Alakshmi
Alakshmi embodies misfortune, poverty, and hunger. She is the antithetical counterpart to Lakshmi, and the distinction between Lakshmi and Alakshmi becomes a recurring theme in later texts. Lakshmi is called upon to dispel Alakshmi.
↻ synthesized from 4 sources
When
- First attested
- 1500 BCE
- Attested period
- -1500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Appears in Rigveda c. 1500 BCE.
Relationships
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Importantly, she is also called upon to dispel her antithetical counterpart Alakshmi, who embodies misfortune, poverty, and hunger. The distinction between Lakshmi and Alakshmi becomes a recurring theme in later texts, reinforcing Lakshmi’s association with auspiciousness and plenitude.”
#28871 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Alakshmi (Devanāgari: अलक्ष्मी; from the roots अ (a): "not" and लक्ष्मी (Lakshmi): "goddess of fortune", figurative meaning "goddess of misfortune") meaning "not Lakshmi" or "anti-Lakshmi".”
#29926 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Both Alakshmi, the sister and antithesis of Lakshmi (Shri), the goddess of wealth, luck and beauty, and Dhumavati are described as old, carrying a broom and having a crow banner.”
#30820 · extracted by deepseek/deepseek-chat
“Though Jyestha is almost never depicted astride on a mount, she is described in most texts as riding a donkey like Alakshmi.”
#30894 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5