Sri 100189 224357151 2008-07-08T14:25:02Z 87.194.3.221 removed 'Is also used by a plum in Mumbai who reconciles my FX's.' {{otheruses|SRI}} [[Image:Sinhala-shri.png|thumb|''Sri'' ([[Sinhalese language|Sinhala]])]] '''Sri''', '''Shri''', '''Shree''', '''Siri''' or '''Seri''' ([[Devanagari]] - श्री, [[Bahasa]]- Seri,[[Kannada|Kannada]]- ಶ್ರೀ, [[Tamil language|Tamil]] - ஸ்ரீ, official [[IAST]] transliteration ''Śrī'') means wealth, is a [[Sanskrit]] title of [[veneration]], a [[Hindu]] [[honorific]] stemming from the [[Puranic]] conception of prosperity. It signifies the goddess of wealth - [[Lakshmi]], the wife of [[Vishnu]]. Lakshmi symbolises beauty, wealth and grace. According to [[Sanskrit]] grammar, '''Sri''' belongs to the feminine [[subjunctive]] [[gender]] but nowadays it is written as a masculine name prefix, short for [[Sriman]] and it is akin to [[Mister|Mr.]] in [[English language|English]], ''kreiōn'' in [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Effendi]] in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], or [[Thiru]] in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. It is pronounced halfway between ''sree'' and ''shree''. ==Significance== ''Sri''' is an [[epithet]] of some Hindu [[god]]s. It is also used as a prefix to the names of men and women who are considered great or holy, or who derive their power from that which is holy. When used as a title for gods, ''Śrī'' is sometimes translated into English as ''Lord''. '''Sri Devi''' (or in short Sri, another name of [[Lakshmi]], consort of [[Vishnu]]) is the [[Devi]] (goddess) of wealth according to [[Hindu]] beliefs. Lakshmi is the embodiment of Love, from which devotion to God or [[Bhakti]] flows from. It is through Love/Bhakti or Lakshmi that the atma or soul is able to reach God or Vishnu. Sri or Lakshmi is also the personification of the Spiritual energy within us and universe called [[Kundalini]]. Also, She embodies the Spiritual World or [[Vaikunta]]; the abode of Lakshmi-[[Narayana]] or Vishnu, or what would be considered [[Heaven]] in [[Hinduism]]. She is also the Divine qualities of God and the soul. Lakshmi is God's superior spiritual feminine energy or the Param [[Prakriti]], which purifies, empowers and uplifts the individual. Hence, She is called the Goddess of Fortune. There is a common practice of writing ''Śrī'' as first word centralised in line at the beginning of the document. ''Śrī'' is one of the names of [[Ganesha]], the Hindu god of prosperity. The origin of the word Sri is traced to the account of Lord Ganesha losing his head while protecting his mother [[Parvati|Pārvatī]]. This is why He is the first to be worshiped in all the '[[yagya]]s'. ==Current usage== '''Sri/Shri''' is often used as a respectful affix to the names of celebrated or revered persons. It is not gender-specific, but the assumption that it is gender-specific has resulted in the title of '''Shrimati''' (abbreviated [[Smt]]) for women. Another usage is as an emphatic compound (which can be used in multiple: ''shri shri'', or ''sri sri sri'', etc.) in princely styles, notably in [[Darbar]] Shri, [[Desai]] Shri, [[Khan (title)|Khan]] Sahib Shri Babi, [[Malek]] Shri and [[Thakur]] Shri or as in Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a Hindu spiritual Guru and leader ==Place name== It is used in the name of the country [[Sri Lanka]], which means ''venerable'' island and as in Sri Perambadur, a town in the State of Tamil Nadu, where the [[Srivaishnava]] pontiff [[Ramanujacharya]] was born. {{Hinduism footer small}} [[Category:Hindu texts]] [[Category:Honorifics]] [[Category:Titles in India]] [[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]] [[es:Sri]] [[fr:Sri]] [[it:Śrī]] [[nl:Sri]] [[new:स्री (तमिल संकिपा)]] [[pl:Śri (tytuł)]] [[ru:Шри]] [[sv:Shri]] [[ta:ஸ்ரீ]]