Indian and Baltic cultures are branches that grow from different roots, one of which, Indo - European, is common to them. The interweaving of roots is diverse and complex. The structure-forming mechanisms of cultures do not follow directly from them, but at different times and among different peoples are constituted in connection with individual experiences and the entire cultural heritage.

The aim of this work is to identify the similarities and differences between functionally similar images of deities and sacred cults in Latvian and Indian cultures. I will turn to two mythological and folklore characters-the goddesses of happiness, luck and well-being, the Latvian Laima and the Indian Lakshmi.

Identification of Indo-Baltic parallels has already become traditional in linguistics and comparative mythology1 . Similar experiments also appear in cultural studies and ethnography2 . They often cause criticism, as comparisons are sometimes strained, and conclusions are sometimes unprovable. Nevertheless, in a number of works there are also rational grains. For cross-cultural research, it is important to develop a methodology for comparing elements of different ethnic cultures, to determine what kind of comparison is being made in them.

What connects the inhabitants of Hindustan and Eastern Europe, including the Baltic States? Partly - the historical past, reconstructed (mainly by linguists) Indo-European unity. Can this unity be extended to the broader sphere of culture-mythology, ritual practices, and socio-cultural institutions? There are different points of view on this issue. According to V. N. Toporov, " Latvian (as well as to some extent Indian. - S. R.) the mythological system is the result of the development of the ancient Indo-European system, from which it has preserved in a distinguishable (although, naturally, transformed) form a number of essential elements and, in particular, mythological names. " 3 However, the forms of Baltic mythologization reveal many elements that are not typical of the Indo-European model. The question of how much the linguistic model determines other cultural spheres of people's life remains open. Natural language is an important facet of culture, but it is not quite equal to other semiotic systems and socio-cultural institutions.

We can say that the Indian and Baltic cultures are "branches" that grow from different historical "roots", one of which, Indo - European, is common to them. For India, these "roots" are also of Dravidian, Austronesian, and possibly other origins; for the Baltic States, they are of Finno - Ugric and possibly Paleoeuropean origin. The interweaving of these roots is diverse and complex. The structure-forming mechanisms of cultures do not follow directly from them, but are constituted at different times.-

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personal times and different peoples in connection with their individual experiences and the entire cultural heritage.

Having presented a typological analysis of cults related to the Latvian Laima and Indian Lakshmi, I will try to determine how much the themes, motives and plots related to the images and spheres of activity of these characters overlap.

LAIMA, LAIME

The existence of Latvian laime (formerly dialect laima, cf. Lithuanian laime, Prussian laeims/laims-rich) is indicative of the Baltic tradition of mythological onomastics .4

Initially, the noun laime had the meaning "given", "endowed", "awarded" - equally both good and not good. It was related to the concepts of "chance" and "fate" 5 . Much later, the image of nelaime ("misfortune", by the way, as ind. Alaksmi - with the same value). "Laime" can also be translated as "share"; "to know someone's Lime" - this is how gossip is often referred to in folk songs: "People know my Lime (happiness): I don't know people" (LD, 9224 6), so the girl sings, condemning the gossip around her.

The fact that laime originally meant a certain quality - a collective concept - is indirectly indicated by written sources of the XVI-XVII centuries. Church Superintendent of the province of Kurzeme (now part of Latvia) Paul Einhorn in 1649 mentions "Mother Laime" as a fertility deity along with the" mothers " of the Forest, Field, Garden, etc. All these" mothers " in Latvian folklore are very poorly anthropomorphized (related images are found in Lithuanian and Estonian folklore) .7

As a personified goddess, Lyme appears steadily only in some folk song cycles and in fairy tales. The plots of most fairy tales are universal. What is specific about Latvians? In Latvian folklore, there are two main forms of the name - Laime and Laima. In folk songs, Laime occurs 269 times, Laima-135, Laiminya-498, Laimite-98, Mother Laime-39 times 8 . It is not always easy to understand which name is used in specific cases - proper or common. The fact that it is recorded with a small or large letter in the record does not always correspond to reality. In the Latvian Encyclopedia of 1939, and later in the "Mythological Encyclopedia", published in Riga in 1994, two Limes are mentioned. "Laime - a personal spirit that brings good luck, in Latvian beliefs is close to Laime-the determinant of fate, and they are often confused" 9 . However, based on folklore and ethnographic texts, this can hardly be proved with certainty.

Latvian folk songs (dainahs) note that "everyone has their own laima-happiness/share". If a person has "bee happiness", then he has bees; if "horse happiness" - horses. There is "home happiness" - then he lives in the house happily. The orphan and farmhand have their own "happiness". These ideas can be compared with the old German lykke - "happiness contained in every thing" 10 . Latvian legends say that if a person does not have happiness, he can "break into a cake", but will not achieve anything 11 .

Laima holds a high position among other sacred characters. In folklore texts, she often appears together with Dievs (God). Rituals are performed for them: "I will light a light on nine twigs; / Greysya, Dievs, greysya Laime, the adjuster of my age" (LD, 18173). The prayer message recorded in the dinahs is directed only to Dievs and Laima, and sometimes they are used interchangeably .12

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What is the scope of Laima's activities? In her book "Latvian Folklore in the Mirror of Myth", J. Kursite paid great attention to the verbs used to denote the actions of this deity .13

One of the main activities of Laima is the establishment, predestination of a person's fate. A person's appearance, character, abilities, and activities depend on the lime, whether they will be a spouse or a spouse, how many children they will have, and what kind of death awaits them. "I say thank you to Limushka for letting me have fun" (LD, 5288); "What Limushka let go, such a mother grew up" (LD, 8746); "Equalized Lime, equated [me, i.e., "transformed". - S. R. ] to old women " (LD, 8746).

One of the verbs most often used to describe the activities of Laima is laist ("to let in", "to let in"; "to give", "to endow"; "to create", "to create", "to generate", "to cause", i.e. "to manifest", "to let out into the light, into freedom"). Latvian linguists Janis Endzelin and E. Blese believed that this verb is the basis of the name of the deities laime-laid-me. The universal formula is "Ai, Laimin, laidejin" - "Oh, Limushka, starter" (LD, 4961,1); "Par Laiminas laiduminu" - "Thanks to the predestination of Limushka" (LD, 331, 1).

An important factor in the composition of the fate of a person is the position in which the Lime was at the time of its determination. This moment usually occurs during childbirth in the bathhouse; before entering there, the woman in labor left a gold or copper ring and coins - a sacrifice-at the threshold, and asked Laima "not to take the body", "let it go back out". Laima "records" the fate (or" age " - muzu) of a newborn baby, "sitting in a dark corner near a light." Its fate is favorable if the Lime Tree is in the "upper" position - "on a mountain", "on a horse", "on a tree" (linden, apple tree; LD, 1199), as well as if it is sitting in a boat bobbing on the water, or is near clear water. But the fate will be hard if the Lime stands in a low place, is in the water, in a swamp, under a rock. "Oh, my heavy age, heavy as a pebble! / Lyme Lee, did Mother Lee sit on a rock? " (LD, 54795). In this song, another motif can be traced: the predestination of the fate of a child depends not only on the Lime, but also on its mother. "Laime, Laime, Mama, Mama, what were you both thinking? / Have you planned for me a difficult age or an unworthy bridegroom? " (LD, 9214).

