and reverence for Lakshmi by the 1st millennium BCE. Lakshmi’s iconography and statues have also been found in Hindu temples throughout southeast Asia, estimated to be from the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The festivals of Diwali and Sharad Purnima (Kojagiri Purnima) are celebrated in her honor.
Birth of Goddess Lakshmi
Sage Bhrigu was married to Khyaati who had two two sons Dhata and Vidhaata and a daughter Lakshmi. Lakshmi then married Lord Vishnu. This was the first appearance of goddess lakshmi. In her second appearance she appeared as the daughter of ocean. Once sage Durvaasa was wandering on the earth. He saw a beautiful girl with a garland. She presented the garland respectfully to the sage. Right at that moment, he saw Indra riding on Airaavat, the elephant. Instinctively, sage Durvaasa put that garland around the neck of Indra but Indra removed it and put it on Airaavat’s head. Airaavat pulled the garland with his trunk and smashed it on the ground. This whole sequence of events frustrated Durvaasa who cursed Indra that he will loose all his wealth. As a result Indra lost his wealth with a passage of time. Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi too didn’t stayed there. She made her abode in the abysmal depth of the sea. Very soon, the demons launched an attack on the gods and drove them out of heaven. Indra along with other gods approached Lord Vishnu. Pleased by their prayers, Lord Vishnu appeared before them and said-the only way to took out the lakshmi from the sea is to perform the churning of ocean with the help of demons. Following the advice of Lord Vishnu, the gods reconciled with the demons and convinced them to carry out the churning of the sea. Then they began the churning using Mandaraachal Mountain. As soon as the churning began, Mandaraachal began to sink. Lord Vishnu took incarnation of Kachchhap (the great tortoise) and bore the weight of the mighty mountain on His back. During the churning, Kamadhenu, the wishful cow was the first to emerge. It was presented to the sages as an aid for their Yagyas. It was followed by the Vaaruni devi, Kalpavriksha (the wishful tree) after which, beautiful apsaras appeared. The Moon followed the apsaras and was taken up by Shiva on His forehead. During the churning, huge quantity of poison had also emerged. It was drunk by Lord Shiva and some parts of it were taken up by the serpents. In the end, Dhanvantari himself emerged from the sea carrying the urn of ambrosia. It was during the churning itself that Lakshmi appeared once again from the sea holding lotuses in her hands. All the sages prayed her. Then taking bath with divine water, goddess Lakshmi took her seat in the heart of Lord Vishnu. When the demons saw that Lakshmi had chosen Lord Vishnu’s heart as her abode, they got perplexed. They at once snatched the urn from Dhanvantari and ran away. Then a row broke out among them over the drinking of ambrosia. Each of the demons wanted to drink ambrosia in maximum quantity. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu also arrived there in the guise of an extremely pretty woman Mohini and took possession of the urn. Mohini had pleased the demons with her sweet smile while distributing ambrosia among the gods.Thus, the gods came to drink ambrosia. When at last, the demons realised that they had been cheated they immediately attacked the gods. But since the gods had regained their strength, they soon defeated the demons without much ado. Afterwards, the gods prayed Lord Vishnu and returned to heaven to rule it. Indra regain all his wealth. He prayed goddess Lakshmi with devotion and respect. Thus, Lakshmi had appeared as the daughter of Bhrigu and his wife Khyaati. Then second time, she emerged from beneath the sea during its churning. It is believe that one who read this story with devotion will never be deprive of wealth in his life.
Owl – Lakshmi’s Vahana
Myths represent them to represent higher states of being angels, spirits or vahanas and their nocturnal nature of the ominous hoot which allies with darkness, death and blind ignorance. Then they become dark forces of the irrational. The owl was a symbol of solitude and depicted hermits in prayers. They were ill omen in dreams. They symbolises mourning and desolation. They were also agents of magic practices. They were called ‘corpse birds’ and considered unclean. But their association with the otherworld and its mysteries, the owl was thought to be cognizant of future events and became an emblem of wisdom also.
ULUKA: Lakhmi’s vahana owl is known as Uluka. Uluka is also another name for Lord Indra, the King of the Heavens, personifying wealth, power and glory. It is also a lesser known or unlikeliest vahana for the beautiful Goddess Lakshmi. So it would look like that the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity is riding on the King of Heaven! But Hindu symbolisms also carry spiritual message. It is a bird that sleeps during the day. Thus it is a symbol of avidya or darkness of ignorance. The daytime partial blindness is indicative of a sadhaka’s assumed blindness and tendency to seek secular instead of spiritual wealth. Symbolically, Goddess Lakshmi thus seeks one to open the eyes to the light of wisdom residing within us. She prompts you to have the blessings of Goddess Saraswathi, Goddess of Knowledge, Wisdom and Speech.
Men are not all wakeful to the same thing. When the owl is compared to the sthitha prajna, the enlightened person described in Gita 2.69, the symbol means that Lakshmi is the mistress of spiritual wisdom. The disciplined yogi is awake at night. Lord Krishna states “That which is night to all beings, in that the disciplined man wakes; that in which all being wake, is night to the Atman-cognizing Muni.”
Goddess Lakshmi emerged with her other half, Goddess Alakshmi. Their differential characteristics are explained by Lakshmi being born from the brighter part of Brahma’s face and Alakshmi from the dark side of his back. Thus uluka sitting at Lakshmi’s feet, also symbolizes Alakshmi, the Goddess of Strife and her inauspicious nature. There are some writings to say that Lakshmi’s owl is known as Pechaka, the name mentioned in Lakshmi pujas, especially in Bengal. Pechaka also preys over tinier pests that cause damage to agricultural wealth.
Picture depictions, sculptures and arts show the owl sitting at Goddess Lakshmi’s feet or around the goddess in a benevolent form. It is shown as a pure and innocent bird. In the Tamil vernacular, the word ‘Aanthai’ refers to the positive aspect of an owl, whereas “kottan” refers to the negative characteristics. Sometimes these words are used correlatively and the differentiating aspects left to the domain of poets. ‘Aanthai pol jnanam’ means as wise as an owl; ‘kottan kuvuthal’ is indicative of owl screech to announce death.
Lakshmi’s owl symbolizes patience, intelligence and wisdom. It has the ability to foretell events. Uluka becomes Lakshmi’s vahana when she blesses with wealth and prosperity. The owl asks of Lakshmi’s devotees not to be trapped by wealth and its splendour. It then becomes a symbol of universal wisdom that warns about arrogance and indiscipline. When Lakshmi’s wealth is used by humans for adharmic activities, then one is said to be blinded. Then the Uluka is but a bird of ill omen flying Goddess Alakshmi around to your door-step, representing darkness, disgrace, inauspiciousness and misfortune. It then is Alakshmi’s vahana, representing ignorance, arrogance and the coming of misfortune.
Notwithstanding, the owl also calls for some respect as that is equivalent to respecting the Goddess of Strife as without due attention, she can also create complete havoc and destruction. It would therefore seem, while the owl is the bird of wisdom, it is the negative aspects of the owl that follows Alakshmi. We would not want the vahana sending the wrong message to the principle deity!