The ''Saubhagyalakshmi Upanishad'' (सौभाग्य लक्ष्मी उपनिषत्), also called ''Saubhagyalakshmyupanishad'' (सौभाग्यलक्ष्म्युपनिषत्), Saubhagya meaning ''auspicious'',

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

a deity, Saubhagyalakshmi is a minor

Upanishad The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

ic text of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

.Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, India, pages 583-584 Written in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

, it is one of the 10 Upanishads attached to the

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only on ...

, and is classified as one of the 8 Shakta Upanishads. The Upanishad presents its ideas through

, goddess of wealth and fortune. It discusses true wealth, and then presents

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

meditation for spiritual attainment away from material cravings and towards inner wealth. Sri is the synonym used for Lakshmi. The text also presents

Tantra Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the India ...

concepts such as nine ''chakra'' as a part of yogic practice. The text is notable for its syncretic presentation of the

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ...

doctrines with

Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...

worship.

History

In the

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...

of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bei ...

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

, it is listed by

Paul Deussen Paul Jakob Deussen (; 7 January 1845 – 6 July 1919) was a German Indologist and professor of philosophy at University of Kiel. Strongly influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer, Deussen was a friend of Friedrich Nietzsche and Swami Vivekananda. In ...

– a German

Indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') i ...

and professor of philosophy, at number 105.

The Upanishad text is presented in three chapters. The first part describes the Lakshmi as the goddess of prosperity, presents the hymn of ''Sri'', and then presents her in

terms as a

yantra Yantra () (literally "machine, contraption") is a geometrical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Yantras are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; used for the benefit ...

drawing. The text mentions the Om mantra, followed by her iconography. The text calls her lotus-eyed, describes her iconography as holding lotus, raining gifts, shining like gold, wherein white elephants spray water on her. She wears a crown with gems, glistening embroidered silk and stands in a lotus. She is the spouse of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

, states the text. She is the giver of wealth, asserts the Upanishad, but she reserves her blessings for those who are free from material cravings and never gives it to them who mindlessly cherish their desires. The second chapter describes the ones who the goddess favors. Yoga, asserts the text, is their path. They seek the inner light using the Om mantra. They are moderate in their habits and what they eat, practice asana (posture) and breath exercises. The chapter describes that such yogi awaken their

kundalini In Hinduism, Kundalini ( sa, कुण्डलिनी, translit=kuṇḍalinī, translit-std=IAST, lit=coiled snake, ) is a form of divine feminine energy (or ''Shakti'') believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the ''muladhara'' ...

chakras, they look resplendent in their health because of such yoga. The text, in second part of the second chapter, asserts that the goal of yoga is to become free of all dualities, and achieve the unity with the

Atman Atman or Ātman may refer to: Film * ''Ātman'' (1975 film), a Japanese experimental short film directed by Toshio Matsumoto * ''Atman'' (1997 film), a documentary film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo People * Pavel Atman (born 1987), Russian hand ...

(Self). The yogi renounces egoism, and thus becomes free of otherness and sorrow. Through yoga meditation, asserts the text, the yogi discovers concentration and the state where his lower and higher self is unified. His Self and the Supreme Brahman become one, and he abides with Lakshmi's abode, states the text. The third chapter of the text returns to the discussion of chakra wheels, and presents nine chakras. The text is notable for presenting the supreme void as the ninth wheel. The text closes by asserting that whoever studies and understands this text gains whatever wealth he seeks and he is also liberated from the cycles of rebirth.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Mukhya Upanishads Upanishads Sanskrit texts

History

Contents

See also

References

Bibliography