Constantina Rhodes teaches in the Program in Religion at the City University of New York's Hunter College. Her books include Shaiva Devotional Songs of Kashmir: A Translation and Study of Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali and Meditations on Shiva: The Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva, both also published by SUNY Press.

"Rhodes is a skilled scholar of ancient texts … She is also a fine writer and a person who has a very deep appreciation of Hindu spirituality herself. In this highly readable book on the goddess Lakshmi, Rhodes analyzes and integrates material from a wide range of traditional sources … Highly recommended." — CHOICE

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Goddess Arrives in DelhiWhat Does It Mean to Invoke a Goddess?On the Format of This BookSources: Sanskrit Texts and Popular Worship ManualsPart One: The Divine Personalities of Laksmī 1. The Awseome Power of Auspiciousness: Laksmī of the Vedic TraditionsThe Primordial Lotus GoddessThe Goddess of Auspiciousness: Śrī's Essence, Laksmī's FormAlaksmī the Inauspicious2. Living the Good Life: Laksmī of the Purānic TraditionsThe Burgeoning World of the PurānasLaksmī and the Lords of the Three Realms: Indra, Visnu, and BaliAll Women are Embodiments of LaksmīLaksmi, Embodiment of the "Four Wealths" (Caturārtha)The Absence of Laksmī: Is Lady Luck a Fickle Goddess?3. Living the Powerful Life: Laksmī of the Tantric TraditionsThe World According to TantraLaksmī as KundalinīLaksmī, Śiva, and the "Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses" (Daśamahāvidyās)The Grace-Bestowing MotherLaksmī as Siddhi: Magical Attainment, Spiritual PowerPart Two: The Power of Poetry to Summon the Goddess 4. The Power of the Vedic Hymns: Generating AuspiciousnessReciting the Hymns (Sūtkas)Ritual Application of the Vedic Hymns5. The Power of Purānic Songs: Drawing Down the GoddessReciting the Songs of Praise (Stotras)The Propitious Glance of the GoddessFruits of the Recitations (Phala)6. The Power of Tantric Songs: Waking Up the GoddessAlchemy of the Goddess: The Magic of TransformationVibratory Essence: Engaging the Sound Forms of LaksmīThe Potency of a Woman's RecitationsLiterary Genres of the Tantric SongsStructure of Tantric SongsPart Three: Ceremony Introduction: Invoking Laksmī In Ceremony: Laksmī PūjāCreating Space to Receive the GoddessThe Ancient Art of HospitalityStructure of the CeremonyLaksmī Pūjā TextPreparation and PurificationHeart of the Ceremony: Receiving the GoddessOutline of the Laksmī PūjāPart Four: Song Vedic Hymns to LaksmīHymn to Śri (Śrī Sūktam)Hymn to Laksmī (Laksmī Sūtkam)Purānic Songs of LaksmīSong for Laksmī, Gracious Bestower of Blessings (Prasannavaradā Śrī Laksmī Stotram)Song for the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Stotram)Lord Indra's Song for Laksmī (Devarāja Indrakrta Laksmī Stotram)The Heavenly Gods' Praise Song for Laksmī (Śrī Daivakrta Laksmī Stotram) Eight Verses Praising Mahālaksmī (Mahālaksmyastakam Stotram)Tantric Songs to LaksmīThe Secret Heart of Laksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Hrdayam)Praise-Song for the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Stotram)Song-Amulet of the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Kavacam)Praise-Song for the Lotus Goddess (Kamalā Stotram)108 Names of the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Astottaraśatanāma Stotram)Song-Amulet of the Lotus Goddess (Kamalātmikā Kavacam)Song for the Laksmī of Spiritual Power (Śrī Siddhalaksmī Stotram)Song for the Glorious "Eyes of Indra" (Śrī Indrāksī Stotram)Song-Formulary of the Glorious Mahālaksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Pañjara Stotram)Secret Laksmī Incantation That Yields Immediate Results (Sadyah Phaladā Laksmīstava Hrdayam)Epilogue: The Goddess Returns HomeTransliterated Sanskrit TextsLaksmī Pūjā TextVerdic TextsPurānic Texts Tantric TextsNotesBibliography Index

Constantina Rhodes teaches in the Program in Religion at the City University of New York's Hunter College. Her books include Shaiva Devotional Songs of Kashmir: A Translation and Study of Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali and Meditations on Shiva: The Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva, both also published by SUNY Press.

