Lakshmi Bestows Wealth, She Is Not Wealth

The distinction the title draws — Lakshmi bestows wealth but is not wealth — is standard in the tradition and worth stating plainly, because it is routinely collapsed. She is the goddess associated with fortune and abundance; the abundance is what she gives, not what she is.

The Mahabharat's own treatment of riches is consistently suspicious. Yudhishthira loses a kingdom at dice and the epic is clear that what he actually staked was his judgement. Wealth arrives and departs throughout; the characters are measured by what they do in either condition.