Mother in Latvian folklore is generally very close to Laima. Many texts say that they walk together, talk. They are so similar in appearance that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them: "Limushka is walking with her mother around the farmstead, talking. / From afar, I don't recognize which one is my mother" (variant - "both of the same bore") (LD, 36617). For orphans and young women who have been married off and left their homes, Laima replaces their mother. At the wedding, she harnesses the horses herself, gives the dowry (cows, sheep, clothes), decorates the wedding veil and the bride's belt, weaves her a wreath, combs her hair 14 .

Mothers and girls usually turn to Lyme to ask for a good fate for their children and for themselves (LD, 54808, 36616). Lyme is asked what her fate is: "I asked Lyme what her life will be like. / Laime ordered to wear a beaded wreath for the whole century" (LD, 10894). In some cases, begging for a good fate follows the provision of a service to Laima, or even after a slight blackmail.: "Laima was walking across the river, almost fell; / Give me a pen, I will guide [you], and you will determine a good age for me" (LD, 36619); "Where Laima put on her shoes, there was a dagger left. / Define, Limushka, a good century, then I will give [you] a dagger" (LD, 1213).

Many of the lyrics say that Lyme has to endow a person with a difficult fate against her will .15 In such cases, Lyme is depicted as "weeping bitterly", "drowned in tears or in water" (LD, 9198). No one can change the fate set by Laima, reject the bride or groom chosen by her

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(LD, 9170). A very common plot of legends and fairy tales is about how at the time of birth a Lime tree appears in the bathhouse, and, seeing a log that has not burned out in the oven, predicts the newborn to live until it burns out .16

According to the Lithuanian linguist V. Mazhyulis, Latvian laime is based on the idiom * lei with the meanings "to pour", "to flow", "to drip" and "to let"," to let go"," to allow " 17 . Hence, perhaps, the first meaning of the word arose - "overcrowding", "wealth" (in the Prussian language laeims means only "rich", but not "happy"). A. Greimas and V. N. Toporov associate laime primarily with the verb lemt - "decide", "decide", "predestine" 18 . Indeed, there is the formula "Laime-muza lemejina" - "Laime-predestine of the century"; "Man Laimina nolemusi" - "Limushka predestined me"; "Vel, Dievin, lem, Laimin" - "Wish, God, predestine, Limushka". Latvian philologist K. Karoulis, however, believes that phonetically these words are difficult to connect. ,

A synonym for lemt is the verb likt ("leave"," postpone") in the sense of "set": "liec, Laimina", "ai, Laimina, licejina". The Latvian folklorist A. Yusmins-Lautenbach also mentions the verb laimint (i) - "to sanctify", "to make happy".

Y. Kursite also lists other verbs that describe the activities of Laima aimed at determining a person's fate. These are "to wish", "to do", "to give", "to lead - from an unhappy place to a happy one", "to give honor", "to lift" (often through metaphors - "to give a chair", "to lift up a mountain", "to put on a horse"), "to award", " to endow"20 .

Laima is associated with special knowledge, the possession of wisdom; it "knows", "speaks", "knows, but does not speak"; it is addressed with various everyday questions and requests. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Lyme is perceived as creating fate. Lime's "making destiny" is often described through craft techniques: she "spins", "weaves", "decorates / embroider", "weaves", "weaves", "girds", even "forges the key to the chest intended for the dowry of an orphan" (LD, 1051, 37). Laima initiates most actions, such as performing songs. "I sang a little song, it was not invented by me, / I sang [such] as it was - Mother Lime saved it" (LD, 35802).

Acting as a fertility deity, Laima oversees sexual activity, especially in relation to women. The female sexual organ in dainy is sometimes called "Limin place", "Limin hole": "I was a guy, I had a hand, I throw an egg through the Daugava River; / I threw the girl in the very Limin... " (LD, 34615). From the moment a girl begins to feel like a girl, she begins to communicate with Lyme. Appeals and requests made to Lyme by girls and young boys are encouraged; for older people, such appeals are no longer relevant, they "get along with Lyme" (LD, 1072).

If a person lives happily, then his Lime tree also has fun; if he constantly cries, then she also grieves (LD, 35889). "Well, my dawn is coming, well, my sun is rising, / Well, my body turns (looks) to the Lime Tree" (LD, 44043). An unmarried or at least unmarried girl is called neliete (lit. "worthless", even "vile", "scoundrel", but at the same time with a touch of pity): "My mother always tells me that: "My daughter, my neliete! / I will be fit, Mother, when Limushka puts me to work" (LD, 39557). The real" age " (Ista muza dzlvosana) begins for a woman only when she gets married. Girls turn to Laima with a request to "weave, twist" them with a noble, kind groom (LD, 38502).

It is not uncommon for dinahs to say that a girl should not worry about getting married; Laima is "looking for a place for her", traveling all over the world on a horse and looking for a worthy groom. The girls turn to Laima: "Laimushka, you are healthy and beautiful. - S. R.), give me your health (beauty. - S. R. )" (LD, 27322). Judging by some texts, it is being created

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the impression that before birth, children are kept exactly at Laima. "Oh, children, oh, children, keep your father, mother! / You Limushka scattered, father, mother gathered " (LD, 3346).

The Limes ' habitat is very wide. Most relevant is her stay within the estate. Laima guards the house and its sanctity; she spends her nights in a person's dwelling, usually under the threshold, in the oven, in a bed under the headboard. In this regard, there are many prohibitions. You can't chop wood on the doorstep, put your hand over the doorstep, step over the headboard in bed, leave embers burning at night, pour water out of the window in the dark, spit, wipe the fogged window in the evening-so as not to destroy your happiness.

Lime can also be found on the roof, in a well, in a stable - under a trough, "in a dark corner". Laima visits outbuildings (stable, barn, rig, mill) and farmlands (arable land, pastures), observing people's work (LD, 7996). The bathhouse and the path leading to it are constantly called "Limin's" in folk songs. Lime can be summoned by singing at intersections (if you whistle there, you will summon a Wellness / Devil). There are both astral and solar motifs: she weaves reins, "shimmering in silver", "sows silver around the sea", "minces in silver shoes on a golden path", "sits on a mountain on a golden chair", "sails in a silver boat", "dries in a golden willow". A clear connection is observed between Lime, vegetation and water. Sitting in a tree (apple or lime tree), she talks to an orphan about her upcoming marriage (LFK K 1955, 8909; Z 459, 972 21). During the wedding, she accompanies the bride to the groom's house, hiding in a wormwood bush in the middle of the courtyard (LD, 18594). At the wedding, Laima sits on a horse, hides in the folds of the bride's veil, accompanies her everywhere, dances and drinks from a silver cup (LD, 16095).

The appearance of Limes is different. In folk songs (and less often in fairy tales), it suddenly appears as "a thistle bush in a cow garden", "a spreading linden tree in a stable", a white or black chicken, a black beetle, a black or blue snake, "a blue-green flame". Lyme can also appear in human form. It is suggested that the anthropomorphic appearance of Laima was established under the influence of the Christian cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary .22 She is often portrayed as a beautiful girl, a young woman ("honest / kind wife") or old mother. In the Lime trees, she runs barefoot, with her hair down, holding a broom made of green birch or lime branches under her arm. She rides on a horse through an oat field in a robe of oatmeal panicles; she is dressed in rich clothes and golden shoes. Lime owns a lot of gold and silver objects, some solar symbols are associated with it - a golden pea, an apple 23 . In one of the Latvian etiological traditions, Laima was seen as a woman of unusually high stature with her hair down; she was seen walking quickly through the forest, and the willow trees were bent by the flapping of her hands. At the same time, people found her so wonderful (jauka) that they immediately felt like following her .24

Laima often acts as a "signpost of the way" (LD, 33698), "gate opener" (LD, 54768). To follow in the footsteps of Laima or simply follow her (or Dievs) is a special motive that indicates a favorable solution to a difficult situation for a person. This becomes especially relevant for a person who finds himself at a crossroads-a motif that appears both in folk songs and in fairy tales 25. "Go, Limushka, you go ahead, I follow your footsteps; Do not let me [go] along the road along which the evil day left" (LD, 1510).

The idea of "Lime's footprints" is also expressed in the interpretation of some of the footprints on the stones as signs of her shoes. In Latvia and Lithuania, stones with depressions called "Limin" are known. "Many people say that these traces are

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they were squeezed out in ancient times by mysterious divine beings who descended from the heavens and walked on the earth. These footprints were trampled by the goddess Laima and the Laums (witches. - S. R. ). It was believed that these stones had a miraculous power, which came to women who did not have children... Under the influence of Christianity, they became revered as the footprints of the Virgin Mary. Around these stones, on every seventh day of the new moon, people gathered and worshipped them, kneeling down and offering bread, wool, flax, and money to the stones. " 26

Laima is a wandering deity. This is how it is explained in one of the legends - "Laima is looking for her child." "In ancient times, the Lime Tree walked on the ground and was visible to everyone. She had one child, but he was lost in the world. Laima was very sorry for him, and for a long time she did not show herself to people. Then, in the end, she decided to go around the world and look for him. Lime had only one eye, and it was at the top of her head. Each person had to be lifted above their head to see if they were her child. Laima went around the world and raised every person she met above her head and looked at him to see if he was her child. If she saw that it wasn't him, she quickly lowered the person to the ground. When Lyme lifts someone up, his whole life goes well, but when he puts it down, it's bad. To this day, Laima walks the earth looking for her child, but now she is invisible. " 27

The movement of the Lime Tree is generally evaluated positively, but if it "sleeps" - things are going badly for the person. One of the legends tells how a person got his happiness by waking him up. "One person was completely unlucky in his life. But then one day he was walking through a field and saw a woman who had fallen asleep near a stone. He had woken her up, and that was his good fortune. Since that day, human life has blossomed significantly. " 28

In folk songs, Laima acts as a "guardian" (glabataja)," protector "(sargataja)," pre-teacher "(bridinataja)," helper " (palldzetaja). She gives good advice (LD, 6642), "builds a mountain", helps a young woman, eases her hard work (LD, 9284). Laima keeps an eye on the farm, especially when it comes to cows. It is believed that it protects cattle from witchcraft, gives people cattle, monitors the herd, blesses milk and cheese. There is a designation of the Lime as" mother of milk "(piena mate), "cow Lime"; sometimes she herself is represented in the form of a cow 29 . All this brings Laima very close to another sacred character of Latvian traditional culture-Mara, Marcha 30 .

The interchangeability of Lime and Mara occurs in another plot - a festive visit to a residential building by a deity. Dievs, as well as Laima or Mara, appear on the night before Christmas (Latvian, "Yuletide" - Ziemassvetki) near the dwelling; perhaps they come from somewhere above, from heaven, " Who is playing on the roof of the house? Sweet Mara (variant-Laima) plays on the roof of the house..." In a song from the Catholic province of Latvia, Latgale, Laima comes to the house with God and Jesus: "Come in, Bozhenka; come in, Laimushka; come in, Jesus, to the hut!" (LD, 19350).

Sacred guests are invited to enter the house to see how beautifully it is decorated, to bless the estate and its inhabitants. If there are any shortcomings, then they are asked to eliminate them (usually marry a girl, marry a guy). Perhaps there were also ritual actions aimed at bringing happiness to the house: "To put out, to put out a cross on the door with a sword, to put out Vellei (devils. - S. R.), to put out envious people, to put out witches! Stick Lime in, Non-lime out! " (LD, 18826). Interestingly, in this case, one verb - cert-denotes an action aimed both at expelling unfavorable creatures from the house, and at bringing happiness to the house.

According to some texts, it is possible to reconstruct the sacrifices performed by Laime, usually associated with food and drink. Most often found on a tray-

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giving her water is obviously a characteristic sacrifice. In other texts of this kind, the description of sacrifices is associated with a request for an easy fate: "I will not give my Limushka pure water to drink; / Let her drink eggs, let her drink honey, the founder of my age" (LD, 54805; similar text LD, 36610).

There are stories about a drowned Lime Tree (or its attribute). Folk songs say that Laima, grieving and sobbing because she has predetermined a difficult fate, drowns in tears or in a swamp, river, sea. One of the etiological legends tells about the drowned keys of Lima. "In the place where the Ruskulov swamp is now, reaching all the way to St. Petersburg, there used to be a sea. One day Mother Laime herself was sailing on the sea in a small boat, but then it happened that a golden key slipped out of her hand and began to sink. Mother Laime could clearly see it lying at the bottom, but as soon as she was submerged and wanted to take it, the water became cloudy, and the key was lost. Mother Laime had been searching for a long time, and in the end, she had cast a spell on the sea in her heart. It will have to remain closed at all times. In the place where the key fell, Mother Laime created a large stone. It's still there in the middle of the swamp; if someone cracked that stone, they'd find Mother Lime's key and open the enchanted sea. But he himself would have had to stay at the bottom of the sea. " 31

Do the gain and loss of happiness depend on the actions of a person? Latvian folklore texts answer this question in different ways. Judging by the lyrics, you can't completely change your pre-determined fate. However, you can adjust the current events. Lime (happiness/luck) can be given away, missed, if you give your left hand for greeting. Lime can be persuaded, reproached, asked not to leave. You can not brag about happiness - in this case it can be stolen. You can wish happiness to others, but not to hunters and fishermen. The main thing is not to be sad, but to try to accept everything that happens joyfully.

Known amulets of happiness: found money ("limes"), found horseshoes, petal clover. There are many beliefs-signs of good luck (if you meet a wolf, a pig, a Jew) and bad luck (meet the first woman on the way, a hare). In winter fortune-telling ,they "pull and pour luck" (they pour tin, lead or wax into the water).

