130 The Sri-suktdt or Litany to Fortune. [No. 2. 



Translation. 



First varga. 



1. Do tliou, Jatavedas,* on my behalf invoke Lakshmi : radiant 

 as gold, and as fulvous ; necklaced with gold and silver flowers ; a 

 moon in glory ; of the nature of gold. 



2. Do thou, Jatavedas, on my behalf invoke that Lakshmi : who 

 passes not away ; who being present, I shall possess gold, milch cat- 

 tle, horses, and human beings. f 



3. I invoke the goddess S'ri ft? draw near: with steeds in her van, 

 and cars in the midst, especially announcing herself in the cry of 

 elephants. J May the divine Sri be propitious to me. 



4. I invoke that S'ri to draw near : transcending expression and 

 conception ;§ gently smiling ; environed with gold ; moist ; effulgent ; 

 satisfied; the satisfier ; sitting on a lotos; lotos-hued. 



5. I betake myself, || for refuge, to that S'ri : as it were, a most 

 brilliant moon ; splendid with celebrity ; honoured, by the gods, in 

 the world above ; bountiful ; a lotos in loveliness. Thee do I solicit, 

 that my evil fortune may be removed. 



Second varga. 



6. .Resplendent as the sun, by reason of thy austerities the cryp- 

 togamous bilwa 9 ^ tree was generated. Through thy favour may 

 its fruit henceforth preclude, for me, misfortunes within and with- 

 out. 



* He is identified with Agni, or Fire. Etymologically, the word is variously 

 acQounted for. Even our scholiast gives three explanations of it. 



t Namely, children, grandchildren, friends, and thralls, says the commentator. 



$ In this stanza, Lakshmi is regarded as an army moving to victory. Fur- 

 ther; as elephants are found only with the wealthy, their presence betokens 

 her. ^ 



The scholiast notes the lection ^^^t, c profuse of horses,' for ^^^T^ I 



Many manuscripts of the pure text have, in place of SRlflifeff , STittfe/ff , ' glad- 

 dened.' 



§ This epithet, it is asserted, is denoted by the pregnant monosyllable ^T [• Just 

 below, S'ri is styled moist, as having been churned from the milky ocean. Hence 

 one of her titles is ^ff^R^t ' daughter of the sea.' 



|| Several of my copies of the mere text interpose ^k after ^T 1 ^ an addition 

 which the commentator censures. 



■([ The aegle marmelos. According to the T'dmana purdna, Lakshmi bore it in 

 her hand. 



