I meditate upon a still pool surrounded by mountains
And in its center is a clear full moon
Shimmering in golden rays outward are her manifestations
Spinning the skies crazily, making the stars dance
To her ancient rhythms
O Lakshmi, mother of divine grace
Source of sacred energy and infinite bliss
I worship you and your sacred spouse
Hari, the essence of sweet nectar
Which is your true nature
I bow down before your bright face
Shining in the light of 10,000 suns
Bountiful, merciful, all-forgiving
Your forms dance in the vast planes of illusion
While you silently applaud
All drama waves before you, all change and the fortunes of men
In cause and effect, in light and in darkness
They call to your throne for your good will.
O Lady of Fortune, smile upon me
That I may continue my present course of action
Or that change may favor me.
I worship your many roles
Dark-robed goddess, blind in one eye,
Holding the measures of gold and jewels.
Women behind the wheel, who spins it and waits
Smiling at the gamblers and watching their bets.
Hag at the mouth of a cave, weaving the yarns of fate.
Wise women waving her hands at the clouds
Which are banished, and the sky is opened
Revealing great beams of light, and the stairway of spinning wheels
Lady of luck, lady of bliss
You are the goddess to whom I offer all
I gamble my heart and soul on the hope
That you will hear me.
Dance around me, beneficent apsaras**
And lower your sword, mother of justice
Sit within your spinning wheel, which each day
Brings forth wonder, and the blessings which I crave.
May I embody your essence as Fortune,
As luck, and engenderer of new beginnings
May I be sure-footed upon the circling wheels of Time
Skipping rocks of joy and sorrow along the waves
May I spin the flaming wheels of change
And never be trapped within them
Still, amidst endless movement.
** Apsaras means heavenly dancer in the court of Indra, king of
the Vedic gods