SRI SUKTA
(HYMN TO THE DIVINE MOTHER IN THE FORM OF LAKSHMI)
TRANSLATION BY SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
harih Om
hiranya varanam harinim
suvarana rajatasrajam
chandram hiranmayim lakshmin
jatavedo ma avaaha
tam ma avaaha jatavedo
lakshmin anapa gaminim
yasyam hiranyam vindeyam
gamasvam purushan-aham
(1-2) Invoke for you O Agni, the Goddess Lakshmi, who shines like gold, yellow in hue, wearing gold and silver garlands, blooming like the moon, the embodiment of wealth. O Agni! Invoke for me that unfailing Lakshmi, blessed by whom, I shall win wealth, cattle, horses and men.
ashwa-purvam rata-madhyam
hasti mada prabodhinim
shriyam devim upahvaye
shrir ma devir jushatam
kam sosmitam hiranya prakaram ardram
jvalantim triptam tarpayantim
paadme sthitam padma-varanam
tam ihopahvaye shriyam
(3-4) I invoke Shri (Lakshmi, who has a line of horses in her front, a series of chariots in the middle, who is being awakened by the trumpeting of elephants, who is divinely resplendent. May that divine Lakshmi grace me. I hereby invoke that Shri (Lakshmi) who is the embodiment of absolute bliss; who is of pleasant smile on her face; whose lustre is that of burnished gold; who is wet as it were, (just from the milky ocean) who is blazing with splendour, and is the embodiment of the fulfillment of all wishes; who satisfies the desire of her votaries; who is seated on the lotus and is beautiful like the lotus.
chandram prabhasam yashasa jvalantim
shriyam loke deva justam udaram
tam padmi-nimim sarana-maham prapadye
alakshmirme nasyatam tvamvrune
aditya varne tapaso dhijato
vanaspatis tava vriksho tha bilvah
tasya phalani tapsa nudantu
mayantara yascha bahya alakshmih
(5-6) I resort to that Lakshmi for shelter in this world, who is beautiful like the moon, who shines bright, who is blazing with renown, which is adored (even) by the gods, which is highly magnanimous, and grand like the lotus. May my misfortunes perish. I surrender myself to Thee, O Thou resplendent like the Sun! By Thy power and glory, plants like the bael tree have grown up. may the fruits thereof destroy through the grace of all inauspiciousness rising from the inner organs and ignorance as well from the outer senses.
upaitu mam deva-sakah
kirtischa manima saha
pradur bhutosmi rashtre smin
kirtim riddhim dadatu me
kshut pipasa-amalam
jyestham alakshmin nashyami aham
abhutim asamriddhim cha
sarvam nirnuda me grihat
(7-8) O Lakshmi! I am born in this country with the heritage of wealth. May the friends of Lord Siva (Kubera, Lord of wealth and Kiriti, Lord of Fame), come to me. May these (having take their abode with me), bestow on me fame and prosperity. I shall destroy the elder sister to Lakshmi, the embodiment of inauspiciousness and such evil as hunger, thirst and the like. O Lakshmi! Drive out from my abode all misfortunes and poverty.
gandha dvaram dura dharsham
nitya-pushtam karishinim
ishwarim sarva bhutanam
tam iho pahvaye shriyam
manasah kamam akutim
vachah satyam ashimahi
pashunam rupam annasya
mayi shrih shrayatam yashah
(9-10) I hereby invoke Lakshmi (Shri), whose (main) avenue of perception is the odoriferous sense (i.e., one who abides mainly in cows); who is incapable of defeat or threat from anyone; who is ever healthy (with such virtuous qualities as truth); whose grace is seen abundantly in the refuse of cows (the cows being sacred); and who is supreme over all created beings. O Lakshmi! May we obtain and enjoy the fulfillment of our desires and our volitions, the veracity of our speech, the wealth of cattle, the abundance of varieties of food to eat! May prosperity and fame reside in me (thy devotee)!
kardamena praja-bhuta
mayi sambhava kardama
shriyam vasaya me kule
mataram padma malinim
apah srijantu snigdhani
chiklita vasa me grihe
ni cha devim mataram
shriyam vasaya me kule
(11-12) Lakshmi! You have progeny in Kardama. (Hence) O Kardama, may you reside in me. Make Mother Shri with garlands of lotuses to have Her abode in my (ancestral) line. may the (holy) waters create friendship (they being of adhesive nature). O Chiklita (progeny of Shri)! Reside at my home; and arrange to make Divine Mother Shri stay in my lineage!
ardam pushkarinim pushtim
pingalam padma malinim
chandram hiran-mayim lakshmin
jatavedo ma avaha
ardham yah karinim yashtim
suvarnam hema-malinim
suryam hiran-mayim lakshmin
jatavedo ma avaha
(13-14) Invoke for me, O Agni, Lakshmi who shines like gold, is brilliant like the sun, who is powerfully fragrant, who wields the rod of suzerainty, who is the form of supreme rulership, who is radiant with ornaments and is the goddess of wealth. Invoke for me O Agni, the Goddess Lakshmi who shines like gold, blooms like the moon, who is fresh with anointment (of fragrant scent), who is adorned with the lotuses (lifted up by celestial elephants in the act of worship), who is the presiding deity of nourishment, who is yellow in colour, and who wears garlands of lotuses.
tam ma avaha jatevedo
lakshmin anapa gmainim
yasyam hiranyam prabhutam
gavo dasyo ashvan vindeyam purushan aham
Invoke for me O Agni, that Goddess Lakshmi, who is ever unfailing, being blesses by whom I shall win wealth in plenty, cattle, servants, horses and men.
Om mahadevyai cha vidmahe
vishnupatnai cha dhimahi
tanno lakshmih prachodayat
Om shantih, shantih, shantih.
We commune ourselves with the Great Goddess, and meditate on the consort of Vishnu; may that Lakshmi direct us (to the Great Goal). Om May there be Peace, Peace, Peace.
Footnote to Sri Sukta
The supreme appears in the form of Vishnu to uphold and protect the world. The operation is done through the power of Vishnu for which the terminology is Lakshmi. She is the Brahman revealed in its mother aspect as creatrix and nourisher of the three worlds. Her description appears in the Shi Sukta, where she has been lauded in golden words and in glorious terms...Just as there is no difference between Power-Holder (Vishnu) and Power (Lakshmi)...She is the presiding deity of all divine manifestation.
For the adoration of Lakshmi, there is no hymn equal to the Sri Sukta...The letters, syllables and words in the fifteen verses of Sri Sukta, collectively form the sound body of Lakshmi, the presiding deity of this Hymn. As it has come to us from the consciousness state of the Rishi (seer), the substance is Chit, the creative energy in Vaikhari or gross from of sound.
The universe is conceived and born of sound. Light is nothing but a sound of a particular frequency. All that we see in this worlds in solid, liquid, or gaseous state has emanated from sound. Even our mind is the crystal of sound. Nama (name) is sound from which rupa (form) has come. To cut it short, Sri Sukta is a Siddha Mantra and is a radiant mass of energy. By proper Sadhana, the jiva can raise itself to a divine status. But to attain this, it is very vital that the meaning of the Mantras are correctly understood, intoned and also remembered at the time of recitation.
(Excerpts from B. B. Konnur's preface to Sri Suktam, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 400 007 (1993).
See also Essay by Sri Swami Krishnananda in the teachings page at the Maryland, USA site.