Nelaima (misfortune) is the opposite of Laima. They often meet together: "Laima went with Nelaime along the same paths; / Go, Limushka, you go ahead, throw Nelaima into the water" (LD, 1219). Lime is often asked to throw a stone at Nelima, throw it off the road, throw it into the water. There is a belief that near the born child there is a Lime tree at the head, and a non - lime tree at the feet. They are fighting for him, and the one who wins will stay with him for the rest of his life. But often the idea of unhappiness is formulated as " there is no happiness."

In addition, the image of the Lime Tree itself contains both favorable and unfavorable opportunities. "Laima herself is a good woman, she is a great pest / She gives bright days, she gives great troubles" (LD, 2629); " Oh, Laimushka, witcher, what fate did you wish me?.."(LD, 4365); "Two felicities for ever, one good, the other evil; /Both must be lived, both in good and in evil" (LD, 9174).

Perhaps the name Laima is also related to Latvian. Lauma / Laume (lit. Laume) - "a mythological creature that usually does evil; a witch, a sorceress who can turn into a fly, a magpie, and other animals and insects" 32 . However, in some cases, Lauma looks after plants and cattle (cows), which is similar to Laima and Mara. Under the protection and supervision of Lauma are flax crops and all the technology of its processing 33 .

The last story about Lyme that I want to address is the "reproduction" of her image. Latvian folklore texts clearly record the idea of the

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"many Limes." In songs about giving fate, the formula "Lime asked Lime - what fate we will determine" is found; sometimes three Limes appear, and each offers its own version of fate (usually the first two are unfavorable; the third, winning, is happy, LD, 4840, 1). Three Limes in a lowland near a source (lakes, rivers), where they bathe or wash clothes, inform the person about the fate of the deceased mother in the next world 34 .

As" three Limes " appear three deities of fate - Lime, Dekla and Karta, found in the texts in pairs and all three of them. Their functions can be differentiated. They are analyzed in sufficient detail and described in the literature. Let's note only one of their features, noticed by Y. Kursite; when listing Laima, Dekla, and Karta, they are often referred to as one person in texts ("you", "she"): "Sit, sit, you are a girl, your Dekla, Laime is not sitting" (LD, 6629, 9); "My Dekla, Karta, Laima walks along the path, saying" (LD, 36633 35). Thus, these images can be practically merged into one file .

LAKSHMI

Lakshmi is one of the most important and most widespread goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, also bearing the name Sri ("prosperity", "wealth", "auspicious", ("the place where the ruler sits") 37 . It is strongly associated with royalty, prosperity, beauty, success, and fame. Like other Hindu deities, Lakshmi has a long and complex biography that goes back partly to the sruti texts, partly to the Smriti tradition, to the epic and Puranas, and is also rooted in many local cults in India .38

The ancient Indian laksmi is "sign", "good sign", "happiness", "beauty" - originally, obviously, it meant only "sign", "sign", "attribute" (which is recorded in the text of Rigveda 39). It had no qualitative characteristics, but was supplemented by the definition of papl laksmi - "misfortune", "bad luck"; punya or bhadra laksmi - "happiness", "success"," prosperity " 40 . According to the conclusion of the famous indologist Gonda, lakshmi was originally called both objects and living beings, whose presence could play both a positive and negative role. The root laks is found later in the philosophical term laksana - "meaning", "additional", "side shade of meaning"," what is meant "(connotation), The same Indo-European root is found in English luck - "happiness", "luck", and, note, bad luck - "failure".

In the later Vedic literature associated with the Yajur Veda text, in the epic (Mahabharata) and Puranic texts, Lakshmi appears as a personified goddess of happiness and wealth, the embodiment of love, mercy and charm .41 It is closely related to the ideas of wealth (primarily material) and luck (luck, favorable case) 42 . "The "materiality" of Lakshmi is still felt in Indian culture. It is particularly stable in relation to money. When a Hindu sees a coin on the road, he exclaims, " It's Lakshmi!"

However, Lakshmi in India is rarely a completely independent object of worship. Obviously, this is due to its fickle, changeable and generally ambiguous nature. This is the description of Lakshmi found in Bana's classic Sanskrit novel Kadambari. "This Lakshmi, who scurries among the armor of brave warriors like a bee among lotuses..., took with her as a souvenir the blood color of the Parijata tree, the curvature of the Moon, the impatience of the horse Uccayhsrava-sa, the ability to destroy with the poison of kalakuta, the art of drunkenness with the drink of varuni, the cruelty of the kaustubha stone. There is nothing in the world as elusive as this villain. For even when you have it, you can hardly hold it; though you bind it with a strong chain

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of merit, it slips away... She does not value friendship, does not look at birth, does not notice beauty, does not consider kinship, does not value sincerity, does not conform to wisdom, does not listen to the law, does not adhere to virtue, does not honor generosity, is not capable of reflection, does not keep custom, does not listen to the truth... It does not stand still... Like the Ganges, which gave birth to the Vasu gods, it gives birth to wealth, but immediately washes them away like foam from the waves. ...It seems to people that she is a conjuror who combines the incompatible: by arousing the heat of desire, she brings down the cold of despair; by forcing her to reach up, she demands baseness; born of water, she torments with thirst; by giving power, she turns into insignificance; having flesh, she is invisible; intended for the great, she prefers the mean... " 43 .

However, there is also a different attitude towards Lakshmi. It is presented as the owner and manager of material and even spiritual wealth. In South India, such a legend is common. Vedanta Deshika, a thirteenth-century theologian, was once approached by a young man to help him find money for a wedding. He, being a poor man, composed a hymn-prayer "Sri Stuti", and when he began to sing it, the young man was showered with a shower of gold coins. Deshika turned and left without even looking at them. It is believed that "by meditating and singing this hymn, you can acquire health, well-being and all sorts of good things. This prayer also points the way to eternal prosperity and moksha " - religious liberation. Vedanta Desika may have viewed Lakshmi as a mediator between God and the human soul.

Signs and images of Lakshmi are very popular in Indian arts and crafts. The panchapadma, a five - petaled lotus, has become a stable visual symbol of Lakshmi. The sign of Lakshmi can also be called red circles and stripes applied to the hands or feet of actors and dancers before a performance, an ornament on the bride's body during a wedding. (In general, the red color and circle are symbols of any female deity - Uma, Saraswati, Lakshmi, etc.). Lakshmi signs are applied to household buildings (on doors, jambs, gates), utensils, and on the human body (mainly on the palms, feet, and face). The image of Lakshmi (apparently associated with the deity of wealth Kubera) is found on early Indian coins .45

There is a widespread belief about the seven happy "positions" of Lakshmi on the human body. Depending on where it is located, a person acquires one or another gift. If Lakshmi is present on the feet, it gives happiness to the house, on the thighs - prosperity, in the genitals-happy marriage, on the chest - favors all external activities, in the heart - gives fulfillment of desires, around the neck - strengthens the connection with the beloved, on the face - gives beauty and gives poetic gift. However, if suddenly Lakshmi is on her head or higher, this is a sure sign of misfortune .46

So, in the Mahabharata, there is an episode from the sacred history in which the demons (daityas) captured Lakshmi and hung her on themselves so that she was above their heads. As a result, they instantly became powerless and lost everything they had.

