Vasudhara Goddess: Unveiling The Divine Feminine Energy That Brings Wealth and Abundance

Power of Vasudhara Goddess, Prosperity, Success, and Happiness

Revered for her abundance and prosperity, Vasudhara Goddess who descended from the heavens for the precise task of blessing the earth with wealth and abundance. Even her name, Vasudhara (Sanskrit.), literally translates to “stream of gems” or “earthly wealth” in English. In Buddhist mythology, Vasudhara is the consort of Jambhala (alternative Dzambhala), the god of wealth.

The goddess Vasudhara is known as ‘Norgyunma’ in Tibetan and is a highly venerated bodhisattva in Buddhism that embodies wealth, prosperity, and abundance. She is also referred to as ‘Golden Tara’ or ‘Yellow Tara.’ As a bodhisattva, Vasudhara possesses immense compassion and a deep understanding of the sufferings caused by poverty and lack of resources. Thus, she is revered by many as a divine figure who can help alleviate their financial woes and provide them with the necessary means to lead a fulfilling life.

Despite being primarily associated with wealth and prosperity, Vasudhara is also regarded as a spiritual figure who can help individuals attain spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. In this sense, she embodies the ideal of holistic prosperity, where material wealth and spiritual well-being are intertwined, i.e., she provides both physical and spiritual wealth and abundance.

Origination of Vasudhara Goddess

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Vasudhara is revered as a bodhisattva liberator who bestows pious wealth upon her devotees in many Buddhist communities. Hence, her origin varies depending on the region and tradition. However, her origin can be traced back to India, which subsequently traversed to Tibet. It is believed that Vasudhara originated from the Buddhist text “The Vasudhara Dharani.”

The legend goes that an indigent layman named Sucandra approached Buddha Shakyamuni and sought help to acquire copious amounts of gold, grain, silver, and precious stones to feed his large family and donate the surplus to charitable causes. Upon the request, the Buddha recommended the Vasudhara mantra for this purpose and provided Sucandra with the sacred ritual to invoke the goddess’s blessings. As per the suggestion of performing the ritual and teaching it to others, Sucandra’s fortune began to flourish. Intrigued by his rapid success, the monk Ananda sought Shakyamuni’s counsel on expeditiously amassing wealth. The Buddha advised Ananda to practice the Vasudhara mantra and ritual and to share it with others “for the benefit of many.”

While the Buddha’s suggestion may seem to contradict his teachings of renunciation of material possessions and worldly pleasures, one must understand that the Buddha emphasizes the benefit and happiness of many people over personal material gain, meaning the main purpose is to alleviate suffering and poverty.

While Vasudhara is somewhat of a minor figure in the Buddhist pantheon, she has still managed to gain immense popularity in various Buddhist nations and is often depicted in art and literature. Despite being an Indian bodhisattva, her fame has transcended borders and spread to the southern regions of the Buddhist world and is practiced in Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana sect of Buddhism especially revered in the Newar community of Nepal.

Goddess of wealth and abundance in Buddhism and Hinduism

Vasundhara Devi is a significant figure in Buddhism and Hinduism and is revered for her ability to bring about prosperity and abundance in the lives of her devotees. While her origin traces back to Indian Buddhism, her influence and popularity have transcended borders, making her a revered figure in many Buddhist nations. However, her origins and significance differ slightly between the two religions.

Vasudhara is not widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon, and there is not much information available about her in Hindu texts. She is rather likened to the primary Hindu Goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity, Lakshmi, and seen as another of her forms. It is so because the two deities, Lakshmi and Vasudhara, share identical iconography and are frequently depicted with their spouses; Lakshmi with her consort Vishnu and Vasudhara with her consort, Dzambhala.

While in Buddhism, Vasudhara is one of the 21 manifestations of Divine Tara. She is the deity of opulence, affluence, divine affluence, and sagacity and is recognized as “Golden/Yellow Tara.” She is a bodhisattva or one who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the world to help others achieve enlightenment in Buddhism. As a bodhisattva, she embodies compassion and is a deity who helps individuals overcome the obstacles that prevent them from acquiring wealth and abundance. She symbolizes boundless generosity, which constitutes the foremost of the six transcendent perfections that form the bedrock of the Bodhisattva path. Upon reciting Vasudhara’s mantra, one can achieve prosperity, abundance, and good fortune.

In both Buddhism and Hinduism, the concept of wealth and abundance is seen as important for a fulfilling life. However, the emphasis on these concepts differs slightly between the two religions. In Hinduism, wealth is often seen as a means to achieve a fulfilling life, while in Buddhism, it is viewed as a temporary tool for the greater good of all beings. But in both, worshipping Vasudhara is seen as a means to cultivate the qualities necessary for acquiring wealth and living a fulfilling life.

The Iconography Of Wealth Deity Vasudhara Goddess

Vasudhara is depicted in many arts in various forms. Still, the most common representation is that of a beautiful, four-armed goddess sitting on a lotus, Utpala flower base, also known as the moon disc lotus seat. She is often sitting in the royal pose or the lalitasana with one foot tucked in and the other hanging off the flower base with radiant golden-bronze skin color.

Her right hand is shown in the gesture of giving, while the left-hand holds a treasure vase. The other two arms hold a sheaf of grain, symbolizing her ability to provide abundance and nourishment and a bow and arrow. Her number of arms may vary, with two arms being more common in Tibetan and Indian art, while six-armed representations are almost exclusive to Nepalese art. She is often adorned with jewels, wears a crown on her head, and is surrounded by seven elephants, representing the seven treasures of a universal monarch in Buddhism.

In contrast to the traditional depiction, Vasudhara in Tantric depiction has a red complexion with embellishments of bones, holding a stem of grains or precious gems and a skull cup with blood in her right and left hand, respectively. She is often depicted in union with her consort Dzambhala, holding a rice stem and a rosary in her left and right handly.

Vasudhara Mantra Benefits For Spiritual Prosperity

Associated with wealth, prosperity, and abundance, Vasudhara bestows devoutly acquired wealth while ensuring that spiritual wisdom is accompanied by favorable circumstances such as high living standards and longevity, and happiness. She is able to materialize wealth for those who chant her mantra and perform the rituals that invoke her, so devotees offer prayers and perform rituals to seek her blessings for wealth and prosperity.

To practice Vasudhara, one must be committed and disciplined. It is essential to set your intention and write it down before you practice the mantra and dedicate your Vasudhara mantra practice to whatever it is you intend to gain through your honest and genuine heart. The recitation of the Vasudhara mantra is believed to bring abundance and good fortune to the devotee. The mantra is as follows:

"Om Śri Vasudhara Ratna Nidhana Kashetri Soha".

One can start practicing Vasudhara by reciting the mantra 800 times on their first day. Then, for each following day, recite it 300 times altogether or split it into three sets of 100 times, one in the morning, one in the late afternoon/evening, and one before bed. If short on time, recite the mantra “Om Vasudhare Svaha” 7, 21, or 108 times instead. Visualize the goddess as you recite the mantra and feel her blessings coming to you. Always express your gratitude to the goddess before and after practice. It’s recommended to recite the mantra in front of a Vasudhara statuette or Yellow Tara thangka to focus and make it easier to visualize Vasudhara.