Overview
This is a short mantra strung together from three bīja (seed) syllables — Shreem, Hreem, Kleem — followed by a direct address to Mahalakshmi, “the great Lakshmi,” and closed with namaḥ. It’s built the same way many Shakta bīja mantras are: one or more seed sounds carrying their own devotional associations, placed before the deity’s name and a closing salutation.
Origin and source
Each of the three bīja syllables carries associations that are widely repeated in devotional and tantric literature, though these are traditional associations rather than settled facts of Sanskrit grammar. Shreem (श्रीं) is commonly linked to Lakshmi herself, and more broadly to śrī — grace, abundance, and auspiciousness. Hreem (ह्रीं) is often described as the māyā-bīja, associated with the Goddess in a general sense across Shakta traditions. Kleem (क्लीं) is generally described as the kāma-bīja, a seed syllable connected with attraction or desire. Stringing multiple bīja syllables together before a deity’s name in the dative, then closing with namaḥ, is a recognizable pattern elsewhere in Shakta and Ganpatya devotional practice — the beeja-plus-name mantra addressed to Ganapati in this rollout (Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Glaum Gam Ganapataye…) follows the same basic template with a different set of seed syllables and a different deity.
This exact combination — Shreem, Hreem, and Kleem together, addressed to Mahalakshmi — is best described as a standard Shakta salutation-mantra formula rather than traced here to one specific canonical source.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see what it means and where it sits in the verse.
Om — the primordial syllable, opening the mantra
| Sanskrit | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ॐ | oṃ | Om — the primordial syllable, opening the mantra |
| श्रीं | śrīṃ | a bīja (seed) syllable commonly associated with Lakshmi, grace, and abundance |
| ह्रीं | hrīṃ | a bīja syllable commonly associated with māyā/the Goddess broadly in tantric usage |
| क्लीं | klīṃ | a bīja syllable commonly associated with attraction (kāma bīja) in tantric usage |
| महालक्ष्म्यै | mahālakṣmyai | to Mahalakshmi, "the great Lakshmi" (dative, direct address) |
| नमः | namaḥ | salutation, homage |
Meaning of the whole
Read as a whole, the mantra opens with Om and three bīja sounds — Shreem, Hreem, Kleem — each carrying its own traditional association, before turning to address Mahalakshmyai namaḥ: “salutation to the great Lakshmi.” In Hindu tradition, Lakshmi is held to be the goddess of wealth, abundance, and prosperity, and Mahalakshmi is her fuller, more exalted form. The mantra itself is simply a salutation — an offering of homage to her — rather than a request phrased in the verse.
How it is recited
This mantra is generally recited on a mala, one repetition per bead, most often in rounds of 108. It’s counted among the mantras associated with Lakshmi worship, alongside verses like Karagre Vasate Lakshmi, recited on waking, and Samudra Vasane Devi, which is addressed to the earth as Vishnu’s consort rather than to Lakshmi directly — different verses, in different registers, that touch on Lakshmi’s place in the wider tradition.
