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Ashtalakshmi Stotram
The ''Ashtalakshmi Stotra'' (), also rendered the ''Ashta Lakshmi Stotram'', is a Hindu mantra. It extols the eight aspects of the goddess Lakshmi, designated as the Ashta Lakshmi, regarded to represent the eight forms of wealth. Description The ''Ashtalakshmi Stotra'' was composed and published in the early 1970s in Chennai by U.V. Srinivasa Varadachariyar, a theologian of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The hymn was popularised through its distribution via audiocassettes in the 1980s. Devotees regard each of the Ashta Lakshmi to represent an attribute of Lakshmi, gaining the favour of the goddess with the chanting of each stanza of the prayer. The eight aspects of Lakshmi that are venerated by the mantra are: # Adi Lakshmi () # Dhanya Lakshmi () # Dhairya Lakshmi () # Gaja Lakshmi () # Santana Lakshmi () # Vijaya Lakshmi () # Vidya Lakshmi () # Dhana Lakshmi () Hymn The first hymn of the mantra venerates Adi Lakshmi: {{Blockquote, text=She who is praised by the virtuous, she w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 population, known as Hindus. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as '' Sanātana Dharma'' ( sa, सनातन धर्म, lit='the Eternal Dharma'), a modern usage, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts. Another endonym is ''Vaidika dharma'', the dharma related to the Vedas. Hinduism is a diverse system of thought marked by a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites, and shared textual sources that discuss theology, metaphysics, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, 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, diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age#South Asia, Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a lingua franca, link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies. Sanskrit generally connotes several Indo-Aryan lang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stotra
''Stotra'' (Sanskrit: स्तोत्र) is a Sanskrit word that means "ode, eulogy or a hymn of praise."Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'Stotra'' It is a literary genre of Indian religious texts designed to be melodically sung, in contrast to a '' shastra'' which is composed to be recited. A stotra can be a prayer, a description, or a conversation, but always with a poetic structure. It may be a simple poem expressing praise and personal devotion to a deity for example, or poems with embedded spiritual and philosophical doctrines. Many ''stotra'' hymns praise aspects of the divine, such as Devi, Shiva, or Vishnu. Relating to word "''stuti''", coming from the same Sanskrit root *''stu-'' ("to praise"), and basically both mean "praise". Notable stotras are '' Shiva Tandava Stotram'' in praise of Shiva and ''Rama Raksha Stotra'', a prayer for protection to Rama. Stotras are a type of popular devotional lite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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"). Along with Parvati and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi of Hindu goddesses. Within the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Lakshmi is venerated as the prosperity aspect of the Mother goddess. Lakshmi is both the consort and the divine energy ('' shakti'') of the Hindu god Vishnu, the Supreme Being of Vaishnavism; she is also the Supreme Goddess in the sect and assists Vishnu to create, protect, and transform the universe. She is an especially prominent figure in Sri Vaishnavism, in which devotion to Lakshmi is deemed to be crucial to reach Vishnu. Whenever Vishnu descended on the earth as an avatar, Lakshmi accompanied him as consort, for example, as Sita and Radha or Rukmini as consorts of Vishnu's avatars Rama and Krishna, respectively. The e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashta Lakshmi
Ashta Lakshmi (Sanskrit: अष्टलक्ष्मी, IAST: Aṣṭalakṣmī; lit. "Octet of Lakshmi") or Ashtalakshmi, is a group of the eight manifestations of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity. She presides over eight sources of wealth: spirituality, material wealth, agriculture, royalty, knowledge, courage, progeny, and victory.Vasudha Narayanan in: John Stratton Hawley, Donna Marie Wulff p.104 Ashta Lakshmi is always depicted and worshipped in an octet in temples.Flipside of Hindu Symbolism (Sociological and Scientific Linkages in Hinduism) by M. K. V. Narayan; published 2007 by Fultus Corporation; 200 pages; ; p.93 Iconography Adi Lakshmi Adi Lakshmi (Primeval Lakshmi) is portrayed to be the earliest form of Lakshmi. Adi Lakshmi is the manifestation who supports a seeker to reach their source, or Atman. She is believed to proffer dhyana, a state of absolute silence, bliss, and peace. This aspect of the goddess is responsible for the furtherance in the q ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in the country and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration. The Greater Chennai Corporation is the civic body responsible for the city; it is the oldest city corporation of India, established in 1688—the second oldest in the world after London. The city of Chennai is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the 36th-largest urban area in the world by population and one of the largest metropolitan economies of India. The traditional and de facto gateway of South India, Chennai is among the most-visited Indian cities by foreign tourists. It was rank ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a title affixed to the names of learned subject. The designation has different meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism and secular contexts. ''Acharya'' is sometimes used to address an expert teacher or a scholar in any discipline, e.g.: Bhaskaracharya, the expert mathematician. Etymology The Sanskrit phrase ''Acharam Grahayati Acharam Dadati Iti Va'' means ''Acharya'' (or teacher) is the one who teaches good conduct to one's students. A female teacher is called an ''achāryā,'' and a male teacher's wife is called an ''achāryāni'' In Hinduism In Hinduism, an ''acharya'' is a formal title of a teacher or guru, who has attained a degree in Veda and Vedanga. Prominent acharyas in the Hindu tradition are as given below : *Adi Sankaracharya *Raman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Vaishnavism
Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who are together revered in this tradition. The tradition traces its roots to the ancient Vedas and Pancharatra texts, popularised by the Alvars and their canon, the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. The founding of Sri Vaishnavism is traditionally attributed to Nathamuni of the 10th century CE; its central philosopher has been Ramanuja of the 11th century, who developed the ''Vishishtadvaita'' ("qualified non-dualism") Vedanta sub-school of Hindu philosophy. The tradition split into two denominations around the 16th century. The Vadakalai sect vested the Vedas with the greatest authority and follow the doctrine of Sri Vedanta Desika, whereas the Tenkalai sect vested the Naalayira Divya Prabandham with the greatest authority and follow the principl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cassette Tape
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens and his team at the Netherlands, Dutch company Philips in 1963, Compact Cassettes come in two forms, either already containing content as a prerecorded cassette (''Musicassette''), or as a fully recordable "blank" cassette. Both forms have two sides and are reversible by the user. Although List of magnetic tape cartridges and cassettes, other tape cassette formats have also existed - for example the Microcassette - the generic term ''cassette tape'' is normally always used to refer to the Compact Cassette because of its ubiquity. Its uses have ranged from Personal stereo, portable audio to home recording to data storage for early microcomputers; the Compact Cassette technology was originally ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanakadhara Stotra
The ''Kanakadhara Stotra'' ( sa, कनकधारा स्तोत्रम्, translit=Kanakadhārāstotram) is a Hindu hymn ( stotram) composed in Sanskrit by the Hindu guru Adi Shankara. Etymology means "the stream () of gold ()", and the hymn is called by this name since legend has it that when Adi Shankara recited it, the goddess Lakshmi showered a stream of gold within the hut of his poor Brahmana benefactor. Description The hymn is attributed to Adi Shankara, a revered Hindu philosopher. According to tradition, as a young boy, Adi Shankara was out seeking alms to prepare his lunch and happened upon the doorstep of a very poor Brahmana woman. Having nothing edible in her home, the lady frantically searched her house, only to find a single gooseberry fruit, which she then offered to Shankara. Shankara was so moved by the incredible selflessness of this woman that he burst forth into poetry and sang 22 stanzas in praise of the goddess Lakshmi. Pleased by the beau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Stuti
The ''Sri Stuti'' () is a Sanskrit hymn written by the Hindu philosopher Vedanta Desika. Comprising 25 verses, the work is an ode to the goddess Lakshmi (Sri). Etymology In Sanskrit, ''sri'' denotes prosperity and is another name of the goddess Lakshmi, and ''stuti'' is translated as a hymn. Legend According to the Sri Vaishnava narrative, Vedanta Desika was once approached by a young man. The man requested Desika's financial aid for arranging his wedding ceremony. Since the philosopher was poor himself, he decided to help the man by composing the ''Sri Stuti''. After he had finished singing the hymn in praise of Lakshmi, gold coins showered around the man, a blessing of the goddess. It is said that the philosopher's detachment from materialism was such that he walked away from the scene, never glancing once at the gold coins. Description The ''Sri Stuti'' is composed in the ''mandakranta'' metre of Sanskrit poetry. It is regarded to have been inspired by the identi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lakshmi Stuti
Lakshmi Stuti () is a Hindu hymn written in praise of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. According to the Puranas as well as Vaishnava tradition, the authorship of this hymn is attributed to Indra, the king of the devas. It is widely used in the popular worship of the goddess and also invoked during vratas (vows). Legend The Vishnu Purana features an important episode in Hindu mythology known as the Samudra Manthana, the churning of the ocean. According to this legend, the sage Durvasa once acquired a divine garland from an apsara, a celestial singer. When he came across Indra, the king of the devas, he hurled the garland towards him. Indra caught the garland and placed it upon his elephant, who seized it with its trunk and flung it towards the earth. Durvasa, furious at the disrespectful treatment of his gift, proclaimed that the garland had been the dwelling of Sri (fortune) and cursed Indra, stating that the latter would lose his dominion over the u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
