Kanakadhāra Stotraṃ

Origin

The hymn was written in the 8th century CE by Adi Sankara, a revered Hindu philosopher and theologian. Sankara took Sanyasa (renunciation) at the age of eight. One day, as a young boy, he was begging for alms to prepare his lunch and he went to the house of a very poor Brahmin lady to beg. The lady was upset because there was nothing edible in the house. After searching the house once again she found one amla(Amalak, gooseberry) fruit. She hesitantly offered it to Sankara. He was moved after seeing the plight of the woman and sang 21 hymns praising Goddess Lakshmi. The Goddess was so pleased that she appeared before him and asked him why he has remembered her. He asked the Goddess to grant riches to the poor woman. The Goddess first refused to do so because the lady had not done any work for charity in her previous birth and it is not possible to change one's fate. Sankara told the Goddess that she is the only one who is capable of changing the fate of someone by erasing or changing the writings of the future made by Lord Brahma. The Goddess was so pleased that she instantly showered the Brahmin lady's house with goose berries made of pure gold. The 21 stanzas became famous and are read by all devout Hindus.

Description

The hymn contains a description of the beauty, personality, power and graciousness of Goddess Lakshmi. Sankara does not distinguish between the three Goddesses of Hinduism. For him Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati are the same.

A brief summary of each of the stanzas is given below.

1. Goddess Lakshmi is attracted towards the supreme God Hari (Vishnu) like black bees being attracted to the un-opened buds of a Tamala (cinnamomum) tree.
2. She is born to the ocean of milk and her glances return to the lotus-like face of Lord Krishna like honey bees towards the not yet opened pretty blue lotus buds.
3. Let her who is the wife of Him, who sleeps on the snake, shower me with wealth.
4. Let her garland of glances that protect Lord Vishnu and give him great strength, fall on me also.
5. She is like a streak of lightning in the black-dark cloud (the chest of Lord Krishna).
6. Kamadeva, god of love could reach Lord Vishnu only through Her kind glances.
7. She is capable of making one as King of Devas in this world. Her side glance for a moment, enabled Lord Indra to regain his kingdom.
8. She grant’s heaven to all her devotees just through a compassionate glance. Let her sparkling eyes which are like the fully opened lotus fall on me. Grant me all my wishes.
9. O Goddess please show your mercy which is like wind, and shower the rain of wealth on this parched land.
10. She is the Goddess of knowledge, She is the darling of Lord Vishnu, She is the power that causes death at the time of deluge and She is the wife of Him who has the crescent on his head (Lord Siva ) and she does the creation, upkeep and destruction at various times.
11. O Goddess You are the embodiment of the Vedas, Rathi (wife of Kamadeva, the God of Love), Shakti(Goddess of strength) and Lakshmi, the Goddess of Plenty.
12. She is as pretty as a lotus in full bloom and she is born from the ocean of milk, sister of nectar and the moon.
13. She sits on the golden lotus, and She is the ruler of the universe, who showers mercy on Devas and She is the wife of him who has the bow called Saranga(Lord Vishnu).
14. She is the daughter of Rishi Bhrigu. She is the wife of the son of Nanda(Lord Krishna)
15. She has lotus like eyes, she is the earth and also the mother of the earth, worshipped by Devas and she is the consort of the son of Nanda (Lord Krishna).
16. She is the giver of wealth, giver of pleasure to all senses and also giver of the right to rule kingdoms.
17. One who is blessed by her side glances is blessed with wealth and prosperity. My salutations to the queen of the heart of Lord Vishnu.
18. She is the one who sits on the lotus, has a lotus in her hand, who is dressed in dazzling white clothes and one who wears garlands of gold and silver and sandal paste on her body.
19. Eight elephants from all the directions pour out holy water of the Ganga (which flows in heaven), for her holy, purifying bath.
20. She is the lotus, consort of Lord with lotus-eyes. O goddesses please turn your glances filled with mercy towards me who is the poorest of the poor.
21. One who recites these prayers daily on her who is the personification of Vedas and who is the mother of three worlds, who is also called as Rama (pronounced ruh-MA, not to be confused with the avatar Rama, pronounced RAA-ma), will be blessed with good and graceful qualities and great fortunes.