Sri Suktam

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Sri Suktam

The Sri Suktam — the ancient Vedic hymn invoking Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi for wealth, abundance and auspiciousness.

ॐ॥ अथ श्रीसूक्तम् ॥

हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम्।
चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह॥१॥

तां म आवह जातवेदो लक्ष्मीमनपगामिनीम्।
यस्यां हिरण्यं विन्देयं गामश्वं पुरुषानहम्॥२॥

अश्वपूर्वां रथमध्यां हस्तिनादप्रबोधिनीम्।
श्रियं देवीमुपह्वये श्रीर्मा देवी जुषताम्॥३॥

कांसोऽस्मितां हिरण्यप्राकारामार्द्रां ज्वलन्तीं तृप्तां तर्पयन्तीम्।
पद्मे स्थितां पद्मवर्णां तामिहोपह्वये श्रियम्॥४॥

चन्द्रां प्रभासां यशसा ज्वलन्तीं श्रियं लोके देवजुष्टामुदाराम्।
तां पद्मिनीमीं शरणमहं प्रपद्येऽलक्ष्मीर्मे नश्यतां त्वां वृणे॥५॥

आदित्यवर्णे तपसोऽधिजातो वनस्पतिस्तव वृक्षोऽथ बिल्वः।
तस्य फलानि तपसा नुदन्तु मायान्तरायाश्च बाह्या अलक्ष्मीः॥६॥

उपैतु मां देवसखः कीर्तिश्च मणिना सह।
प्रादुर्भूतोऽस्मि राष्ट्रेऽस्मिन् कीर्तिमृद्धिं ददातु मे॥७॥

क्षुत्पिपासामलां ज्येष्ठामलक्ष्मीं नाशयाम्यहम्।
अभूतिमसमृद्धिं च सर्वान्निर्णुद मे गृहात्॥८॥

गन्धद्वारां दुराधर्षां नित्यपुष्टां करीषिणीम्।
ईश्वरीं सर्वभूतानां तामिहोपह्वये श्रियम्॥९॥

मनसः काममाकूतिं वाचः सत्यमशीमहि।
पशूनां रूपमन्नस्य मयि श्रीः श्रयतां यशः॥१०॥

कर्दमेन प्रजा भूता मयि सम्भव कर्दम।
श्रियं वासय मे कुले मातरं पद्ममालिनीम्॥११॥

आपः सृजन्तु स्निग्धानि चिक्लीत वस मे गृहे।
नि च देवीं मातरं श्रियं वासय मे कुले॥१२॥

आर्द्रां पुष्करिणीं पुष्टिं पिङ्गलां पद्ममालिनीम्।
चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह॥१३॥

आर्द्रां यः करिणीं यष्टिं सुवर्णां हेममालिनीम्।
सूर्यां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह॥१४॥

तां म आवह जातवेदो लक्ष्मीमनपगामिनीम्।
यस्यां हिरण्यं प्रभूतं गावो दास्योऽश्वान् विन्देयं पुरुषानहम्॥१५॥

यः शुचिः प्रयतो भूत्वा जुहुयादाज्यमन्वहम्।
सूक्तं पञ्चदशर्चं च श्रीकामः सततं जपेत्॥१६॥

पद्मानने पद्मऊरु पद्माक्षि पद्मसम्भवे।
त्वं मां भजस्व पद्माक्षि येन सौख्यं लभाम्यहम्॥१७॥

अश्वदायि गोदायि धनदायि महाधने।
धनं मे जुषतां देवि सर्वकामांश्च देहि मे॥१८॥

पुत्रपौत्रं धनं धान्यं हस्त्यश्वादिगवे रथम्।
प्रजानां भवसि माता आयुष्मन्तं करोतु माम्॥१९॥

धनमग्निर्धनं वायुर्धनं सूर्यो धनं वसुः।
धनमिन्द्रो बृहस्पतिर्वरुणं धनमश्नुते॥२०॥

वैनतेय सोमं पिब सोमं पिबतु वृत्रहा।
सोमं धनस्य सोमिनो मह्यं ददातु सोमिनः॥२१॥

न क्रोधो न च मात्सर्यं न लोभो नाशुभा मतिः।
भवन्ति कृतपुण्यानां भक्तानां श्रीसूक्तं जपेत्सदा॥२२॥

om॥ atha shrisuktam ॥

hiranyavarnam harinim suvarnarajatasrajam।
chandram hiranmayim lakshmim jatavedo ma avaha॥1॥

tam ma avaha jatavedo lakshmimanapagaminim।
yasyam hiranyam vindeyam gamashvam purushanaham॥2॥

ashvapurvam rathamadhyam hastinadaprabodhinim।
shriyam devimupahvaye shrirma devi jushatam॥3॥

kamso'smitam hiranyaprakaramardram jvalantim triptam tarpayantim।
padme sthitam padmavarnam tamihopahvaye shriyam॥4॥

