摩訶室利, 功德天女, 吉祥天女, 功德天 “KICHIJŌTEN – Skt. = Sri Laksmi, Mahasri: Identified with Laksmi, name of the goddess of fortune and beauty frequently in the later mythology identified with Śrī and regarded as the wife of Visnu or Narayana, she sprang from the ocean with a lotus in her hand, whence she is also called Padmā, and is connected in other ways with the lotus.” Soothill’s Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms
“Originally, Kichijoten was imported into Buddhism from Hinduism, being known as Laksmi, the goddess of beauty and prosperity. This painting is likely to have been the central worshipping piece, if not its important element, of Japanese Buddhist rituals during the Nara period (701-794). She has crescent-shaped eyebrows with full cheeks, and moves leisurely and gracefully in a striking multi-layered attire, like a Chinese beauty of the Tang dynasty, China (618-907). Yet a sacred gem on her left hand and her transparent shawl fluttering gently in the wind as she walks suggests her heavenly nature. Its renderings are not only delicate and elegant, but also infused with a stately Buddhist serenity of its own, and the painting radiates a special charm. Paintings dating back to the Nara period are a rarity even in Japan. Invaluable as a Buddhist painting, its opulent and noble spells are delightful to the eye indeed.” TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM”
