kāṃ sosmitāṃ hiraṇyaprākārām ārdrāṃ jvalantīṃ tṛptāṃ tarpayantīm | padme sthitāṃ padmavarṇāṃ tām ihopahvaye śriyam ||
“She who is smiling, surrounded by golden ramparts, moist (with compassion), radiant, content and contentment-giving, standing on a lotus, lotus-colored — I invoke that Sri here.”
What This Means:
A beautiful description of Lakshmi: smiling, protected by golden walls, compassionate (ārdrā), glowing, both satisfied and satisfying others. She stands on a lotus and has the pink color of lotus petals. The worshipper invokes her presence here and now.
Going Deeper:
"Tṛptā tarpayantī" (content and contentment-giving) is profound — true prosperity is both having enough and giving enough. The lotus symbolizes purity amid worldly waters. "Ārdrā" (moist/tender) shows the goddess as compassionate, not cold.
How To Apply This:
Cultivate the qualities you seek: be content to attract contentment, be generous to attract generosity. Stand like the lotus — in the world but not stained by it. Smile.
Key Sanskrit Terms: