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Easy Roman is a Devanagari-based Sanskrit reading aid. IAST preserves scholarly distinctions. Where no Roman text was supplied, IAST is derived automatically from the Devanagari; this is not a certified pronunciation guide. Vernacular songs retain their supplied word forms and spoken endings. Easy Roman simplifies unambiguous diacritics; their scholarly view retains the supplied Roman form rather than inventing Sanskrit pronunciation. Selected bija spellings are kept where unambiguous.

Stotra

Kanakadhara Stotram (Hymn to Lakshmi)

Eighteen luminous verses seek Lakshmi’s compassionate glance and explore auspiciousness beyond wealth.

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Text, Meaning & Explanation

1

अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणमाश्रयन्ती भृङ्गाङ्गनेव मुकुलाभरणं तमालम् । अङ्गीकृताखिलविभूतिरपाङ्गलीला माङ्गल्यदास्तु मम मङ्गलदेवतायाः ॥ १ ॥

Roman Transliteration

angam hareh pulakabhooshanamaashrayantee bhringaanganeva mukulaabharanam tamaalam | angeekritaakhilavibhootirapaangaleelaa maangalyadaastu mama mangaladevataayaah || 1 ||aṅgaṃ hareḥ pulakabhūṣaṇamāśrayantī bhṛṅgāṅganeva mukulābharaṇaṃ tamālam | aṅgīkṛtākhilavibhūtirapāṅgalīlā māṅgalyadāstu mama maṅgaladevatāyāḥ || 1 ||

Meaning

May the auspicious goddess bring me well-being: her playful sidelong glance rests upon Hari’s form, adorned with the thrill of love, like a female bee settling on a dark tamāla tree decked with buds. All splendour seems to dwell in that glance.

Explanation

Lakshmi is not introduced through coins or treasure but through an intimate image of attention and tenderness. The dark tree evokes Vishnu, the bee her loving glance; the poet requests maṅgalya, a life made auspicious, rather than a guaranteed sum of money.Lakshmi is not introduced through coins or treasure but through an intimate image of attention and tenderness. The dark tree evokes Vishnu, the bee her loving glance; the poet requests maṅgalya, a life made auspicious, rather than a guaranteed sum of money.Lakṣmī is not introduced through coins or treasure but through an intimate image of attention and tenderness. The dark tree evokes Viṣṇu, the bee her loving glance; the poet requests maṅgalya, a life made auspicious, rather than a guaranteed sum of money.

2

मुग्धा मुहुर्विदधती वदने मुरारेः प्रेमत्रपाप्रणिहितानि गतागतानि । मालादृशोर्मधुकरीव महोत्पले या सा मे श्रियं दिशतु सागरसंभवायाः ॥ २ ॥

Roman Transliteration

mugdhaa muhurvidadhatee vadane muraareh prematrapaapranihitaani gataagataani | maalaadrishormadhukareeva mahotpale yaa saa me shriyam dishatu saagarasambhavaayaah || 2 ||mugdhā muhurvidadhatī vadane murāreḥ prematrapāpraṇihitāni gatāgatāni | mālādṛśormadhukarīva mahotpale yā sā me śriyaṃ diśatu sāgarasaṃbhavāyāḥ || 2 ||

Meaning

May the ocean-born goddess grant me prosperity. Her eyes move again and again toward Murāri’s face, then away in bashful love, like a bee circling a great lotus.

Explanation

The emotion is affection mixed with modesty, not fear. Shri here suggests flourishing and dignity as well as material prosperity. Calling Lakshmi “ocean-born” recalls the widespread mythic account of her appearance during the churning of the ocean.The emotion is affection mixed with modesty, not fear. Shri here suggests flourishing and dignity as well as material prosperity. Calling Lakshmi “ocean-born” recalls the widespread mythic account of her appearance during the churning of the ocean.The emotion is affection mixed with modesty, not fear. Śrī here suggests flourishing and dignity as well as material prosperity. Calling Lakṣmī “ocean-born” recalls the widespread mythic account of her appearance during the churning of the ocean.

3

विश्वामरेन्द्रपदविभ्रमदानदक्ष- मानन्दहेतुरधिकं मुरविद्विषोऽपि । ईषन्निषीदतु मयि क्षणमीक्षणार्द्ध- मिन्दीवरोदरसहोदरमिन्दिरायाः ॥ ३ ॥

Roman Transliteration

vishvaamarendrapadavibhramadaanadaksha- maanandaheturadhikam muravidvisho’pi | eeshannisheedatu mayi kshanameekshanaarddha- mindeevarodarasahodaramindiraayaah || 3 ||viśvāmarendrapadavibhramadānadakṣa- mānandaheturadhikaṃ muravidviṣo’pi | īṣanniṣīdatu mayi kṣaṇamīkṣaṇārddha- mindīvarodarasahodaramindirāyāḥ || 3 ||

Meaning

May even half of Indirā’s blue-lotus-dark glance rest on me for an instant. That glance is portrayed as capable of bestowing even the station of Indra and as a source of deep joy to the vanquisher of Mura.

Explanation

The poet deliberately asks for a tiny share—half a glance, a single moment. The grandeur of Indra’s position heightens the contrast with the supplicant’s humility. Such imagery is praise-poetry, not a measurable prediction about status or wealth.

