ŚRĪ LAKṢMĪ NĀRĀYAṆA Panchaloha Icon

Description

In Vaidika Hindu theology, Nārāyaṇa is considered the ultimate, supreme, self-dependent conscious principle which is the basis for every other conscious & material principles’ existence, capability, effectuation, self-expression.

The form of Lakshmi Narayana as a divine couple, with bhagavati Lakshmi adorning bhagavān Narayana represents the ultimate principles of paramapuruṣa and mūlacitprakṛti. Bhagavati Lakshmi is bearing a lotus, symbolizing purity and prosperity, while bhagavān Narayana is shown holding the divine conch – pāñcajanya – and discus – sudarśana – representing his supreme wisdom and ultimate protection. Together, śrī lakṣmī nārāyaṇa represent the highest form of worship enunciated in the vaidika philosophy.

The vaidika scriptures eulogize nārāyaṇa as the ultimate monistic principle who exists even during the mahāpraḷaya, and lakshmi as his eternal consort who exists ever-dependent on nārāyaṇa as if being the personification of his jñāna, iccha, and kriyā śaktī in addition to innumerable other śakti-s. Though eternal, lakṣmī appears within the material realm in every creation in many forms, first as bhārgavī – or the daughter of maharṣi bhṛgu & kkhyātī, and subsequently as kṣīrābdhi tanayā – the daughter of kṣīrasāgara varuṇa emerging out of the milky ocean during samudra mathana by the deva-s & daitya-s. Lakṣmī also appears as the consort of all the avatāra-s that nārāyaṇa assumes at various times, sometimes manifest and sometimes unmanifest, being always inseparable from nārāyaṇa. The divine form of lakṣmī nārāyaṇa captures this eternal inseparability of paramapuruṣa and mūlacitprakṛti.

The vaidika scriptures recommend invoking the auspicious sānnidhya of śrī lakṣmī nārāyaṇa as an essential part of nitya anuṣṭhāna – daily worship routine – by all vaidika-s. The worship of lakṣmī nārāyaṇa generally involves the ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā and can be elaborated to include catuśśaṣṭyupacāra with the primary emphasis always on bhāva – intrinsic mindset – than merely on the rituals themselves. This is true for worship of all forms of nārāyaṇa where the self-realization and mokṣa are prime importance, both of which, as the vaidika śāstra-s promulgate, are impossible without the anugraha (~ blessing) of nārāyaṇa. In the material realm, the worship of lakṣmī nārāyaṇa bestows inner-peace, fulfilment, gratitude, well-being, abundance, prosperity, auspiciousness, wisdom, and genuine relationships.