कनकधारास्तोत्रं सानुवादम् /15

Her appropriately Raājyaśrī or Raājyalakshmiī. This is

further emphasised by the cornucopia and noose in Her

hands, the one symbolic of treasure kośa, and the other

of power, dandṇḍa, kośadaṇḍāviva kshitiḥ as Kalidāsa has
lidāsa has
put it in his Raghuvamsśa, 15, 13. This is prominent in

Kushāṇa and Gupta coins (Fig. 5), one of the finest

examples being on the reverse of the Chandragupta I

and Kumāradevī type of the fourth century A.D.

But still earlier it occurs on first century Kushāṇa

coins.
 

 
An interesting representation and probably a unique

type to illustrate Dhanalakshmiī is Śrī standing on lotus,

flanked by lotus and conch (Fig. 6), symbolising the two
principal treasures, nidhis, already famous in their

principal treasures, nidhis, already famous in their
occurrence at the root of the Kalpa or wishfulfilling tree

as the crowning piece of banner of a derelict temple of

Kubera or Lakshmiī at Besnagar, and now preserved in

the Indian Museum (Fig. 7). This form of Lakshmi occurs
ī occurs
on the reverse of Kumāragupta's elephant rider type of

coin, where the umbrella held over the monarch

suggests his enjoying imperial status as a sovereign of

ekachhatrā status, as a samrat or emperor, as the one

for whom alone was the only umbrella on earth, even

as the poet puts it, that over his head alone was raised

an umbrella, and by that umbrella of spotless lustre the

affliction of the entire world on account of separation

from the former worthy kings was removed: tāsyaāi-

kasyochchhritam chhatram mūrdhni tenāmälatvishā, puūr-

varājaviyogaushmyam kritsnasya jagato hrṛitam, Raghu-

vamsśa 17,33.
 

 
The nidhis, particularly SŚankha and Padma, are

shown at the roots of the Kalpa or the celestial wishful-

hilling tree as the tree itself is a botanical symbol of

Laksmhiī The bags of gold beside the nidhis, also at