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, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

a deity, Saubhagyalakshmi is a minor

Upanishad The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...

ic text of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

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

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, it is one of the 10 Upanishads attached to the

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

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

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

Yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

meditation for spiritual attainment away from material cravings and towards inner wealth.

Sri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Assamese, Meitei ( Manipuri), Marathi, Malay (including In ...

is the synonym used for Lakshmi. The text also presents

Tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...

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

Shaktism Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...

worship.

History

In the

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of ...

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 related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

, 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'') is ...

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 (; '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; and for the benefits believe ...

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 Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

, 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 (, ) is a form of divine feminine energy (or ''Shakti'') believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the '' muladhara''. It is an important concept in Śhaiva Tantra, where it is believed to be a force or power ...

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 (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 ''Para Brahman'' or ''Param Brahman'' () in Hindu philosophy is the "Supreme Brahman" that which is beyond all descriptions and conceptualisations. It is described as beyond the form or the formlessness (in the sense that it is devoid of May ...

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.

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* * * * * {{Mukhya Upanishads Upanishads

History

Contents

See also

References

Bibliography