Many researchers believe that the personified goddess of wealth and happy omens was not familiar to Indo-European peoples, but was borrowed from pre-Aryan cults, like Sri-the goddess of prosperity, abundance and glory, with whom Lakshmi was closely united, almost merged. It should be noted that Vishnu, the divine consort of Lakshmi, apparently made the same path from pre - Aryan cultures to Hinduism. The names of both are of Indo-European origin, which can hardly be said with complete certainty about cults.

There are several versions about the origin of Lakshmi. The most popular one is associated with the myth of churning the Ocean of Milk. In it, the birth of Lakshmi is a miraculous transformation of formless water into a visible image. Lakshmi emerged from the ocean along with other miraculous objects and creatures (the ka stone).-

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ustubha, the horse Uchchaikhshravas, the elephant Airavata, but also with the core kalakuta). She is depicted standing on a lotus flower, slightly curved, with sloping hips, large lotus-like eyes ,a deep navel, dressed in red (rarely white) clothes, with many gold ornaments, holding lotus flowers in her hands. 47

There are several forms of Lakshmi's appearance. If it is doused with water by two elephants, it is Gajalakshmi. The image of the goddess with four hands, in which she holds a vessel, a staff (kaumudhi), a shield and a sacred fruit ( sriphala) is Mahalakshmi. Viralakshmi is a goddess with a lingam on her head or with two hands in the gestures of vira and abhaya. If the goddess is depicted next to the consort of Vishnu, it is Lakshmi-Narayana. There are other forms (Lakshmi-Ganapati, Lakshmi-Narasimha) 48 .

Lakshmi, like other Hindu deities, has many names and nicknames: Padma, Kamala ("lotus"), Indira ("powerful and beautiful"), Chanchala, Lola ("impermanent"), Kshirabdhitanaya ("daughter of the Milky Ocean"), Lokamata ("mother of the world"). Lakshmi is revered as the protector, the blessed one (prasada), "natural" (proctites), knowledgeable (vidya), noble (arya), giving dharma, kama, artha and leading to religious liberation - moksha.

The Ashta Lakshmi Stotram lists the epithets of the goddess: adilakshmi (primordial"), dhanyalakshmi ("lakshmi of grain"), dhairyalakshmi ("removing fear"), Gajalakshmi ("worshipped by elephants"), santanalakshmi ("bringing goodness and offspring"), Vijayalakshmi ("bestowing victory"), Vidyalakshmi ("bestowing knowledge"), dhanalakshmi ("bestowing prosperity") 49 .

In the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi / Sri appears as one of the foundations of the universe. "Eternal and imperishable is the Mother of the world, Sri, the consort of Vishnu. Just as Vishnu is everywhere, so is she... Vishnu is the meaning, she is the sound; Hari is guidance, she is good behavior; Vishnu is admonition, she is awareness, she is dharma, she is good action.. . Sri is the sky, and Vishnu, the manifest essence of everything , is the vast expanse... Where there is Goodness, there is Lakshmi; Goodness is based on well-being. In a person deprived of happiness, where does Goodness come from?.. Alakshmi will never be established in the thoughts of those men who recite this hymn to Lakshmi daily ... " 50 .

Many Hindu deities are the embodiment of philosophical ideas. The goddesses represent prakriti (the physical reality of the world), shakti (the energy, devotion and connection of the human soul with the sacred).

Lakshmi / Sri also expresses the Hindus ' ideas of royalty and the legislator's attitude towards the earth's fertility. Since about the fifth century, it has been consistently associated with the god Vishnu. Lakshmi, or Sri, marks authority, legitimacy, creation, beauty, fame, and a high social level. It is identified with the place where the ruler sits, i.e. with the throne. "A king cannot rule if his authority is removed." Where it is present, the royal power is strong. Where it is absent, lawyers weaken and become ineffective. As the consort of Vishnu, Lakshmi loses her impermanent nature. " 51

It embodies wealth, prosperity, plant fertility, and favorable (mostly royal) qualities. The gods seek food, royalty, universal dominion, nobility, power, sacred splendor, royalty, success, generosity, and beauty from her. Lakshmi ordered gold, cattle, horses and food to be sacrificed to her (this is why she is often called the "goddess of Vaishyas" - the varna of people engaged in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and trade). The Mahabharata says: "Sri lives among cows, in their dung and urine, where she is allowed to live. Therefore, to offer a cow as a gift is to ensure happiness. " 52 Lakshmi is asked to eliminate her sister, Alakshmi, who embodies want, poverty, hunger and thirst .53

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Lakshmi is also associated with sense gratification (the god of love, Kama, is the son of Lakshmi), crops, and food. In Orissa, at the Kaumudipurnima festival, she is revered as a new crop of grain, and the story of Lakshmi's disappearance and food are recounted .54

Lakshmi is worshipped in different parts of India not only during certain festivals, but also on a daily basis. Lakshmi is the constant object of vratas, religious vows by which believers ask for blessings in response to any act of worship of the deity. Vara Lakshmi, or upavas, is a weekly fast on Friday. However, the most important Lakshmi puja takes place during the calendar festival of "lamps" Deepavali 55 . Lakshmi is directly related to light; the expression "lamps bring prosperity" is well-known.

The first day of Diwali is associated with the arrival of Lakshmi in the house. On the eve of cleaning all homes, sweep out the garbage, paying special attention to the cleanliness of the corners. This is interpreted as "banishing Alakshmi-misery". In the evening, at six or seven o'clock, Lakshmi puja begins, after which, in the late evening, lamps are placed and lit everywhere (in border areas near windows and doors, as well as at ritually "unclean", "grass - roots" places-toilets, baths). In Uttar Pradesh, a special offering is prepared for Lakshmi-prasad (food). These are four dishes (anna) - murmura or til (made from rice), khil, rehun (made from wheat), and batasha (made from sugar), placed in four cells of a vessel (chowghra). Prasadam, as well as small figures made of sweet dough, are placed in the house in front of the open door, which should attract Lakshmi here. According to Hindu beliefs, it appears in the human world from somewhere below.

The personified "misery" - Alakshmi, Dhumavati, Nirrta or Jyeshtha-is an ambiguous image. In the worldview of Hinduism, the continuity of Alakshmi and Lakshmi is often noted: where one is located, there is another. Alakshmi is often referred to as Lakshmi's older sister. As a matter of fact, it is also an object of veneration. According to some beliefs, Alakshmi oversees the household. The image of this deity is terrible; she is represented as a widow living in cremation grounds (shamshan). There is also a legend about its origin. Originally she was Parvati, and being very hungry, she asked her consort Shiva for food, but he refused her. Finally, tired of his consort's endless requests, Shiva exclaimed,"Well, eat me!" "and so she did, automatically becoming a widow." She is depicted as a black goddess with thick lips, a wide nose, drooping breasts, and a large belly. She sits on a seat "European style", with her legs down, and holds in her hand a lotus flower made of iron. Often she is accompanied by a bull, a daughter, and a crowd of demons, evil spirits, and giants.

It is Alakshmi who is kicked out of the house during the Diwali festival, swept out of all corners. But what about who, exactly? As a separate entity, or as the absence, lack of Lakshmi? This can be understood in different ways. However, garbage and ashes swept out of homes on the eve of Diwali are strongly associated in India with the cult of pitars - deceased ancestors. Just before Diwali, the month of Pitrapaksha (it falls on September-October) takes place, during which it is worshipped. Thus, honoring and banishing are both actions performed in relation to Alakshmi.

So, here are two different mythological images that have undergone quite a significant, in many ways similar evolution in different cultures. It is noteworthy that both cultures have preserved their names (possibly going back to the same Indo-European root) like proper names (Laima/Laime, Lakshmi).

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Initially, both of them meant "submitted", "awarded", "mark", "mark", and did not carry a qualitative assessment. Later, however, they acquired a pronounced favorable meaning of "happiness". At the same time, either it was isolated from the original "laima/lakshmi", or it was formed separately (as can be seen in the Indian material - from the cult of the dead), and then the image of "misery" - nelaime/alakshmi-was "attributed" to this circle. Nevertheless, the attitude of people towards Laima and Lakshmi themselves, their assessment is ambiguous.

Laima and Lakshmi gradually reached the divine level, acquired an anthropomorphic appearance. Both of them are female goddesses, marked with all the auspicious attributes that are highly valued in traditional culture (a young woman or mother, beautiful, decorated with gold). Both of them - the goddesses of happiness, wealth-are associated with money, food, love and a happy marriage.

The Indo-European origin of the cults of both goddesses is very problematic. In both cases, the version of non - Indo-European influence should be considered: for the Latvian Laima - Baltic-Finnish, for the Indian Lakshmi-Dravidian.

The problem of the existence of independent cults of these goddesses deserves special attention. At the first stage of deification, they were closely associated with the household, fertility, and vegetation. Laima became the goddess of fate, the guardian of the family, helping with childbirth. Lakshmi has become a more complex image. On the folklore and dialectal level, she joined with other deities associated with farming, success in trade and entrepreneurship. In an elite culture, it has become a symbol of prosperity, success, and royalty. In Indian philosophy, Lakshmi came to be understood as a" feminine "cosmic force that, in conjunction with Vishnu - the "male" element-gives birth to the entire universe (which parallels the Shaivist concept of shakta-shakti). It is interesting that some modern Latvian thinkers also make attempts to understand Laima as a worldview idea 57 .

In conclusion, I would like to focus on a curious story that the goddesses of happiness are associated with both the Latvians and the Hindus. It can be understood as one of the popular secrets of achieving happiness. How can a person living in such a fickle world achieve fickle luck? One of the possible answers appears in the idea of "feeding happiness".

The regular sacrificial feeding of Laima and Lakshmi, timed to coincide with calendar holidays (winter Yuletide and Diwali, respectively), has already been mentioned above. But both the Indians and Latvians also have a story of "random" feeding. This is how it manifests itself in the plots of two fairy tales - Latvian and Indian Kannada.

Latvian fairy tale "How Limushka helped a merciful guy"

"Once a guy agreed to serve a certain king... [After a while] the king paid the guy well and let him go for a few days. With the money he earned, the guy bought good food and was going to eat his fill. Just as I was getting started, an old woman appeared and said, " Dear boy, I'm much hungrier than you are, let me eat!" "All right, all right, Mother, if that's the case, eat to your heart's content!" The woman ate, ate - ate everything, the guy had nothing left. After the meal, she said, " You have a good heart, lad." [This was repeated three times. Then this woman helped the guy marry the princess]. After the wedding, she walked the young couple out of the gate and said, " Well, son, do you know who I am? I'm your little Limey who's been waiting for you for twenty-one years. That's why I asked you for something to eat three times, to see if you'd feed me. But you have a good heart! Live happily with your new wife " 58 .

Kannada fairy tale "The Gift of Food"

"There was a widow with a young son. The woman worked for the neighbors as a day laborer; she earned very little, and barely had enough money to buy food. However, sometimes even your own small daily portion

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she gave to the poor. The grown-up son was surprised at his mother's generosity. His mother answered him: "Of all gifts, the gift of food is the best. Wealth and poverty are like day and night, they come and go. But if you have given something to the poor, the grace (merit) of that act will follow you everywhere. It will surpass all your hardships and hardships." "But how do you measure the merit of giving away food?" my son asked. "A mortal woman like me can't measure the degree of merit, especially the merit of giving away food. Only God knows about this - go and ask him." The son did so.

Once, when he was lost in the jungle, he met a hunter who invited him to his house for the night. There were only two servings of milk and vegetables in the house for dinner, and the hunter gave some of his food to the young man. The hunter's wife did not share her food. The hut was small, and the hunter put the young man on his bed, and he lay down on the threshold so that his head was out of the house. In the night, a tiger appeared, bit off the hunter's head and ate his wife; when it was full, it did not touch the young man. The next morning, the young man was horrified by what he saw. After burying the owners, he went on.

On the way, he met the king in sorrow, who asked the young man to ask God about his trouble. "I spent a lot of money to dig a canal, but there is no water in it. Why not?" Then he met a cripple who asked God to question the cause of his lameness; a snake stuck in a hole and unable to move. When the young man reached Mount Kailasa, where Shiva and Parvati lived, he fell on his knees before them and asked all the questions. Shiva replied that the king has an adult unmarried daughter who must be given in marriage, and then there will be water in the canal. The cripple has too much sacred knowledge; when he shares it with someone, then he will be healed. If the serpent gives up the gem that is in its head, it will be released. When asked about the measure of merit of giving food, Shiva replied:: "I will send you to King Sheetal's pregnant wife. You will give her my prasadam and she will give birth safely. He will answer your question."

On the way back, the young man brought the news to all who were waiting for an answer, and received the jewel, knowledge, and the king's daughter in marriage. The baby that was born laughed and said to him, " Do you remember the hunter who was killed by the tiger? It was me. Thanks to receiving you and treating you, I am now reborn as a royal son. My wife, who did not give you some of her food, was now born in the same city in the form of a pig." Truly, it is sacred to give what you have: a daughter in marriage; knowledge and wealth to people in need; food to the hungry. The latter's merits are immeasurable and lead to happiness. " 59

So, how do you achieve fickle luck? Indians believe: "The secret of Good Luck, Happiness, is to give, not to keep, not to seek Good Luck, but to give it away, so that it will come back on its own. To sacrifice oneself, to acquire only in order to give - this is the law of nature, the source of profit. Everyone should make their days fruitful by distributing food! " (Mahabharata, Anushasanaparva, Book 13, ch. 163).

The following two stories about people's encounters with Lakshmi illustrate the ambiguous nature of the image of this goddess in the ideas of various peoples of India.

