Kanakadhärä-Stotram

Kanakadhärä-Stotram 

Kanakadhärä-Stotram was composed by Sri Sankara. The story goes - Once Sri Sankara approached a home for his bhikshä, and the lady of the house had nothing to offer except one ämalaka - berry at home, which she offered to Sri Sankara. Bhagavän Sankara was extremely touched by her situation and composed Kanakadhärä-Stotram, which reportedly showered gold coins. This story is mentioned in the fourth sarga of the biography Sankara-Digvijaya. Kanakadhärä-Stotram has continued to enchant the devotees of Sri Lakshmi since more than 1,200 years.

The Stotram is mostly in Vasanta-Tilaka metre.

1. angam hareh pulaka bhüshanam-äsrayanti | bhrngänganeva mukuläbharanam ---

May Her glance, who abides in the body of Sri Hari, just as the bees takes shelter in the profusely blossomed (buds) Tamäla tree, Who is the abode of all superhuman powers, and Who is all auspiciousness, be auspicious to me. (1)

2. mugdhä muhur-vidadhati vadane muräre | prematrapäpranihitäni gatägatäni ||

May the row of glances of the Daughter of the Ocean, which prompted by love and desire, makes a beeline towards the face of Muräri (enemy of demon Mura), but withdraws from it because of modesty and bashfulness, like a bee that circumfuses into a large Lily and away from it, confer wealth on me. (2)

      3. visvämarendra padavibhrama dänadaksham | änandahetur-adhikamhe’pi-- ||

She who is capable of bestowing the opulence and luxury of the post of Indra, the King of all the gods, She who is the source of ever-increasing joy to Muräri, She who is delicate like the Blue Lily, may that half-opened glance of the Moon’s sister fall on me for a moment.

4. ämilitäksham-adhigamya mudä-mukundam-anandakandam-animesham-- ||

May the eye of the Consort of Vishnu who is (as though) sleeping on the coiled mattress of Sesha-Näga, with Her delicate eyelids and quivering pupil, which is half-closed but becomes steady due to joy, becoming aware of the constant loving gaze of Sri Mukunda, confer on me prosperity. (4)

5. ‘bähvantare murajitah srita-kaustubhe yä | härävaliva harinilamayi vibhäti ||’

May Her row of glances, Who adorns the chest of Madhujita like the sapphire string along with the Kaustubha gem, Who created desire in His heart, Who dwells in the Lotus garden, be auspicious to me. (5)

6. kälämbudäli lalitorasi kaitabhäreh | dhärädhare sphurati ya tadid-anganeva ||

May the Worshipful, Who shines on the dark chest of Kaitabhäri (the enemy of the demon Kaitabha), like the lightning in dark clouds, Who upon her manifestation was the joy of the clan of the Bhrgus, who is the Mother of all the worlds and Who is the daughter of Bhärgava Maharshi, confer auspiciousness/prosperity on me. (6)

7. präptam padam prathamatah khalu yat prabhävät-mängalyabhäji i--||

May the soft, lazy (alasam), slow (manda) and half-closed glance of the Daughter of the Ocean, because of Whose influence, Manmatha (Cupid) received his first hold on Madhumätha (enemy of the demon Madhu), fall upon me for a while. (7)

8. dadyäd-dayänupavano dravinämudhäräm-asmin-akincana vihangasisau ||

May the dense dark cloud-like eyes of the Beloved of Näräyana, along with the favourable winds of compassion, sweep away the poverty and accumulated wrong-doings of this young Chakora (meaning the Poet) and shower wealth  (8)

9. ishtä visishtamatayo’pi narä yayä dräk| drshtästrivishtapapadam sulabham -- ||

May the glance of Padmä, which is effulgent like a full-bloomed Lotus (Padma), becoming worthy of Whose favour the best of humans  obtain a place in the heaven easily,  Who is seated on a Lotus, bless me with my desired objects.

10. girdevateti garuda-dhvaja-sundariti | säkambhariti sasisekhara-vallabheti ||

May this prostration be to you, Who manifests  as the Väk-Devi (Sarasvati) at the time of creation, the Beautiful Consort of the one having the eagle as the vehicle/mount (Garudadhvaja=Vishnu) during sustenance, as Säkambhari (Pärvati) or as Beloved of the one adorned with the Moon (Sasisekhara or Siva) during dissolution, Who is ever-young and the Beloved of Näräyana, the preceptor of the three worlds. (10)

      11. srutyai namo’stu subhakarma-phala-prasutyai | ratyai namo’stu  ramaniya - ||

Mother! My prostrations to You who is the bestower of results of all auspicious actions. My prostrations to You, Rati, Who are embodiment of ocean of all virtues. My prostrations to You, who is the (Vaishnavi) Power, Who dwell in the garden of thousand petals (Lotus), My prostrations to You who is the beloved of the Purushottama (Lord Näräyana). (11)

12. namo’stu nälika nibhänanaye| namo’stu dugdhodadhi-janmabhutyai || namo’stu--’

My prostrations to Lotus-faced Kamalä. My prostrations to the One manifest out of the Ocean of Milk. My prostrations to the Sister (Sodari = born of the same womb, here same source i.e. the Ocean) of the Moon and Nectar. My prostrations to the Beloved of Näräyana. (12)

16. sampatkaräni sakalendriya-nandanäni | sämräjya-däna-vibhaväni (niratäni)-----||

O the Lotus-eyed Worshipful Mother! The prostrations offered to You are always ready to confer wealth, joy and delight to all the senses, gift of empires and ever ready neutralize all the wrong-doings (durita/s) of the devotees, May I always offer such prostrations to You. (16)

17. yat-katäksha samupäsanävidhih sevakasya sakalärtha-sampadah | santanoti ----||

For Whose compassionate glance the devotee does penance for fulfillment of all desires and increasing wealth, I worship that Queen of the heart of Muräri with my mind, speech.

18. sarasija-nilaye saroja-haste dhavalatamänsuka-gandha-mälya-sobhe | bhagavati  --’

May You Who dwell in the Lotus garden, Who holds the Lotus with the hand, Who are lustrous adorned with white garments, sandalwood and garlands, Whose glance is immensely captivating, Who are glorious in extending wealth to the three worlds, and Who are the Beloved of Hari, be compassionate to me. (18)

19. digg-hastibhih kanaka-kumbhamukhaväsrshtasvarvähini vimala-cäru-jala-- ||

May my prostrations at dawn be unto You, Whose is ceremonially bathed with pure Gangä-waters, through golden pots by the celestial elephants, who are Divine Mother of the Universe, Who are the Consort of the Lord of all the worlds (Vishnu), Daughter of the Ocean of Milk. (19)

20. kamale! kamälksha-vallabhe! tvam, karunäpüra-tarangitairapängaih ||

O! Lotus-born Goddess (Kamalä)! Beloved of the Lotus-eyed one (Vishnu)! May You cast your side-long glances drenched with flood of compassion, on me, the foremost among the poor, hence really worthy of your compassion. (20)

21. stuvanti ye stutibhir-amübhiranvaham trayimayim tribhuvana-mätaram ramäm ||

Those who worship the Mother of the three worlds and the Essence of the three Vedas with this Stotra daily, are bestowed with great qualities and fortune in this world, and earn the praise and respect of the learned. (21)

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