AstrologgerLakshmi Mantra
Reviewed by Neha Tripathi, Editor ·
Lakshmi Beej Mantra
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
Om Śrīṁ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ
Jaap count: 108 daily
Lakshmi is the goddess of shri — a word that covers prosperity, but also order, beauty, grace and the wellbeing of a household. She is the consort of Vishnu, pictured seated on a lotus, and in most homes she is worshipped above all on Diwali night. As with the other deity pages here, "Lakshmi mantra" is not one verse but a family: a seed mantra, a longer Mahalakshmi mantra, her Gayatri, and the Vedic hymn that the whole worship grows out of.
The 4 Lakshmi Mantras
"Lakshmi Mantra" is not a single verse. These are the forms in traditional use, each with its own purpose and count.
| Form | Opening | Jaap count |
|---|---|---|
| Lakshmi Beej Mantra | ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः | 108 daily |
| Mahalakshmi Mantra | ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद … | 108 daily |
| Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra | ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे … | 108 |
| Shri Suktam (opening verse) | हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम्। | — |
Lakshmi Beej Mantra
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
Om Śrīṁ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ
"Śrīṁ" is traditionally held to be Lakshmi's own seed syllable, joined to other words to make her mantras. Here it is joined to a plain salutation to Mahalakshmi by name. It is the shortest of the set and the one most often counted on a mala.
Jaap count: 108 daily
Text checked against: shubhpanchang.com (Mahalakshmi Beej Mantra)
Mahalakshmi Mantra
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद। ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः॥
Om Śrīṁ Hrīṁ Śrīṁ Kamale Kamalālaye Prasīda Prasīda, Om Śrīṁ Hrīṁ Śrīṁ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ.
Addressed to her as Kamala, "the lotus one", and Kamalalaya, "she who dwells in the lotus", it asks twice over — prasīda, prasīda — that she be gracious, then closes with a salutation to Mahalakshmi. The request is for her favour, not for a named thing; the seed syllables śrīṁ and hrīṁ frame both lines.
Jaap count: 108 daily
Text checked against: drikpanchang.com (Shri Mahalakshmi Mantra); shubhpanchang.com
Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra
ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे विष्णुपत्न्यै च धीमहि। तन्नो लक्ष्मी प्रचोदयात्॥
Om Śrī Mahālakṣmyai Cha Vidmahe Viṣṇupatnyai Cha Dhīmahi, Tanno Lakṣmī Prachodayāt.
Built on the Gayatri metre. It names her as Mahalakshmi and as the consort of Vishnu, then asks that Lakshmi direct the intellect. The older form in the Mahanarayana Upanishad reads "mahādevyai cha vidmahe viṣṇupatnī cha dhīmahi"; the version above is the one recited in most homes. Some recitations close with a final Om.
Jaap count: 108
Text checked against: drikpanchang.com (Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra); older form: shlokam.org, Various Gayatri Mantras
Shri Suktam (opening verse)
हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम्। चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह॥
Hiraṇyavarṇāṁ Hariṇīṁ Suvarṇarajatasrajām, Chandrāṁ Hiraṇmayīṁ Lakṣmīṁ Jātavedo Ma Āvaha.
The first verse of the Shri Suktam, the hymn to Shri found among the khila (appendix) hymns of the Rig Veda. It is spoken to Agni, called Jatavedas, and asks him to bring Lakshmi: golden in colour, graceful as a deer, wearing garlands of gold and silver, radiant as the moon. A sukta is recited through rather than counted, usually as part of the Diwali puja.
Text checked against: shlokam.org, Sri Suktam verse 1 (Rig Veda khila)
Lakshmi mantras on Dhanteras and Diwali 2026
The year's principal Lakshmi worship is the Lakshmi Puja on Diwali, the evening of Kartik Amavasya — Sunday, 8 November 2026 (DrikPanchang, New Delhi). Dhanteras, two days earlier on Friday, 6 November, opens the five days. The mantras above are the ones usually recited during the puja: the beej or Mahalakshmi mantra on the mala, and the Shri Suktam read through where there is time. The puja window is worked out from the evening Pradosh Kaal and differs by city, so take the time from the panchang rather than from a fixed rule.
When and how to chant
Day: Friday, and Diwali night (Kartik Amavasya) above all
- Friday is the weekday associated with Lakshmi; Diwali night, Kartik Amavasya, is the occasion of the year, with the puja in the evening after sunset.
- Clean the house first. Tradition holds that Lakshmi enters a clean, lit home, which is why the cleaning and the lamps come before the puja.
- Sit facing east or north before an image of Lakshmi, with a ghee lamp. Red or pink flowers, and lotus where available, are the usual offerings.
- A lotus-seed (kamalgatta) or crystal mala is traditional. Count in rounds of 108 and keep the same time each day once begun.
- On Diwali, Ganesh is worshipped before Lakshmi, and Kuber is often worshipped with her.
Benefits, as tradition holds them
Lakshmi is worshipped for shri in its full sense: a household that is provided for, orderly and at peace, and the grace to use what one has well. Tradition pairs her with effort rather than in place of it — she is said to stay where there is cleanliness, honest work and generosity, and to leave where there is neither. These are the reasons tradition gives for keeping her mantras. They are not a promise of money, income or any outcome, and nothing here needs to be bought to practise them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the beej mantra of Lakshmi?
Śrīṁ is traditionally held to be her seed syllable. The beej mantra built on it is Om Śrīṁ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ, the shortest of her mantras and the one most often counted on a mala of 108.
Which Lakshmi mantra is chanted on Diwali?
Most households count the beej mantra or the Mahalakshmi mantra (Om Śrīṁ Hrīṁ Śrīṁ Kamale Kamalālaye Prasīda Prasīda) during the evening Lakshmi Puja, and read the Shri Suktam where there is time. In 2026 the Diwali Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday, 8 November (DrikPanchang, New Delhi).
How many times should a Lakshmi mantra be chanted?
One mala of 108 is the usual count, daily or on Fridays. Tradition weighs keeping the same time each day more heavily than the total. The Shri Suktam is recited through rather than counted.
Is the Shri Suktam the same as the Lakshmi mantra?
No. The Shri Suktam is a Vedic hymn of several verses addressed to Shri, found among the khila hymns of the Rig Veda; its opening verse is given above. The Lakshmi mantras are short formulas for repetition. Both belong to the same worship.