"Rhodes is a skilled scholar of ancient texts … She is also a fine writer and a person who has a very deep appreciation of Hindu spirituality herself. In this highly readable book on the goddess Lakshmi, Rhodes analyzes and integrates material from a wide range of traditional sources … Highly recommended." — CHOICE

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Goddess Arrives in DelhiWhat Does It Mean to Invoke a Goddess?On the Format of This BookSources: Sanskrit Texts and Popular Worship ManualsPart One: The Divine Personalities of Laksmī 1. The Awseome Power of Auspiciousness: Laksmī of the Vedic TraditionsThe Primordial Lotus GoddessThe Goddess of Auspiciousness: Śrī's Essence, Laksmī's FormAlaksmī the Inauspicious2. Living the Good Life: Laksmī of the Purānic TraditionsThe Burgeoning World of the PurānasLaksmī and the Lords of the Three Realms: Indra, Visnu, and BaliAll Women are Embodiments of LaksmīLaksmi, Embodiment of the "Four Wealths" (Caturārtha)The Absence of Laksmī: Is Lady Luck a Fickle Goddess?3. Living the Powerful Life: Laksmī of the Tantric TraditionsThe World According to TantraLaksmī as KundalinīLaksmī, Śiva, and the "Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses" (Daśamahāvidyās)The Grace-Bestowing MotherLaksmī as Siddhi: Magical Attainment, Spiritual PowerPart Two: The Power of Poetry to Summon the Goddess 4. The Power of the Vedic Hymns: Generating AuspiciousnessReciting the Hymns (Sūtkas)Ritual Application of the Vedic Hymns5. The Power of Purānic Songs: Drawing Down the GoddessReciting the Songs of Praise (Stotras)The Propitious Glance of the GoddessFruits of the Recitations (Phala)6. The Power of Tantric Songs: Waking Up the GoddessAlchemy of the Goddess: The Magic of TransformationVibratory Essence: Engaging the Sound Forms of LaksmīThe Potency of a Woman's RecitationsLiterary Genres of the Tantric SongsStructure of Tantric SongsPart Three: Ceremony Introduction: Invoking Laksmī In Ceremony: Laksmī PūjāCreating Space to Receive the GoddessThe Ancient Art of HospitalityStructure of the CeremonyLaksmī Pūjā TextPreparation and PurificationHeart of the Ceremony: Receiving the GoddessOutline of the Laksmī PūjāPart Four: Song Vedic Hymns to LaksmīHymn to Śri (Śrī Sūktam)Hymn to Laksmī (Laksmī Sūtkam)Purānic Songs of LaksmīSong for Laksmī, Gracious Bestower of Blessings (Prasannavaradā Śrī Laksmī Stotram)Song for the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Stotram)Lord Indra's Song for Laksmī (Devarāja Indrakrta Laksmī Stotram)The Heavenly Gods' Praise Song for Laksmī (Śrī Daivakrta Laksmī Stotram) Eight Verses Praising Mahālaksmī (Mahālaksmyastakam Stotram)Tantric Songs to LaksmīThe Secret Heart of Laksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Hrdayam)Praise-Song for the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Stotram)Song-Amulet of the Bestower of Wealth (Dhanadā Kavacam)Praise-Song for the Lotus Goddess (Kamalā Stotram)108 Names of the Glorious Lotus Goddess (Śrī Kamalā Astottaraśatanāma Stotram)Song-Amulet of the Lotus Goddess (Kamalātmikā Kavacam)Song for the Laksmī of Spiritual Power (Śrī Siddhalaksmī Stotram)Song for the Glorious "Eyes of Indra" (Śrī Indrāksī Stotram)Song-Formulary of the Glorious Mahālaksmī (Śrī Mahālaksmī Pañjara Stotram)Secret Laksmī Incantation That Yields Immediate Results (Sadyah Phaladā Laksmīstava Hrdayam)Epilogue: The Goddess Returns HomeTransliterated Sanskrit TextsLaksmī Pūjā TextVerdic TextsPurānic Texts Tantric TextsNotesBibliography Index