Lakshmi

Lakshmi (Sanskrit:लक्ष्मी, lakṣmī, ˈləkʂmiː) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity (both material and spiritual). She is the wife and active energy of Lord Vishnu. Her four hands represent the four goals of human life considered important to the Hindu way of life – dharma, kāma, artha, and moksha. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments. In Buddhist sects of Tibet, Nepal, and southeast Asia, goddess Vasudhara mirrors the characteristics and attributes of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi with minor iconographic differences.

Lakshmi is also called Sri or Thirumagal because she is endowed with six auspicious and divine strength even to Vishnu. When Vishnu descended on the Earth as the avatars Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi descended as his respective consorts: Sita (Rama's wife) and Rukmini (Krishna's wife). In the ancient scriptures of India, all women are declared to be embodiments of Lakshmi. The marriage and relationship between Lakshmi and Vishnu as wife and husband, states Patricia Monaghan, is "the paradigm for rituals and ceremonies for the bride and groom in Hindu weddings."

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) was a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California, in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente, and situated in Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV. The plant is currently in the initial stages of preparation to be decommissioned after being closed in 2013 following the failure of replacement steam generators.

The nuclear facility is owned by Southern California Edison. Edison International, parent of SCE, holds 78.2% ownership in the plant; San Diego Gas & Electric Company, 20%; and the City of Riverside Utilities Department, 1.8%. When fully functional, the plant had employed over 2,200 people. The station, between the ocean and Interstate 5, is a prominent landmark because of its twin spherical containment buildings, designed to contain any unexpected releases of radiation.

The plant's first unit, Unit 1, operated from 1968 to 1992. Unit 2 was started in 1983 and Unit 3 started in 1984. Upgrades designed to last 20 years were made to the reactor units in 2009 and 2010; however, both reactors had to be shut down in January 2012 due to premature wear found on over 3,000 tubes in replacement steam generators that had been installed in 2010 and 2011. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently investigating the events that led to the closure. In May 2013 Senator Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the modifications had proved to be "unsafe and posed a danger to the eight million people living within 50 miles of the plant,” and she called for a criminal investigation.

Devi

Devī is the Sanskrit word for "goddess"; the masculine form is Deva. Devi – the feminine form, and Deva – the masculine form, mean "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence", and are also gender specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.

The concept and reverence for goddesses appears in the Vedas of Hinduism composed in 2nd millennium BCE, however they do not play a central role in that era. Goddesses such as Saraswati and Usha have continued to be revered into the modern era. The medieval era Puranas witnessed a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with Devi, with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power, and she has inspired the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.

The divine feminine, has the strongest presence as Devi in Hinduism, among major world religions, from the ancient times to the present. The goddess is viewed as central in Shakti and Saiva Hindu traditions.

Etymology

Devi and Deva are Sanskrit terms found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE. Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi. Monier Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones". Etymologically, the cognates of Devi are Latin dea and Greek thea. When capitalized, Devi or Mata refers to goddess as divine mother in Hinduism.Deva is also referred to as Devatā, while Devi as Devika.

Goddess

A goddess is a female deity with supernatural powers in polytheistic religions. Goddesses most often have feminine characteristics that are apotheosized in their pure form. However, in some cases goddesses may embody neutral forms personifying both male and female characteristics (like Sophia), or they may even exhibit traits that are traditionally associated with the male gender (such as in the case of Artemis). Goddesses have been especially linked with virtues such as beauty, love, motherhood and fertility (Mother-goddess cult in prehistoric times), but because of their flexibility in gender portrayal, they have also been associated with ideas such as war, creation, and death.

In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism, the worship of the female force that animates the world, is one of the three major sects of Hinduism. In Tibetan Buddhism, the highest advancement any person can achieve is to become like the great female Buddhas (e.g. Arya Tara) who are depicted as supreme protectors, fearless and filled with compassion for all beings.

Devotional Songs

Devotional Songs is a studio album by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party released in 1992.

Track listing

External links

Grooveshark streaming version of "Devotional Songs".