Sri Suktam Explained - Part 1

Sri Suktam Explained - Part 1

Sri Hari and Lakshmi Devi, this divine couple itself is called Parabrahma. Apparently, they look like two different personas. But their likes are identical, their dislikes are identical, and their thoughts are identical.

Just like both father and mother have the same concern about their child’s welfare, they both are equally concerned about the ultimate welfare of their children—their devotees.

Primarily, Sri Hari manifests as all the manly qualities, and Mata manifests as all the womanly qualities. In essence, they both are the same. Like the father, Sri Hari is a bit stricter, and the mother is soft, gentle, and the mediator between her children and the father. She is the queen, and he is her lord. There is a mutual surrender between the two, but it is not mandatory; it is voluntary.

To understand Goddess Lakshmi better, we will look into the meaning of the famous Sri Suktam. Someone asked me, 'Why so much about Lakshmi? It is a discourse on Vishnu Sahasranama.' You cannot understand Sri Hari if you don’t understand Lakshmi Devi. They complement each other. They are two different aspects of the same truth.

So, if you have not understood Lakshmi, then you have also not understood Sri Hari.
यथा सर्वगतो विष्णुस्तथैवेयं द्विजोत्तम
Just as the entire universe is pervaded by Sri Hari, Mata also pervades the entire universe.

Before getting into Sri Sukta, we should look at a couple of other Suktas from the Veda. The first one is Shraddha Sukta. Here, the Goddess is addressed by the name Shraddha. Shraddha also means Goddess Lakshmi only.
श्रद्धया देवो देवत्वमश्नुते
The Devatva of Deva is attained because of her only.

She is the Shakti of Sri Hari. She is the action in Sri Hari. She is the power in Sri Hari. Sri Hari is the Lord of the universe because of her.
श्रद्धा प्रतिष्ठा लोकस्य देवी
She is the ashraya of the universe; she is the foundation of the universe.

What is this universe? It is not just the material world. The material world is only a small part of the universe. Even what looks like seemingly dead matter has action within it. We have understood this through a different approach now.

What was long ago told in the scriptures, we are reinventing through other methods. Anyway, it does not matter as long as it enhances knowledge.

We know today that even the apparent dead matter comprises only molecules, and molecules comprise atoms. When you go inside an atom, you see the constant movement of electrons around the nucleus. Now they say, even this is not correct; it is only a simplistic visualization. They say the entire atom is only a wave function. It is only constant movement.

This is as science understands it now. I don’t know how correct this is. Anyway, at least action within the apparent dead matter is seen and established. This action is what we call Shakti.

So, even the dead matter, the apparent dead matter, is alive, existent because of her—the Shakti, the action. That is why it is said she is the ashraya of the universe. The universe exists because of her—because of this action, the movement, the constant movement that is all over the universe.

Don’t think Lakshmi is only the giver of wealth. She is the Goddess of wealth. Of course, she is the Goddess of wealth, but primarily, she is the reason why the universe even exists.

Because she is the action that exists everywhere, all throughout the universe, from atom to atom, she pervades the universe just as Sri Hari pervades the universe.

In fact, they don’t even have separate existences. They are so intertwined, so intermingled with each other, we cannot separate one from the other.

The same concept exists in Shiva-Shakti also—Ardhanareeswara.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi