Varalakshmi Vratam
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Varalakshmi Vratam: Celebrating the Glory of Indian Womanhood Compiled by Tumuluru Prabha Dr. T Gowri © Tumuluru Krishna Murty ‘Anasuya’ C-66 Durgabai Deshmukh Colony Ahobil Mutt Road Hyderabad 500007 Ph: +91 (40) 2742 7083/ 8904 Typeset and formatted by: Desaraju Sri Sai Lakshmi Picture courtesy: Desaraju Sri Sai Lakshmi Table of Contents Varalakshmi Vratam .............................................................................. 9 History .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Story ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Significance .............................................................................................................................. 11 How to perform Varalakshmi Puja................................................................................ 12 Vratas Are Givers of Boons .............................................................................................. 15 Mother’s Love Defies All Description ........................................................... 16 Women Are Endowed With More Powers .................................................... 17 Stories of Nobility and Virtue ............................................................... 19 The Story of Anasuya and Sumati .................................................................................. 19 The Power of Chastity ......................................................................................................... 20 Story of Draupadi .................................................................................................................. 21 Some Noble and Virtuous Mothers ................................................................................ 24 Story of a Noble Son and a Noble Mother .................................................... 26 Great Merit Lies In Fulfilling Your Mother’s Wishes ............................... 27 Sacred Desires Of Swami’s Mother ................................................................ 29 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu And His Noble Mother .......................................... 30 Glory of Womanhood ........................................................................... 33 High status of women in ancient India ........................................................................ 36 Women's role in home and society .................................................................. 37 Women are heirs of our ancient culture ......................................................... 38 God makes no distinctions ................................................................................ 41 Women should be encouraged to play their roles ........................................ 41 Develop Self-Confidence, Maintain Self-Respect ................................... 45 Women Deserve Greater Honour and Better Treatment .................................... 46 Emulate Ideal Parents of Yore ........................................................................................ 48 Fill Your Heart With Love ................................................................................ 50 God Is Present In The Entire Creation ........................................................... 51 Do Not Indulge In Vain Gossip ....................................................................... 52 Destructive Power Of Anger............................................................................. 53 God Always Does Only Good .......................................................................... 53 Some Stotrams for Lakshmi Puja ......................................................... 55 Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamavali .............................................................................. 55 Sri Suktam ................................................................................................................................ 59 Mahalakshmi Ashtakam ..................................................................................................... 63 Ashta Lakshmi Stotram ...................................................................................................... 65 Sri Lakshmi Saharsanama Stothram ............................................................................ 67 Thousand and eight names ................................................................................ 69 Bibliography ......................................................................................... 87 8 Varalakshmi Vratam Varalakshmi Vratam is a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinity. Varalakshmi is one who grants boons (Varam). It is an important puja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon day - Poornima in the month of Shravana, also called Sawan in Hindi, which corresponds to the English months of July–August. Varalakshmi Vratam is performed by married woman for the well-being of all the family members, especially husband, to get progeny etc. It is believed that worshiping Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength. History In the kingdom of Magadha of yore, there lived a Brahmin woman called Charumathi in a town named Kundina. The prosperous town was the home of Charumathi and her husband. Impressed by her devotion to her family, Goddess Mahalakshmi 9 Varalakshmi Vratam: Celebrating the Glory of Indian Womanhood appeared in her dream and asked her to worship Varalakshmi (Vara = boon, Lakshmi = goddess of wealth) and seek to fulfil her wishes. Varalakshmi is yet another form of Lord Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The prayer/worship was prescribed to be offered on the Friday of Shravana month proceeding the night of full moon. When Charumathi explained her dream to her family, she found them encouraging her to perform the puja. Many other women of the village joined her in performing the puja in a traditional way and offered many sweet dishes to the Goddess Varalakshmi. They prayed with deep devotion: "Padmaasane Padmakare sarva lokaika poojithe Narayana priyadevi supreethaa bhava sarvada" On this occasion women worship Goddess Lakshmi with utmost devotion offering sweets and flowers, usually a kalash (representing the deity) will be decorated with a saree, flowers and gold jewellery with offerings placed in front. Story On one occasion, Parvathi and Parameshwara were engaged in a game of chess. Parvathi was winning game after game, but Parameshwara is said to have claimed the victory at each games, wantonly, to her intense chagrin. So Parvathi wanted to have an umpire and one Chitranemi, a creation of Parameshwara, was chosen. As an underling of Parameshwara, he sided with him most unjustly. This provoked Parvathi's anger 10 Varalakshmi Vratam and she cursed Chitranemi that he should become a leper for discharging his duty in most unfair manner. When Chitranemi begged Parvathi's forgiveness and Parameshwara added his entreaties to it, she is said to have relented and modified the curse by adding that he would be cured of his leprosy by observing the Varalakshmi Vrata. By doing this Chitranemi was, it is said, rid of the loathsome disease. The history of the origin Of the Varalakshmi Vrata is rather interesting. Lakshmi is said to have visited a pious woman by name Sarmadi, living in the city of Kuntinapura in Magadha (Bihar), in one of her dreams and expressed her satisfaction at her devotion to her children. When she woke up from her sleep, she took a bath and worshiped Lakshmi to ensure her blessings. When the other ladies heard of her dream and her worship of Lakshmi, they too began to worship her, and the custom is then said to have spread everywhere throughout the land in course of time. Significance Eight forces or energies are recognised and they are known as Sri (Wealth), Bhu (Earth), Sarasvati (learning), Priti (love), Kirti (Fame), Santi (Peace), Tushti(Pleasure) and Pushti(Strength). Each one of these forces is called a Lakshmi and all the eight forces are called the Ashtalaksmi or the eight Lakshmis of the Hindus. Vishnu is also called Ashtalaksmi Padhi which is equivalent to saying that he is the asylum for the eight Lakshmis or forces. In fact, Vishnu representing the preservative aspect of 11 Varalakshmi Vratam: Celebrating the Glory of Indian Womanhood the universe, radiates these forces from him. These forces are personified and worshiped as Lakshmis, since abstract force is beyond the comprehension of the ordinary people. As health, wealth and prosperity depend upon the rhythmic play of these forces, the worship of Lakshmi is said to be to obtain these three. Only a woman can sympathies with women. Lakshmi is a woman. So she will more readily sympathies with women. Hence this festival is observed largely by women, invoking the blessings of Lakshmi on them, their husbands and their children. - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia How to perform Varalakshmi Puja Varalakshmi Puja or Varalakshmi Vratam is an important ritual observed by married women in South India and Maharashtra for the prosperity and welfare of their families. Varalakshmi Puja falls on a Friday in the month of August