कां सोस्मितां हिरण्यप्राकारामार्दां ज्वलन्तीं तृप्तां तर्पयन्तीम्।

पद्मेस्थितां पद्मवर्णां तामिहोपह्वये श्रियम्॥ ४

kāṁ sosmitāṁ hiraṇyaprākārāmārdāṁ jvalantīṁ tṛptāṁ tarpayantīm |

padmesthitāṁ padmavarṇāṁ tāmihopahvaye śriyam || 4

Meaning: Grandeur of Lakṣmī is being described for the first time now. “I pray to Lakṣmī to visit my home (or continue to stay at my home, as She has already been invoked through Agni), who is full of smiles, resides in gold fort, always radiant, seated on a lotus and resembling a lotus.”

kāṁ - Praying to Her with great love and devotion. It also means that Lakṣmī is beyond description, the reasons for which are explained in this verse.

so – preposition.

asmitāṁ - the essential ego, by which one is identified. Who is praying to Her? The one with a name and form is praying to Her and here it means the aspirant.

hiraṇya prākārām – gold enclosures (prākāra) within which She is seated. This can be interpreted in two ways. First, She has gold complexion; She is also radiating. Since Her gold complexion is radiating, all the prākāra-s around Her appear like gold. This is like the sun at dawn making the earth deep red. Secondly, She is full of grandeur and entire wealth of the world is managed by Her. Hence, these prākāra-s are made of gold. Whatever it is, this depicts Her grandeur and richness.

ārdrāṁ - soft, tender, full of feeling, warm. This explains the very nature of Lakṣmī, who is soft and tender to the aspirant who properly invites (invokes) Her. She is Divine Mother. She melts on seeing the deep love of the aspirant and She immediately accepts his invitation to enter his home.

jvalantīṁ - She is blazing. It also means that Her eyes are glittering on seeing a true devotee who invites Her to his home. This also confirms Her soft and tender nature. As discussed in the previous verses, She reflects the Light of Viṣṇu and hence, She is always blazing. This blaze resembles like gold, shining with the light of millions of sun.

tṛptāṁ - satisfied. Lakṣmī is satisfied with the aspirant’s love and devotion. Satisfying Her is not a difficult task, as She has the inherent quality of being ārdrāṁ. After all, She is Universal Mother. Being Universal Mother, She is satisfied with pure devotion and love. Satisfied with his devotion and love, She decides to accept his invitation to visit his home.

tarpayantīm – She makes the aspirant satisfied. This means that She has accepted the aspirant’s invitation and also fulfilled his prayers for riches, etc. This also means that She makes the aspirant attain the state of perpetual Bliss, for his ultimate Liberation. She satisfies that aspirant both from material and spiritual angles.

padme sthitāṁ - She is seated on a lotus. When She enters his house, She comes with Her full grandeur..

padma varṇāṁ - She has lotus complexion. She appears in the colour of lotus. Her original complexion is spoken of here. She gives darśan to him in Her original complexion. She is Padmāvatī. Lotus is associated with Her in every way. She is seated on a lotus. She holds lotus in Her hands. She appears like lotus. Her Consort is also known as Padmanābha. When She enters the aspirant’s house, She appears to him in non-grandeur form, as She knows that no aspirant can withstand Her original brilliance. That is why, the aspirant is able to see Her original complexion.

tāmihopahvaye – this is a prayer to Her to remain in this home always, very near to the aspirant. Now the aspirant becomes very comfortable with Her, as She appears in Her normal form and not in Her grandeur form or Divine form. Now the aspirant is able to establish one to one relationship with Her; hence She reveals Her original form.

śriyam – refers to Divine Mother Lakṣmī. Śriyā means prosperity and happiness. She is the Consort of Śrīpatī, known as Nārāyaṇa.

This verse says that Goddess Lakṣmī has responded to the prayers of the aspirant filled with love and devotion. She moves from Her abode that is filled with glittering gold and enters his home in Her original auspicious form. After having taken her seat in his home, She grants all his prayers and fulfils his material and spiritual needs.