Gajalakshmi |
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Holy Damsel of Prosperity
Lakshmi’s eighth form is Gajalakshmi. She is seated on a lotus
flower as the elephants of eight cardinal directions shower her. Vishnu
Purana says that as she emerged from the ocean, elephants from the eight
quarters came with gold vessels with pure water and bathed her.
Since she was seated in the midst of elephants
showering her, she was called by the eponym Gajalakshmi
(elephant-Lakshmi).
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It is a long tradition to worship her as a Resident-in-Light.
Placing the
Gajalakshmi form in the middle of Pirapai (Ornamental arch and halo) in
the lamp.
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பிரபை¹ Pirapai
(=திருவாசி
=Tiruvaasi), n. < pra-bhā. 1. Light, radiance, brightness,
lustre; 2. Nimbus, halo, aureole over the head of a deity;
.
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Sanka (சங்கம்) treatises have references to Gajalakshmi. Old
coins have engraved images of Gajalakshmi. She appears in North Indian
coin impressions to hold conch, bird…The elephants shower water on the
conch and the bird. In many South Indian Temples, the birds are
portrayed to be sitting on the lotus flowers.
Though Puranas depict eight elephants
shower her; in portrayal, only two elephants shower her. Gajalakshmi
grants grace by holding lotus flowers in the upper hands and
Abhaya-Varada
(No-Fear &
Grant Boon) pose in the lower hands.
See
the Image in the beginnign of the article, of Gajalakshmi's Tanjore
painting on your right. Ref: Sakti Vikatan
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