Different Forms (Roop) of Goddess Lakshmi

Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and prosperity, has many appearances. Although as a goddess Lakshmi is one, she exists in various forms. In modern times, the word Lakshmi is used often as a synonym to wealth. Eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi are visualized:

• Dhan-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Wealth) 
• Grih-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Home) 
• Arogya-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Wellness) 
• Yash-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Fame) 
• Sanskar-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Reformation) 
• Gyan-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Knowledge) 
• Adhyatmik Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Spirituality) 
• Moksha-Lakshmi (Lakshmi of Moksha) 

A variety of shlokas (verses) mentioned in our Puranas and books related to Pratima-Lakshan (features of the idols) tell us about the various forms of Lakshmi. These holy scriptures tell us about eight forms of Lakshmi: 

• Dvibhuja     
• Gaj Lakshmi    
• Maha Lakshmi   
• Shree Devi    
• Veer Lakhsmi    
• Dvibhuja Veer Lakshmi    
• Ashtabhuja Veer Lakshmi   
• Prasanna Lakshmi

Among these eight forms, three forms of Lakshmi are more popular; these are:

• Dvibhuja     
• Gaj Lakshmi    
• Maha Lakshmi 

Dvibhuja Lakshmi

As per the Vishnu Dharmottar Purana, Lakshmi is seen with two hands in the Dvibhuja roop, holding a lotus in both hands. When Goddess Lakshmi is visualized with Lord Vishnu, she is always in the Dvibhuja form and should be imagined as being in the left-hand side of Lord Vishnu.

Gaj Lakshmi

This form of Lakshmi is the most popular among all, and is also the most attractive to behold. Goddess Lakshmi is visualized on a lotus that blooms between two elephant in a lake, with both elephants showering water on Goddess Lakshmi from a pitcher. In some scriptures, four elephants instead of two elephants are mentioned. Showering by elephants indicates the power and prosperity that is associated with Lakshmi. The elephant is also regarded as the vahana of Gaj Lakshmi TheSkanda Purana mentions that when Goddess Lakshmi appeared during the churning of the sea, she was mounted on an elephant. According to the Vishnu Purana, Ganga and other holy rivers came to offer a bath to Goddess Lakshmi, and the elephants showered water on her.

Many shlokas are found in different scriptures where Goddess Lakshmi is mentioned as Gaj Lakshmi. 

Maha Lakshmi

 As per the Vishwakarma Shastra, Maha Lakshmi should be visualized as adorned in the finest of garments and bedecked with jewellery, with each of her four hands, carrying a particular meaningful object. The lower right hand carries a pot; the upper right hand carries a Kaumodakee Gada The lower left hand caries a Shree fruit (bilva/bael)  and the upper left hand caries a protective shield.

Shree Devi

The features of Goddess Lakshmi in the form of Shree Devi are mentioned in the book Samranggan Sutradhar: her face should be like the full Moon, her lips should be coloured red, with a smiling, benign expression. She should be dressed in white and adorned with divine jewellery; she should carry lotuses in her hand. This scripture further tells us that we should visualize the Shree Devi form of Goddess Lakshmi in her early young age.  

In the above shloka, Lakshmi is visualized with two hands. But in some other shloks, she is mentioned as having four hands. In the following shlok, she is said to be carrying pash, ankush, akshamala and lotus in four hands while sitting in Padmasana:

Veer Lakshmi

In the shloka of the four-handed Veer Lakshmi, it is mentioned that she exists on the lotus . She carries a lotus in both her upper right and left hands. Both the lower hands are seen in two different types of mudra, namely, abhaya and varad 

The features of the Dvibhuja Veer Lakshmi are the same as Veer Lakshmi. The only difference is that in Dvibhuja Lakshmi, the goddess is always visualized with two hands, while the latter depicts four arms. Actually the word Dvibhuja literally means “having two hands”.

One hand of Dvibhuja Lakshmi is seen in the abhay mudra and the other hand is seen in the varad mudra. 

Ashta Bhuja Veer Lakshmi

Ashta Bhuja Veer Lakshmi is visualized with eight hands. Six hands carry six different types of objects while two hands display two mudras. 

The six objects that she holds are:

• Pash 
• Ankush 
• Aksha-sutra  
• Gada
• Lotus 
• Pot

Prasanna Lakshmi

The shloka of Prasanna Lakshmi details the appearance and features of the goddess. Attired in pure white, she exists in the vaamank (meaning in English?) of Lord Vishnu. She carries beejapur, kanak, (meanings in English?) pitcher and a golden lotus in her four hands. 

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