Lakshmi, The Goddess Of Abundance And Wealth Worshipped And Revered By Hindus, Buddhists And Jains

Lakshmi, is the Goddess of love, abundance and prosperity for Hindus. And, interesting in India, it’s just not the Hindus who love and adore Goddess Lakshmi – she is revered by Buddhists and Jains.

These religions are monastic. They do not follow Vedic rituals. However, Lakshmi is still a goddess that is worshipped in both the religions.

The goddess of misfortune in Buddhism is Kalakanni. Various incidents mentioned in Buddhist Jatakas have shown followers of Buddhism request goddess Lakshmi to get them freedom from Kalakanni. If you will visit shrines of Buddhists, you will see images of Kuber, the god of wealth, in the shrines. Kuber is worshipped along with Lakshmi by Hindus during Dhanteras.

Items that signify wealth such as the pot, a throne, wish-fulfilling tree, a pile of gems, elephant, horse, yakshas, associated with Lakshmi, are also sacred and considered lucky for Jains and Buddhists. In holy Jain texts, it’s said when a Tirthankara, saviour and supreme spiritual teacher of the dharma is about to take birth, his mother dreams of Goddess Shri which is a reference to Lakshmi.

Not just text, but images of Lakshmi are visible even in architecture.The eight forms depicting the goddess Lakshmi include Gajalakshmi, symbolising ‘Lakshmi adorned with elephants.’ Also referred to as Kamalatmika, this manifestation is depicted across various mediums such as sculptures, paintings, coins, seals, and architectural features like gateways and entrances. These representations, believed to originate around the second and first centuries BCE, and are prominently found on medallions adorning the railings and gateways of stupas in significant Buddhist locations such as Bharhut and Sanchi.