Jaganmata

Jaganmata (Sanskrit: जगन्माता, romanized: Jaganmātā, lit. 'the mother of the world'), also rendered as Lokamata, is primarily an epithet of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the supreme goddess of Vaishnavism.^[1][2][3] It is also used in Hindu literature to address other goddesses, such as Parvati and Durga.

Tanjore painting of Lakshmi

Sculpture of Lakshmi

Literature

Atharva Veda

A hymn from the Atharva Veda dedicated to Lakshmi prays for a portion of the Jaganmata to reside upon one's tongue.^[4]

Vishnu Purana

The Vishnu Purana extols Lakshmi as Jaganmata:^[5]

O best of the brāhmaṇas, Śrī Mahā-Lakṣmī is the eternal mother of the universe. She always resides with Viṣṇu and is also all-pervasive like Him.

— Vishnu Purana, Verse 1.8.17

According to this text, since Vishnu is omnipresent, and Lakshmi is regarded to be his divine shakti, she serves him as the mother of the universe that is under his protection.^[6]

Bhagavata Purana

The Bhagavata Purana features a description of Vishnu's form in the form of a prayer, where it describes Lakshmi, the universal mother, tending to the feet of her eternal consort.^[7]

Lakshmi Tantra

In the Lakshmi Tantra, Indra performs a penance for two millennia to meet Lakshmi, and she appears before him upon a lotus, described to be the supreme mother of the universe.^[8]

Mahalakshmi Ashtakam

The Mahalakshmi Ashtakam Stotram, which originates from the Padma Purana and is a composition of Indra, describes Lakshmi with the following praises:

padmāsana sthitē dēvi parabrahma svarūpiṇi ।

paramēśi jaganmātaḥ mahālakṣmi namō'stu tē ॥ 7 ॥^[9]

See also

• Jagdamba
• Padmavathi
• Ishvari
• Bhargavi