Uttar Pradesh Fairy Tale

The tale of Lakshmi's loot is told after performing a puja on Diwali, in the province of Uttar Pradesh. Each participant holds a handful of cooked puffed rice (khil) in the palm of their hand, and everyone listens to the story.

After the story ends, the images of Lakshmi and Ganesha are sprinkled with rice, which everyone was holding in their hands, while loudly saying: "Go away Diladdar, Lakshmi is coming." Everyone takes the rice and puts it in the khatri (symbol of the house), where there is already a silver rupee.

"A certain king was very fond of his wife and gave her a magnificent gold necklace worth 900 rupees. Every morning the queen went with her maids to bathe in the river, and left her clothes and jewelry on the bank. One day a kite caught sight of this necklace, snatched it up, and carried it to its nest. The queen, having discovered the loss, fell into a terrible grief, stopped eating and sleeping. The king was also very upset and ordered to announce throughout the country that he would fulfill any desire of the person who found the necklace.

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On the edge of the city, in a forest, there lived a poor woman. She sold firewood in the market for kindling, and lived on it. All her children were scattered around the world in search of money and food. As the Diwali festival approached, the woman began cleaning her hut. In a dark corner, she found patragho, a forest animal that looked like a large lizard. The old lady killed him and threw him out on the thatched roof of the cottage. At that time, a kite flew over the forest with a stolen necklace; when it saw the animal, it decided that food was better than anything else, threw the necklace on the roof and grabbed patragho. Hearing the noise, the owner went outside, saw something shiny on the roof and took out a necklace. Soon she found out about the loss of the queen's necklace, took it and came to the palace.

The king was very pleased that the jewelry was found, but not without fear asked what the woman wanted for the find. "Sir, please make sure that no one lights a fire during Diwali except me," she said. All the courtiers were very surprised at this strange request, but the king agreed to fulfill it.

The holiday has come. The sun had set, but the whole city, and even the royal castle, was dark. There was only one small lamp burning in the poor woman's hut. At midnight, Lakshmi descended from the sky in glittering robes that should have shone even brighter, illuminated by millions of lights in the houses. Lakshmi loves light and cleanliness, she only comes to those homes where it is available. But at that time, she was extremely surprised, because there was darkness everywhere. She struggled to move, and almost fell without seeing the road. When she saw one small light in the poor hut, she went to it.

At that time, the poor woman closed the door and began to perform puja. Suddenly, a frightened little old man appeared and shouted in fear, " Let me out, I can't stand the light. I live in darkness and filth, and I can't stay here anymore! It's such a wonderful darkness in the whole city today!" The old lady asked him who he was. "I am Diladdar ('total darkness'), the companion of poverty," the dwarf replied. "No, I will not let you go, Diladdar,"the woman said," you have accompanied me constantly for many years." The dwarf kept begging to be let out. Lakshmi appeared near the cottage and said in a gentle voice, " Dear woman, I am very upset, please show me the light and let me in. Only in your house can I feel good." The old lady said, " No, I won't let you in." You've never worried about me, so why should I worry about you?" Lakshmi pleaded with her. Finally the woman asked: "If I let you in, will you promise to stay in this house forever?" The goddess agreed. The woman turned to Diladdar: "If I let you out, will you promise not to go near this house again?" He promised. The old lady opened the door when she saw Lakshmi, Diladdar rushed out, and Lakshmi went inside.

Very soon, all the old lady's children returned to her, and all lived happily ever after."

Tamil Folk Tale

What is happiness? Where does it come from and where does it suddenly disappear? The goddess of happiness Lakshmi is fickle and changeable. How can you trust the wind in the sky? Sometimes it happens that Lakshmi rewards the unworthy, and bypasses those who need her help. Only by uniting with her consort, the god Vishnu, does she become good and do good.

One who adheres to what is due (dharma) from her and gets, and does not lose a single hair. This is what devoted wives, saints, and pious brahmin priests do. But wonderful things can happen to everyone! By doing the right thing and wishing someone good or evil, do you think you can always get what you want? Then listen to the story of a holy brahmana who had a truly amazing experience!

Once upon a time there was a brahmana who was a very worthy man. He used to serve in the temple, then retired to the forest and lived in great service and seclusion. He no longer thought of anything but doing good deeds and freeing his soul. When he got up early in the morning, he would bathe, burn incense, perform puja, and recite sacred texts. He instructed the people who came to him in knowledge. One day the goddess of happiness Lakshmi came to him and said, " I will stay with you." "Thank you, but I don't need worldly goods! I have done all that I should have done, and now I do not seek worldly pleasures! I don't need luck the way a merchant or an actor needs it. I don't have to start a family, and I don't need to be loved.-

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new happiness. I do not command anyone, and I do not obey anyone, my life is subordinated to something completely different! You can't give me anything that I might need. I don't need anything." "Yes, I understand that," Lakshmi told him, " but I will still stay with you!

So the brahmana was summoned by the king. When the brahmana arrived at the palace, he thought: "Let me see if Lakshmi is really with me." And he hit the king on the head with all his might, so that even the crown flew off and rolled away! All the servants, maids, ministers, musicians, and courtiers present froze in astonishment... and suddenly they saw a huge venomous snake crawl out of the crown and disappear into the bushes. It turned out that the brahmana saved the king's life!

He stayed at court. While performing his services and teaching the young men, he also had time for his scholarly studies and for contemplation. As time passed, the brahmana once thought, " Let me see if Lakshmi is still living with me or not."In the middle of a moonless night, when even the stars were hidden under the cover of fog, he burst into the king's bedchamber, and with a loud noise and a whistle, he seized both the king and his wife, dragged them off the bed and, chasing them with slaps, drove them out into the street. No one had time to stop him, and even the brahmana himself, while doing this, was secretly surprised at the audacity of his act. When the tsar and his wife, barely awake, were naked in the street, suddenly the palace and the bedchamber collapsed - it turned out that the mice had eroded all the beams.

Some more time passed. Late one evening, when the sacred lotuses were blooming in the ponds and the night birds were singing, Lakshmi, the goddess of happiness, came to the brahmana again and said: "I'm leaving you! "he said. But still, I thought that from now on I should be more modest, and no longer push my luck. The next morning, the brahmana took a fresh juicy mango fruit and came to greet the king and queen. After eating one fruit, the king immediately died: the fruit was poisoned with the venom of a tree snake. " 61

notes

1 See, for example: Elizarenkova T. Ya., Toporov V. N. O drevneindiyskoy Ushas (Usas) i ee baltiiskom podsvetstvom (Usins) [On the Ancient Indian Ushas and its Baltic correspondence (Usins)].

Chatterji S.K. 2 Baits and Aryans in their Indo- European Background. Simla, 1968.

Toporov V. N. 3 Notes on Latvian mythologized names / / Onomastica Lettica. Riga, 1990. 216.1 pp.

4 Ibid., p. 201.

5 See Latvian: "Tada Laime Pestitajam vel zodien "(Karulis K. Latviesu etimologijas vardnica. 1. sej. Riga, 1992. 490. - 491. 1pp.).

