Yajneswara, "The lord of sacrifice."

LAKSHMI.

Lakshmi, or very commonly Sri, is the wife of Vishnu, and under various names appears in this relation in his various incarnations. "As the lord of the worlds, the god of gods, Janarddana descends amongst mankind in various shapes; so does his coadjutor Sri. Thus, when Hari was born a dwarf, the son of Aditi, Lakshmi

appeared from the lotus as Padma, or Kamala; when he was born as Rama (Parasurama) of the race of Bhrigu, she was Dharani; when he was Raghava (Ramachandra), she was Sita; and when he was Krishna, she was Rukmini. In the other descents of Vishnu she was his associate. If he takes a celestial form, she appears as divine; if a mortal, she becomes a mortal too, transforming her own person agreeably to whatever character it pleases Vishnu to assume." [**]

There are two somewhat contradictory accounts of her origin; the "Vishnu Purana" explains this. [*+] "The divinities Dhata and Vidhata were born to Bhrigu by Khyati, as was a daughter Sri, the wife of Narayana, the god of gods." The question is asked, "It is commonly said that Sri was born from the sea of milk, when it was churned for ambrosia; how then can you say that she was the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati?" In answer to this question, a most elaborate account of her virtues is given: "Sri, the bride of Vishnu, the mother of the world, is eternal, imperishable; as he is all-pervading, so she is omnipresent. Vishnu is meaning, she is speech; Hari is polity, she is prudence; Vishnu is understanding, she is intellect; he is righteousness, she is devotion; Sri is the earth, Hari is its support. In a word, of gods, animals, and men, Hari is all that is called male; Lakshmi is all that is termed female; there is nothing else than they." Later on [*++] we read, "Her first birth was as the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati; it was at a subsequent period that she was produced from the sea, at the churning of the ocean by the demons and the gods."

The account of the churning of the ocean, to which

frequent reference is made in the Hindu scriptures, is found in the Ramayana, and several of the Puranas; though there are some discrepancies, they agree in the main. The reason for this great act is as follows:-- [**] A saint named Durvaras, a portion of Siva, was travelling, when he met a celestial nymph with a sweet-smelling

Click to enlarge
LAKSHMI.

garland, which at his request she gave to him. Excited with the scent, he was dancing, when he met Indra, seated on his elephant. To please the mighty god, the saint presented him with the garland, who placed it upon his elephant's bead. The elephant in his turn