JR
Hare Krishna
Namaste,
In another thread a member noted that in Vaishnavism, goddess Lakshmi is not honored the same way as Shaivism honors Vaishnavism, by citing that there aren't many temples dedicated to worship of goddess Lakshmi like there are temples for Meenakshi Amman and so forth...
The above concept is not wholly true, for there are schools in Vaishnavism such as the famous 'Pancharatra school' of philosophy which views goddess Lakshmi as the Supreme Brahman. Besides, the 'Shivam paadhi Parvathi paadhi' tattvam of Shaivism seems to have been evolved following Shaktism's principle of worshiping devi as the supreme. This leaving beside, let us see how Pancharatra school and its primary text, namely 'Sri Lakshmi Tantra' views goddess Lakshmi:
"Amongst the vast number of Pancaratra Agamas, 2 the Laksmi Tantra stand out because of its almost exclusive treatment of the Visnuite mother-goddess Laksmi, the Sakti of Visnu-Narayana. The text not only glorifies Laksmi, but also women in general as beings created in the cherished form of Laksmi, and it advocates their worship. Moreover it alludes to the particular sadhana of the left-handed Tantras that requires a female partner 1. Our text is somewhat reticent about the details of that practice, perhaps because it was apprehensive about how the majority of Pancaratra followers would react. It even launches into a lengthy discourse upon its ethics and the cautionary measures to be taken. Nevertheless at the end of this discussion it asserts that, though not free from the moral danger involved in disregarding strict convention, the practice is not sinful since the participants are lifted to a supra-mundane level 2. Undoubtedly this reveals the text's sympathy with left-handed Tantric practices, which is not at all surprising considering how prevalent the worship of Sakti was in India. Later scholars of Saktism, such as Bhaskararaya, the commentator of the Lalitasahasranamam, Nagesa Bhatta, the commentator of the Durgasaptasati and Appaya Diksita, the commentator of the Candrakalastuti, not only mention the Laksmi Tantra but cite it 3. Obviously by that time, i.e. the sixteenth century, the text had gained firm recognition as a standard Sakta Agama. Inspite of its predominantly Pancaratra Character, its undivided concentration on the worship of Sakti and its assertion that Durga, Bhadrakali and Yogamaya are merely other names for Mahalaksmi, who is Visnu's dynamic power, 4 enabled out text to overcome sectarian boundaries."
"The first author to quote the Laksmi Tantra was Vedanta Desika. This celebrated Sri-vaisnava preceptor lived in the latter half of the thirteenth century 4. It seems that although he attributed some importance to our text, in his view it had not yet attained the status of a fully recognized Agama. However, by the time of Bhaskararaya and other commentators previously mentioned it had acquired that status, and we find it mentioned alongside the Markandeya Purana1. Hence, at latest it probably dates from the twelfth century. Since it is impossible to fix more than an approximate date for texts of this nature, we may assume that the Laksmi Tantra was compiled at some time between the ninth and twelfth centuries."
The above quoted text and much more can be found at: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/laksmi-lakshmi-tantra-pancaratra-text-IDD592/
Also, internet browse on the Lakshmi Tantra will emphasize the importance assigned within this school of thought to goddess Sri Mahalakshmi.
Some other Vaishnava texts that deal with the supremacy of the mother goddess are as follows:
1. Swamy ALavandhAr (ChathusslOki)
2. KurEsar (Sri Sthavam)
3. Sri Sooktam (khila Rk from Vedam)
4. Sri Sthuthi (VishNu PurANam)
5. SaraNAgathi Gadhyam passages of EmperumAnAr
6. Sri LakshmI ashtotthara sthOthram
7. Sri Lakshmi Sahasra NaamaSthOthram
8. Sri Sthuthi of Swamy Desikan
9. Sri DevanAr ViLAgam PadmanAbhAcchArSwamy's monograph (Ph.D Thesis) on ParAsara Bhattar,
10. AzhwAr's aruLiccheyalkaLs
11. Lakshmi Tanthram
12. Srimath Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar's KaalakshEpams on our ThAyAr's unique glories.
In another thread a member noted that in Vaishnavism, goddess Lakshmi is not honored the same way as Shaivism honors Vaishnavism, by citing that there aren't many temples dedicated to worship of goddess Lakshmi like there are temples for Meenakshi Amman and so forth...
