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Lakshmi Indian Goddess of Beauty, Wealth and Pleasure, Code LE-44A

Tales in Mythology and Art, while the great goddess as a cosmic force may be a deity of compelling dynamism and fearsome power, it is in the guise of the gentle and beneficent giver of the devotees desires, that the female divinities of India first appeared. This role of the goddess as one who fulfills wishes has remained one of enduring strength and consequence. Depicted in the Vedas, Indian ancient collection of sacred hymns, Goddess Lakshmi is one of the most shining examples in this context who is personified and worshipped not only as the goddess of fortune and wealth but also as an embodiment of loveliness, grace and charm who grants both worldly prosperity as well as liberation from the cycle of life and death.
Lore has it that Lakshmi arose out of the sea of milk, the primordial cosmic ocean, bearing a red lotus in her hand. Physically she is described as a fair lady, with four arms, seated on a lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels. To be seated upon or to be otherwise associated with the lotus suggests that he being in question : God, Buddha, or human being-has transcended the limitations of the finite world (the mud of existence, as it were) and floats freely in a sphere of purity and spirituality. Lakshmi thus suggests more that the fertilizing powers of moist soil and the mysterious powers of growth. When worshipped in a temple, she is shown seated on a lotus throne with four hands that signify her power to grant the four type of purusharthas (ends of human life), dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (bodily pleasures) and moksha (beatitude). The lotuses in various stages of blooming represent the worlds and beings in various stages of evolution. She is variously described as dark in complexion, it is to show that she is the consort of Vishnu, the dark god. If golden yellow, that shows her as the source of all wealth. If white, she represents the purest form of nature form which the universe developed. As she is the mother of all, the pinkish complexion reflects her compassion for creatures.