Lakshmi (Lakṣmī), also known as Śrī, is the Hindu goddess of prosperity, beauty, abundance, good fortune, fertility, and auspiciousness. She is Vishnu’s eternal consort and holds a central place in Vaiṣṇava theology as the compassionate divine feminine who accompanies the Lord in his various manifestations.
One of her most famous appearances occurs during the churning of the Ocean of Milk, when Lakṣmī emerges from the cosmic waters and chooses Viṣṇu as her husband. She is commonly depicted seated or standing upon a lotus, surrounded by signs of fertility and abundance.
Yet Lakṣmī represents more than financial wealth. Traditional ideas of śrī include beauty, dignity, excellence, harmony, sovereignty, generosity, and flourishing. Prosperity is auspicious when connected with virtue and proper order. Lakṣmī therefore embodies the principle that life can blossom—materially, socially, aesthetically, and spiritually—when abundance exists in harmony with dharma.