chandram prabhasam yashasa jvalantim shriyam loke devajushtamudaram।
tam padminimim sharanamaham prapadye'lakshmirme nashyatam tvam vrine॥5॥

adityavarne tapaso'dhijato vanaspatistava vriksho'tha bilvah।
tasya phalani tapasa nudantu mayantarayashcha bahya alakshmih॥6॥

upaitu mam devasakhah kirtishcha manina saha।
pradurbhuto'smi rashtre'smin kirtimriddhim dadatu me॥7॥

kshutpipasamalam jyeshthamalakshmim nashayamyaham।
abhutimasamriddhim cha sarvannirnuda me grihat॥8॥

gandhadvaram duradharsham nityapushtam karishinim।
ishvarim sarvabhutanam tamihopahvaye shriyam॥9॥

manasah kamamakutim vachah satyamashimahi।
pashunam rupamannasya mayi shrih shrayatam yashah॥10॥

kardamena praja bhuta mayi sambhava kardama।
shriyam vasaya me kule mataram padmamalinim॥11॥

apah srijantu snigdhani chiklita vasa me grihe।
ni cha devim mataram shriyam vasaya me kule॥12॥

ardram pushkarinim pushtim pingalam padmamalinim।
chandram hiranmayim lakshmim jatavedo ma avaha॥13॥

ardram yah karinim yashtim suvarnam hemamalinim।
suryam hiranmayim lakshmim jatavedo ma avaha॥14॥

tam ma avaha jatavedo lakshmimanapagaminim।
yasyam hiranyam prabhutam gavo dasyo'shvan vindeyam purushanaham॥15॥

yah shuchih prayato bhutva juhuyadajyamanvaham।
suktam panchadasharcham cha shrikamah satatam japet॥16॥

padmanane padmauru padmakshi padmasambhave।
tvam mam bhajasva padmakshi yena saukhyam labhamyaham॥17॥

ashvadayi godayi dhanadayi mahadhane।
dhanam me jushatam devi sarvakamamshcha dehi me॥18॥

putrapautram dhanam dhanyam hastyashvadigave ratham।
prajanam bhavasi mata ayushmantam karotu mam॥19॥

dhanamagnirdhanam vayurdhanam suryo dhanam vasuh।
dhanamindro brihaspatirvarunam dhanamashnute॥20॥

vainateya somam piba somam pibatu vritraha।
somam dhanasya somino mahyam dadatu sominah॥21॥

na krodho na cha matsaryam na lobho nashubha matih।
bhavanti kritapunyanam bhaktanam shrisuktam japetsada॥22॥

About the Sri Suktam

The Sri Suktam — the ancient Vedic hymn invoking Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi for wealth, abundance and auspiciousness.

Meaning

A Vedic hymn invoking the golden-hued Goddess Lakshmi, requesting her presence with gold, cattle, grain and prosperity, and the removal of poverty (Alakshmi).

Benefits

Chanted for wealth, abundance, fertility and auspiciousness; one of the most powerful Vedic prayers for prosperity and Lakshmi's lasting grace.

What the Hymn Says

The Sri Suktam is a Vedic hymn of some fifteen riks (verses) with a traditional phala-shruti appended. It calls upon Agni to invite the Goddess — "the golden-hued (hiranyavarnam), doe-like, adorned in gold and silver" — and describes her seated on a lotus, radiant like the moon, flanked by elephants pouring water over her: the image later beloved as Gaja-Lakshmi. Verse by verse the hymn asks for her steady presence — gold, cattle, horses, grain, fame and abundance — and, just as importantly, for the departure of Alakshmi, her opposite: poverty, hunger and misfortune in every form.

How to Chant

Fridays are the day of Lakshmi, and the Sri Suktam is chanted with special devotion on Purnima (full moon) nights, during Diwali and Lakshmi Puja, at Varalakshmi Vratam, and on Fridays in the month of Shravan. Chant it before a ghee lamp in the evening or after the morning bath, ideally facing an image of the Goddess with a few fresh flowers — lotus above all. In homa, the sixteen riks are offered one by one with ghee and bilva; at home, a simple unhurried recitation carries the tradition equally well. You can find this year's Purnima nights on the Moon Calendar.

Who Chants It, and When

The Sri Suktam is a householder's hymn: it is chanted for the prosperity, harmony and dignity of the whole family, at the opening of new ventures and new homes, and during any Lakshmi worship. Tradition holds that Lakshmi stays where there is cleanliness, honesty and generosity — so the hymn is best accompanied by a clean home and an open hand. Like the other Vedic suktas, its chanted form carries tonal accents; the accent-free text here is meant for devotional reading.

Two details of the hymn are worth knowing as you read. The prayer against Alakshmi — "kshut-pipasa-malam jyeshtham alakshmim nashayamy aham" — names hunger, thirst and squalor as the elder sister who must leave before Lakshmi enters: prosperity, in the Vedic view, begins with the removal of neglect. And the recurring word "anapagamini" — "she who does not depart" — is the hymn's real request: not a windfall, but fortune that stays.

The Sri Suktam above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with — switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.