Bilva and Mother Lakshmi

Bilva and Mother Lakshmi

आदित्यवर्णे तपसोऽधिजातो वनस्पतिस्तव वृक्षोऽथ बिल्वः।

तस्य फलानि तपसा नुदन्तु माया अन्तरा याश्च बाह्या अलक्ष्मी॥ ६

ऋग्वेदान्तर्गत श्रीसूक्ते॥

ādityavarṇe tapaso'dhijāto vanaspatistava vṛkṣo'tha bilvaḥ|

tasya phalāni tapasā nudantu māyā antarā yāśca bāhyā alakṣmī|| 6

ṛgvedāntargata śrīsūkte||

This is a prayer to Mother Shri Lakshmi.. the Goddess of Wealth and welfare.. it is found as the sixth mantram of Shree Sooktham found in Rigveda Kila..

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Mother Lakshmi, you are of the colour of the Sun Himself.

When you sat is tapas or deep penance, the tree of Bilva (Aegle marmelos, വില്വം), a tree which is a Vanaspati, grew from your palm..

May the fruits of that tree , on account of your immense Grace, remove the ignorance in me and the internal darkness arising in me affecting my intellect, thought, and the mind itself.

May those fruits remove my ignorance and inadequacies arising out of the functioning of my external sense organs like eyes, ears, tongue too.

Thus may all my sins and maladies external and internal, be removed by your Sweet Grace blessing us through the fruits of that great Vanaspati..

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Note..1

Bilva And Lakshmi

Bilva is called a Vanaspati.. because it is a tree which gives forth fruits without having apparent flowers..

Apushpaa phalavanto ye te vanaspatayaH smritaaH ..

अपुष्पा फलवन्तो ये ते वनस्पतयः स्मृताः

In Kalika Puranam, there is mention that Lakshmi did penance in the forest of Bilva .. desiring the welfare of the whole world.

Bilvaaranye tapaschakre lakshmeer lohahitaarthinee).

बिल्वारण्ये तपश्चक्रे लक्ष्मीर् लोकहितार्थिनी

In Bhargava Tanrtram Laksmi is described as the damself with well proportioned torso..sitting under the tree Bilva that grew fromher hand..

Tanumadhyaa Svahastotham bilvadrumamupaashritaa.

तनुमध्या स्वहस्तोत्थं बिल्वद्रुमं उपाश्रिता

In Vamana Purana it is said that bilvo lakshmyaa kare abhavat.. bilva grew in the hands of Lakshmi..

बिल्वो लक्ष्म्या करे अभवत्

It is believed that if we perform oblations to Fire, with the fruits of Bilva tree, and white lotuses too chanting Shree Sooktham, we will be blessed with immense wealth..

Note 2

Bilva leaves are the most pleasing offerings for Lord Shankara, we all know.. But the plant is equally significant for Lakshmi too..

Note 3

In ayurveda, the leaves, the bark, and the fruits of Bilva all have great medicinal value.. Vilvadi Lehyam is known to all.. the most benign and soothing medicinal preparations that would relive problems of the stomach like indigestion, acidity etc so effectively..