Shriyam devimupahvaye shrirma devi jushatam.'

That is, let me be possessed of Lakshmi who equals an army well accomplished with horses, chariots, elephants etc. and let my home be her perpetual abode.

Strangely this Madhubani form of Lakshmi with eighteen arms carrying in them weapons, usually associated with Devi, Durga or Kali, is so much in consonance with the above Rigvedic Shrisukta. The common man's image of Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi is that of a divine damsel endowed with great aesthetic charm and oceans of wealth and of the most devoted coy consort of Mahavishnu perpetually engaged in massaging his feet. Hence, a form of Mahalakshmi, as this one, carrying in her various hands weapons of war, blood-shed and destruction little collates with common man's image of the goddess. This impulsive Madhubani folk realisation of the Goddess is thus more akin to the real and archaic cult of Lakshmi who, besides being endowed with gold, riches, cows, horses, servants etc.('Yasyam hiranyam vindeyam gamashchvam purushanam'), also commanded armies and was also the presiding deity of arms.

Usually as Vishnu and Mahavishnu are considered one and the same so are considered Lakshmi and Mahalakshmi, but such view is erroneous. Lakshmi is only the manifestation of primordial female energy while Mahalakshmi is the primordial female energy in her own form. Brahma Vaivarta Purana comes out with ten forms of Lakshmi of which Mahalakshmi, who resides in Baikuntha in the bosom of Mahavishnu, is her prime form. As the textual tradition has it, Mahalakshmi preceded Vishnu and pervaded not only the cosmos but also Vishnu himself. She is Vishnu's operative energy. It is said that Mahavishnu, when after the great deluge he was resting as a child on a fig leaf and was haunted by questions as to who he was, or whatfor he was there, heard a voice that announced 'All that is, it is me. There is nothing lasting but me' ('Sarvam khalvidevaham nanyadastya sanatanam'). When yet in trance, Vishnu saw a female form, attended by various powers, appear before him. It was when this female form united with him that he was able to proceed to create. Gods had lost all to demons. For its restoration they along Brahma went to Lord Vishnu and prayed him to restore their lost pride and status. Lord Vishnu told them to churn ocean and prayed Mahalakshmi to incarnate as Shri when the ocean was churned. Thus, Lakshmi as Shri was Mahalakshmi's subsequent manifestation.

This Madhubani realisation of the goddess is rightly her Mahalakshmi manifestation and a rarer one in art and mythological conceptualisation. The artist Vidyadevi has synthesised in her visualisation of Mahalakshmi her other forms too. With two elephant forms making offerings from above symbolises the blend of Gaja-Lakshmi in her form. Lotuses all around, in four of her hands and a wide spread under her feet represent her Lakshmi or Padmavati aspect. Lavishly bejeweled and costumed and with Shri as inscribed on door-jam above and under her figure is suggestive of her manifestation as Shri. With the figures of Lord Ganesha flanking on both her sides the artist has conceived Mahalakshmi in her prime role of Creation. This is also her prevalent votive form worshipped on festivals like Deepavali.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Of Related Interest:

Mahalakshmi (Miniature Painting On Paper)

Shri Mahalakshmaya Namah (Glory to The Great Goddess Lakshmi) (Prayer Shawl)

Mahakali (Miniature Painting On Paper)

Five Headed Mahadevi, the All-Pervading Primeval Energy (Tantra Painting)

Ten Headed Mahakali (Madhubani Painting on Hand Made Paper Treated with Cow Dung)