Barons K., Visendorfs H. 6 Latvju Dainas. 1-6 sej. Jelgava, Riga, Reterburga, 1896-1915. Далее в тексте статьи - LD, последующие цифры обозначают номер текста.

Einhorn P. 7 Historia Lettica, das ist Behreibung der Lettischen Nation. 1649. Teile 7. N 27. О "матерях" в латышском и ливском фольклоре см.: Kursite J. Mitiskais folklora, literatura, maksla. [Riga], Zinatne, 1999. 30.-92. 1pp.

Brastins E. 8 Laima // Labietis. [B.v.], N 20-22.

9 Laima // Latviescu konversacijas vardnica. Riga, 1939. 7. sej.; Laima // Mitologijas enciklopedija. Riga, 1994. 198. 1pp.

10 Laima // Mitologijas enciklopedija. 198. 1pp.

11 Veja vanadzins. Latviesu tautas teikas / Sak. Leja G. Riga, 1993. 252. 1pp.

12 В предании о происхождении скалы Стабурагс: "Девушка плакала, молилась Богу (Диевсу) или Лайме - точно уже помню, чтобы превратили ее в скалу...". (Latviesu tautas teikas. Izcelsanas teikas. Riga, 1991. 95. 1pp.).

Kursite J., 13 Of Latvian folklore mitu mirror. Rīga, 1996. 190-257. 1pp.

14 - White gaja serdienite. The Latvian folk-songs of the serdieniem / Collapse. Drizule R., Rīga, 1994. 121.-138. 1pp.

Beizais H 15 Raudosa Lime // Church culture as a time mairias. Spc. Of H [Stockholm], 1966.45 .-64. 1pp.

16 the Chance to // the Latvian people's stories. Izcelsanas of the legend. In Riga, 1991. 367.-368. 1pp.

17 Цит. по: Happiness //Karulis К. Church of etimologijas vardnica. 2. sej. In Riga, 1992. 490.-491. 1pp.

Топоров В.Н. 18 Указ. соч. С. 218; ср. литовское Lime lemia - Greimas A. J., Api,$ and, behold there is zmones. Chicago, 1979. - P. 185-189.

19 Of Happiness // Karulis, K. Op. as in the other. 1. eej. 490.-491. 1pp.

стр. 54

Kursite Q: The 20 - First. as in the other. 190-257. 1pp.

21 of the MANUSCRIPT - Хранилище латышского фольклора. Институт литературы, фольклора и искусства Латвийской академии наук. Первые цифры в обоих случаях означают номер коллекции или манускрипта, вторые - номер текста.

The 22 - Lime // Mitologijas letters. 198.-199. 1pp

Kursite J., 23 Of The First. as in the other. 241. 1pp.

24 the Source of the photo //the Latvian people's stories. Izcelsanas of the legend. In Riga, 1991. 147.1 pp.

25 "Матушка Лайме показывает путь" // Veja vanadzins. 252. 1pp.

Dunduliene P. 26 Pagonybe Lietuvoje (Moterikosios dievybes). Vilnius, 1989. P. 47.

27 Veja vanadzins. 250. 1pp.

28 Ibid. 252.1pp.

29 Сведения по записям иезуитов в Латгале 1606 г. Цит. по: Biezais H. Die Hauptgottinen der alten Letten. Uppsala, 1955. S. 117 (и далее).

Рыжакова С.И. 30 "Святая Мара" в латышской народной культуре // Живая старина. М., 1996. N 2. С. 42-46; Bruninieks М. Mara-Laimina. Riga, 1927.

31 Ruskulovas purvs // Latviesu tautas teikas. Izcelsanas teikas. Riga, 1991. 148. 1pp.

Karulis К. 32 Op. cit. 1. sej. 509. 1pp.

33 Dienas Lapas Etnografiskais Pielikums. [Riga], 1892. N 1, 26. 1pp.

34 Balta gaja serdienite. 149.-156. 1pp.

35 Latviesu tautasdziesmas. Riga, 1955-1957 (здесь и далее - LTd).

Kursite J. 36 Op. cit. 250. 1pp.

Gonda J. 37 Aspects of Early Visnuism. Delhi, 1969. P. 188; Dhal U.N. Goddess Lakshmi: Origin and Development. New Delhi, 1978. P. 178.

Kinsley David R. 38 Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. New Delhi, 1998. P. 19-34.

39 Ригведа. Мандалы IX-Х. / Пер. и коммент. Елизаренковой Т.Я. М., 1999. С. 206,472. Мандала X. 71.2: "приносящий счастье знак".

40 Атхарваведа. VII. 115.1. См.: Lakshmi // Stutley М., Stutley J. A Dictionary of Hinduism. L., [ 1977]. P. 160-161.

41 Devi. Goddesses of India. [Berkeley, Los Angelos, London], 1996; Indian Mother Goddess. Calcutta, 1971.

Srivastava M.C.P. 42 Mother Goddess in Indian Art // Archaeology and Literature Delhi, 1979.

43 Бана. Кадамбари // Изд. подготовил Гринцер П.А. М., 1995. С. 158-160.

Hartmann G. 44 Beitrage zur Geschichte der Gottin Laksmi. Kiel, 1933. S. 87.

Dhal U.N. 45 Op. cit. P. 91-93.

46 Lakshni // Stutley М., Stutley J. Op. cit. P. 161.

Dhal U.N. 47 Op. cit.

Rao T.A. 48 Gopinatha. Elements of Hindu Iconography. Madras, 1914.

Kinsley David R. 49 Op. cit. P. 104.

50 Вишну-пурана. Книга первая. СПб., 1995. VIII. 16-23; IX. 29, 146.

Kinsley David R. 51 Op. cit. P. 28; Gonda J. Op. cit. P. 164-167.

52 Махабхарата, Анушасанапарва, Кн. 13, гл. 163.

Kinsley David R. 53 Op. cit. P. 20.

Behera K.S. 54 Laksmi in Orissan Literature and Art // Sircar D.C. Foreigners in Ancient India and Laksmi and Saraswati in Art and Literature. Calcutta, 1970. P. 91-105.

Bahadur Om Lata. 55 The Book of Hindu Festivals and Ceremonies. New Delhi, 1994. P. 147-150.

56 Об Алакшми см.: Lakshmi // Stutley М., Stutley J. Op. cit. P. 160-161.

Leitis V. 57 Latviesu dievi Azija. Riga, 1939; Tomarinu K. No latviesu dievestibas lidz nacionalajai filozofijai // Sidabrene. [B.v.], [1998].

58 Текст см.: Dzukstes pasakas. Riga, 1991. 123-126. 1pp.

59 Текст см.: Ramanujan A.K. Food for Thought // The Eternal Food. Gastronomic Ideas and Experience of Hindus and Buddhists/Ed, by Khare R.S. N.Y. 1992. P. 244-249.

60 Текст см.: Bahadur Om Lata. Op. cit. P. 151- 155.

61 Благодарю за рассказанную сказку A.M. Дубянского.

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