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Upanishads · Saubhāgyalakṣmī 1.5
॥
Devanāgarī
अरुणकमलसंस्था तद्रजःपुञ्जवर्णा करकमलधृतेष्टाऽभीतियुग्माम्बुजा च । मणिकटकविचित्रालङ्कृताकल्पजालैः सकलभुवनमाता सन्ततं श्रीः श्रियै नः
Transliteration (IAST)
aruṇakamalasaṃsthā tadrajaḥpuñjavarṇā karakamaladhṛteṣṭā'bhītiyugmāmbujā ca | maṇikaṭakavicitrālaṅkṛtākalpajālaiḥ sakalabhuvanamātā santataṃ śrīḥ śriyai naḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अरुण-कमल-संस्थाaruṇa-kamala-saṃsthāseated on the red lotus
तत्-रजः-पुञ्ज-वर्णाtat-rajaḥ-puñja-varṇācolored like a heap of its pollen
कर-कमल-धृत-इष्टाkara-kamala-dhṛta-iṣṭāwith lotus hands holding the wish-granting [gesture]
अभीति-युग्म-अम्बुजा चabhīti-yugma-ambujā caand the twin [gesture] of fearlessness, and lotuses
मणि-कटक-विचित्र-अलङ्कृताmaṇi-kaṭaka-vicitra-alaṅkṛtāadorned with varied jeweled bracelets
सकल-भुवन-माताsakala-bhuvana-mātāmother of all worlds
सन्ततं श्रीः श्रियै नःsantataṃ śrīḥ śriyai naḥmay Śrī always be for our good
Translation
"Seated on the red lotus, colored like a heap of its pollen, with lotus hands holding the wish-granting [gesture] and the sign of fearlessness, and with two lotuses; adorned with varied jeweled bracelets and ornaments, mother of all worlds — may Śrī always be for our good."
Version
c9ed0d0893ae · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A meditation is given, and it is worth examining what she holds in her hands. Four arms: two hold lotuses, one is folded in vara-mudrā, "granting," one in abhaya-mudrā, "fearless." The latter deserves special mention, for it is the chief gesture in Indian iconography.
Abhaya means "fearlessness"; and this sign is a raised, open palm. Its meaning is simple and, to my mind, beautiful: an open palm is a hand without a weapon; and so it means "do not fear." Let us add what the Vaiṣṇava side says of it.
This sign is her chief one and repeats in every one of her images; and its verse was cited when reading the Rāma-tāpanī: abhayaṃ sarva-bhūtebhyo dadāmi, "I give fearlessness to all beings" — Rāma's words to every one who takes refuge. It is worth noting that the giving hand and the reassuring hand stand side by side. That is, the goddess of abundance is depicted so that only one of her four hands is occupied with gifts, one reassures, and the other two are occupied with lotuses.
And this order, to my mind, is telling: she gives with one hand out of four; the rest are occupied with beauty and comfort. Let us add the last words of the verse: sakala-bhuvana-mātā, "mother of all worlds." This is her only essential definition in the whole verse, and it is placed not first, but second to last.