agastya kṛta śrī lakṣmī stotraṃ

Victory to You, O Lotus-eyed One; victory to You, O beloved of the Lord of Sri. Victory to You, Mother Mahalakshmi, the One who carries us across the ocean of worldly existence.

Salutations to You, O Mahalakshmi; salutations to You, O Queen of the Gods. Salutations to You, O beloved of Hari; salutations to You, O treasure-house of compassion.

Salutations to You, O dweller of the lotus; salutations to You, O giver of all. For the welfare of all beings, grant me always a shower of prosperity.

Salutations to You, O Mother of the Universe; salutations to You, O treasure-house of compassion. Salutations to You, O merciful One; salutations to You, O Goddess of the Universe.

Salutations to the daughter of the ocean of milk; salutations to the One who sustains the three worlds. Salutations to You, the source of prosperity; protect me, for I have taken refuge in You.

Protect me, O Queen of the gods; O beloved of the Lord of gods, save me from poverty, O Lakshmi, and bestow Your grace upon me.

Salutations to the Mother of the three worlds; salutations to the purifier of the three worlds. Brahma and the other gods bow to You, for You are the giver of joy to the universe.

Salutations to You, O beloved of Vishnu; salutations to You, O benefactor of the world. Salutations to You, the destroyer of suffering; grant me prosperity always.

Salutations to You, who dwells in the lotus; salutations again and again to the One who is restless (fickle). Salutations to the ever-changing One, and salutations again and again to the graceful One.

Salutations to the mother of Pradyumna; O Mother, salutations to You again and again. Protect me, O Mother, for I have come to You for refuge.

O Kamala (Lotus-dweller), residing in the lotus, I have taken refuge in You, who are the ultimate shelter. O Mahalakshmi, who is ever intent on protecting those who surrender, protect me, please protect me.

O Mahalakshmi, without Your grace, neither scholarship, nor virtues, nor even good character shine forth in a human being.

The beauty, the character, and the virtues of a person shine only as long as You, O Lakshmi, are pleased with them.

O Lakshmi, those humans who are adorned by Your grace are freed from all sins and respected by kings; even those lacking virtues become virtuous, and those of poor character become the best among the righteous.

Lakshmi adorns one's beauty, Lakshmi adorns one's lineage, and Lakshmi adorns one's knowledge; truly, Lakshmi is the supreme ornament of all.

O Lakshmi, even the tongue becomes exhausted in attempting to praise Your virtues, and even Lord Shiva and the other gods, including the Sun and Moon, are unable to fully describe You. How, then, is it possible for me to describe Your form, characteristics, and qualities? O Mother, Mother of the Universe, please protect me by surely fulfilling my desires.

I am terrified by suffering, afflicted by the heat of worldly existence, and devoid of wealth; having come to Your side, O Lakshmi, out of Your infinite compassion, quickly grant me wealth and make me prosperous.

O Mother, beloved of Hari, seeing me poor and having come to Your proximity, please grant me, O Lakshmi, beautiful clothes, gold, and excellent food, and place Your merciful hand upon me immediately.

You alone are my Mother, O Lakshmi, and You alone are my Father. You are my sibling, my friend, my knowledge, and my everything.

Protect me, protect me, O Mahalakshmi; protect me, protect me, O Queen of the Gods; protect me, protect me, O Mother of the Universe; deliver me from poverty with speed.

Salutations to You, O Supporter of the Universe; salutations again and again. Salutations to You, O Foundation of Dharma, and salutations to You, O Bestower of wealth.

I am drowned in the ocean of poverty and submerged in the netherworld. O Rama (Lakshmi), please quickly take me by the hand and lift me out as I am sinking.

O Lakshmi, what is the point of speaking much or repeating myself? O Beloved of Hari, it is the truth, the absolute truth, that I have no other refuge but You.

Hearing these words of Agastya, the Beloved of Hari was pleased and spoke in a sweet voice, "I am always satisfied with you."

Shri Lakshmi said: "Whoever reads or hears this hymn that you have composed, O highly fortunate one, I shall always remain under their control."

"Whoever reads this daily with devotion, their ill-fortune (alakshmi) is destroyed; their severe debts are cleared, and they shall never suffer the pain of separation."

"Whoever rises in the morning and reads this with faith and devotion, I shall dwell in their home forever, along with my Lord."

"That person shall become blessed with happiness and good fortune, shall be wise and intellectual, and will be endowed with virtuous children, high status, and the enjoyment of all worldly pleasures."

"This highly meritorious hymn, composed by Agastya for Lakshmi, generates the grace of Lord Vishnu and grants the fruits of the four goals of human life (Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha)."

"By its power, one attains victory in royal courts and defeat of one's enemies. One shall have no fear from ghosts, spirits, demons, or predatory animals."

No fear arises for him from weapons, fire, or the surging waters. For the wicked and those burdened by sin, this hymn acts as the supreme remover of their many misfortunes.

Whether one is in the stables of horses or elephants, or in the cow pen, one should recite this hymn with focused attention to pacify all defects and destroy even the gravest of sins.

Bestowing all happiness upon mankind, as well as health and longevity, this hymn was spoken by Sage Agastya out of a desire for the welfare of all beings. Thus concludes the Shri Lakshmi Stotram composed by Agastya.