Lakshmi Tantra
The Lakshmi Tantra (
Date
The text was composed sometime between the ninth and twelfth centuries.[2]
Contents
The Lakshmi Tantra text includes information about Pancharatra philosophy, cosmogony and mantra sastra. The iconography for Lakshmi-Narayana and Vishnu’s Vyūhas is also discussed. The book does not include information about ritualistic worship, temple architecture and worship.[3]
The text may also be categorised as
Sakra: — O Goddess, who appearest from the milky ocean, wife of the God Padmanabha, I prostrate myself before Thee, who art lotus-born. Deign to explain who a living being is.
Sri: — The primordial, absolute I-hood of Hari is myself and I am the transcendental, supreme Goddess.— Chapter 6
The Lakshmi Tantra is shown to have distinct similarities with the Pratik Rahasyam of
The text precisely expounds the specifics of the philosophy of qualified monism Vishishtadvaita, but it is also observed that it is much inspired from the philosophy of Pratyabhijna of Kashmiri Shaivism propounded by Abhinavagupta. The text also reveals traces of Mahayana Buddhism. The influence of the Bhagavad Gita is also clearly apparent and passages from it have sometimes been quoted literally.[7]
Manifestations
The Lakshmi Tantra discusses the various avataras, or the descents, of the goddess, when Narayana incarnates on earth, to perform her anuvrata, or functions. These descents are called the six sheaths, and are categorised as possessing one form, two forms, four forms, six forms, eight forms, as well as twelve forms:[8]
- Mahālakṣmī, as the first manifestation of the Goddess
- Śri and Puṣṭi, as two manifestations on either side of Narayana
- Śri, Kīrti, Jayā, and Māyā, as four manifestations around Narayana
- Śuddhi, Nirañjana, Nityā, Jñānaśakti, Aparājitā, and Prakṛti as six manifestations, in a hexagonal position
- Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Sarvakāmadā, Prītivardinī, Yaśaskarī, Śāntidā, Tuṣṭida, and Puṣṭi, as eight manifestations
- Śri, Kāmeśvarī, Kānti, Kriyā, Śakti, Vibhūti, Icchā, Prīti, Ratī, Māyā, Dhī, and Mahiman, as twelve manifestations, in a double hexagonal position
In the Dashavatara and the other incarnations of Vishnu, Lakshmi appears as Bhudevi for Varaha, Bhargavi for Dattatreya, Padma for Vamana, Dharani for Parashurama, Sita for Rama, Revati for Balarama, Rukmini for Krishna, Rati for Pradyumna, Usha for Aniruddha, and Tara for Buddha.[citation needed]
References
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-09-19). "Lakshmi-tantra [sanskrit]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
- ISBN 978-90-04-03419-8.
- ^ Gupta, Sanjukta. Lakshmi Tantra A Pancharatra Text. pp. XVII.
- ^ Lakshmi Tantra A Pancharatra Text Sanjukta Gupta. p. 37.
- ^ "Lakshmi Tantra". Goddess Vidya. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt (11 November 2015). "The ancient story of goddess Lakshmi—bestower of power, wealth and sovereignty". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ISBN 978-81-208-1734-0.
- ^ Lakshmi Tantra A Pancharatra Text Sanjukta Gupta. pp. 46–47.
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