Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita

by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words

This page relates ‘Goddess Lakshmi’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.

12. Goddess Lakṣmī

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As a goddess of wealth and prosperity, though, Lakṣmī enjoys a well-exalted place in Hindu society, but, in the Atharvaveda, Lakṣmī is interpreted as all sorts of wealth.^[1] There, it is stated that Lakṣmī, i.e. all riches belong to the almighty Ucchiṣṭa.^[2]

In another reference, it is said that there are one hundred Lakṣmīs born along with the birth of a man.^[3] They are, again, of two types, pāpiṣṭhā, i.e. sinful and śivā, i.e. propitious.^[4] Agni is lauded to confirm the propitious one for invokers.^[5] On the other hand, the evil one is wanted to be cast to other places.^[6] She is called ajuṣṭā,^[7] i.e. unpleasing and patayālū,^[8] i.e. causing misfortune. She is called as Alakṣmī, i.e. the unfortunate one, who is compared with the herb Vandanā, which parches the tree that she creeps around and is desired to be placed by Savitṛ on some other places.^[9] She is apparently addressed as pāpi, i.e. sinful and is asked to leave for a remote distance.^[10] The invokers have wished to yoke Alakṣmī with their enemies.^[11]

Once, they have prayed for the destruction of Alakṣmī and have exposed their desire to be associated with the Lakṣmīs who are puṇyā, i.e. propitious.^[12]