The above concept is not wholly true, for there are schools in Vaishnavism such as the famous 'Pancharatra school' of philosophy which views goddess Lakshmi as the Supreme Brahman. Besides, the 'Shivam paadhi Parvathi paadhi' tattvam of Shaivism seems to have been evolved following Shaktism's principle of worshiping devi as the supreme. This leaving beside, let us see how Pancharatra school and its primary text, namely 'Sri Lakshmi Tantra' views goddess Lakshmi:
"Amongst the vast number of Pancaratra Agamas, 2 the Laksmi Tantra stand out because of its almost exclusive treatment of the Visnuite mother-goddess Laksmi, the Sakti of Visnu-Narayana. The text not only glorifies Laksmi, but also women in general as beings created in the cherished form of Laksmi, and it advocates their worship. Moreover it alludes to the particular sadhana of the left-handed Tantras that requires a female partner 1. Our text is somewhat reticent about the details of that practice, perhaps because it was apprehensive about how the majority of Pancaratra followers would react. It even launches into a lengthy discourse upon its ethics and the cautionary measures to be taken. Nevertheless at the end of this discussion it asserts that, though not free from the moral danger involved in disregarding strict convention, the practice is not sinful since the participants are lifted to a supra-mundane level 2. Undoubtedly this reveals the text's sympathy with left-handed Tantric practices, which is not at all surprising considering how prevalent the worship of Sakti was in India. Later scholars of Saktism, such as Bhaskararaya, the commentator of the Lalitasahasranamam, Nagesa Bhatta, the commentator of the Durgasaptasati and Appaya Diksita, the commentator of the Candrakalastuti, not only mention the Laksmi Tantra but cite it 3. Obviously by that time, i.e. the sixteenth century, the text had gained firm recognition as a standard Sakta Agama. Inspite of its predominantly Pancaratra Character, its undivided concentration on the worship of Sakti and its assertion that Durga, Bhadrakali and Yogamaya are merely other names for Mahalaksmi, who is Visnu's dynamic power, 4 enabled out text to overcome sectarian boundaries."
"The first author to quote the Laksmi Tantra was Vedanta Desika. This celebrated Sri-vaisnava preceptor lived in the latter half of the thirteenth century 4. It seems that although he attributed some importance to our text, in his view it had not yet attained the status of a fully recognized Agama. However, by the time of Bhaskararaya and other commentators previously mentioned it had acquired that status, and we find it mentioned alongside the Markandeya Purana1. Hence, at latest it probably dates from the twelfth century. Since it is impossible to fix more than an approximate date for texts of this nature, we may assume that the Laksmi Tantra was compiled at some time between the ninth and twelfth centuries."
The above quoted text and much more can be found at: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/laksmi-lakshmi-tantra-pancaratra-text-IDD592/
Also, internet browse on the Lakshmi Tantra will emphasize the importance assigned within this school of thought to goddess Sri Mahalakshmi.
Some other Vaishnava texts that deal with the supremacy of the mother goddess are as follows:
1. Swamy ALavandhAr (ChathusslOki)
2. KurEsar (Sri Sthavam)
3. Sri Sooktam (khila Rk from Vedam)
4. Sri Sthuthi (VishNu PurANam)
5. SaraNAgathi Gadhyam passages of EmperumAnAr
6. Sri LakshmI ashtotthara sthOthram
7. Sri Lakshmi Sahasra NaamaSthOthram
8. Sri Sthuthi of Swamy Desikan
9. Sri DevanAr ViLAgam PadmanAbhAcchArSwamy's monograph (Ph.D Thesis) on ParAsara Bhattar,
10. AzhwAr's aruLiccheyalkaLs
11. Lakshmi Tanthram
12. Srimath Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar's KaalakshEpams on our ThAyAr's unique glories.
