As all of us know and are aware of – there are three gunas – Sattva (purity and goodness), Rajas (Passion and activity) and Tamas (ignorance and inactivity). Creation is effected with rajoguna, maintenance with sattva guna and dissolution with tamoguna. Lord Vishnu is the ultimate protector. Every person must worship Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi for happiness, health, well-being and prosperity. Goddess Lakshmi gives us physical strength as well as mental strength.

If meanings of mantras are clearly understood and also remembered at the time of recitation then they become more effective. Sri Sukta is a hymn of exquisite beauty and grace.

1.   Welcome Goddess Lakshmi into the house.
2.   Request her never to desert you.
3.   Goddess Lakshmi shines with her inherent light and also gives light to sun, moon, stars and fire.
4.   Lakshmi’s heart is tender and overflows with compassion for her devotees.
5.   Lakshmi is delightful like the moon and effulgent. She is served by Indra, Kubera and Varuna.
6.   I seek refuge in lotus shaped Sri Devi so that my material and mental poverty can be eliminated.
7.   Goddess Mahalakshmi resides in the bilva tree.
8.   Qualities like self-conceit, excessive pride, arrogance, anger, greed and jealousy are caused by ignorance and therefore bring misfortunes. Goddess Mahalakshmi is being addressed through Sri Skutam to remove both the physical and mental defects.
9.   Bilva fruit (when it is ripe) is used for medicinal purposes. Its leaves are employed in the ceremonial worship of Lord Shiva.
10.                Once Lord Vishnu was worshipping Shiva and he fell short of bilva leaves. Goddess Lakshmi immediately came to his rescue and created bilva leaves. Shiva was so pleased that he announced that Vishnu would be the supreme head of all the devas.
11.                Bilva leaves keep the water pure for a long time.
12.                If judiciously used, juice of bilva leaves and/or fruit makes a man healthy and energetic by removing all his mental and physical disabilities or diseases. Mantra siddhi is also obtained in a short time if Japa is done under the shade of a bilva tree.
13.                If a devotee calls mother Lakshmi, she finds it difficult to resist him. Like a mother who rushes to attend to a weeping child, Goddess Mahalakshmi also rushes to the aid of her devotees who pray to her sincerely.

Prayer to Sri Lakshmi

O, mother, may my mind’s desires be fulfilled. May the ideas formed in my heart and the resolutions made by me materialize and reach their culmination.
Kardama Muni was the son of Mahalakshmi. So devotees can request him to come and stay in their house and also request his mother to accompany him.   

Reference ; B B Konnur