4

आमीलिताक्षमधिगम्य मुदा मुकुन्द- मानन्दकन्दमनिमेषमनङ्गतन्त्रम् । आकेकरस्थितकनीनिकपक्ष्मनेत्रं भूत्यै भवेन्मम भुजंगशयाङ्गनायाः ॥ ४ ॥

Roman Transliteration

aameelitaakshamadhigamya mudaa mukunda- maanandakandamanimeshamanangatantram | aakekarasthitakaneenikapakshmanetram bhootyai bhavenmama bhujamgashayaanganaayaah || 4 ||āmīlitākṣamadhigamya mudā mukunda- mānandakandamanimeṣamanaṅgatantram | ākekarasthitakanīnikapakṣmanetraṃ bhūtyai bhavenmama bhujaṃgaśayāṅganāyāḥ || 4 ||

Meaning

May the eyes of the consort of the serpent-reclining Lord bring me well-being. They rest, half closed and gently sidelong, on Mukunda, the source of joy, in a moment of delighted, motionless absorption.

Explanation

The compact compounds describe the eyes, lashes, pupils and the delicacy of an affectionate look; their exact syntactic segmentation needs a Sanskrit specialist’s review. The verse treats Lakshmi’s attentive presence as a sign of bhūti—well-being and flourishing.The compact compounds describe the eyes, lashes, pupils and the delicacy of an affectionate look; their exact syntactic segmentation needs a Sanskrit specialist’s review. The verse treats Lakshmi’s attentive presence as a sign of bhūti—well-being and flourishing.The compact compounds describe the eyes, lashes, pupils and the delicacy of an affectionate look; their exact syntactic segmentation needs a Sanskrit specialist’s review. The verse treats Lakṣmī’s attentive presence as a sign of bhūti—well-being and flourishing.

5

बाह्वन्तरे मधुजितः श्रितकौस्तुभे या हारावलीव हरिनीलमयी विभाति । कामप्रदा भगवतोऽपि कटाक्षमाला कल्याणमावहतु मे कमलालयायाः ॥ ५ ॥

Roman Transliteration

baahvantare madhujitah shritakaustubhe yaa haaraavaleeva harineelamayee vibhaati | kaamapradaa bhagavato’pi kataakshamaalaa kalyaanamaavahatu me kamalaalayaayaah || 5 ||bāhvantare madhujitaḥ śritakaustubhe yā hārāvalīva harinīlamayī vibhāti | kāmapradā bhagavato’pi kaṭākṣamālā kalyāṇamāvahatu me kamalālayāyāḥ || 5 ||

Meaning

May the lotus-dwelling goddess’s garland of glances bring me good. It shines across the Kaustubha-adorned chest of the conqueror of Madhu like a row of deep blue jewels and is said to fulfil even the Lord’s wishes.

Explanation

The Kaustubha jewel places the image on Vishnu’s chest. A series of glances becomes a necklace, turning affection into an ornament. Kāma here means a wished-for good; the image need not be read as a promise of every desire being fulfilled.The Kaustubha jewel places the image on Vishnu’s chest. A series of glances becomes a necklace, turning affection into an ornament. Kāma here means a wished-for good; the image need not be read as a promise of every desire being fulfilled.The Kaustubha jewel places the image on Viṣṇu’s chest. A series of glances becomes a necklace, turning affection into an ornament. Kāma here means a wished-for good; the image need not be read as a promise of every desire being fulfilled.

6

कालाम्बुदालिललितोरसि कैटभारे- र्धाराधरे स्फुरति यत्तटिदङ्गनेव । मातुः समस्तजगतां महनीयमूर्ति- र्भद्राणि मे दिशतु भार्गवनन्दनायाः ॥ ६ ॥

Roman Transliteration

kaalaambudaalilalitorasi kaitabhaare- rdhaaraadhare sphurati yattatidanganeva | maatuh samastajagataam mahaneeyamoorti- rbhadraani me dishatu bhaargavanandanaayaah || 6 ||kālāmbudālilalitorasi kaiṭabhāre- rdhārādhare sphurati yattaṭidaṅganeva | mātuḥ samastajagatāṃ mahanīyamūrti- rbhadrāṇi me diśatu bhārgavanandanāyāḥ || 6 ||

Meaning

May the venerable form of the mother of all worlds grant me auspicious things. On the cloud-dark chest of the enemy of Kaiṭabha, she flashes like a streak of lightning against a rain-bearing sky.

Explanation

The pairing of dark cloud and lightning is a classical colour-image for Vishnu and Lakshmi. Bhārgavanandanā is a traditional epithet of the goddess. The stress again falls on bhadra—auspicious, life-supporting good.The pairing of dark cloud and lightning is a classical colour-image for Vishnu and Lakshmi. Bhārgavanandanā is a traditional epithet of the goddess. The stress again falls on bhadra—auspicious, life-supporting good.The pairing of dark cloud and lightning is a classical colour-image for Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī. Bhārgavanandanā is a traditional epithet of the goddess. The stress again falls on bhadra—auspicious, life-supporting good.

7

प्राप्तं पदं प्रथमतः खलु यत्प्रभावा- न्माङ्गल्यभाजि मधुमाथिनि मन्मथेन । मय्यापतेत्तदिह मन्थरमीक्षणार्धं मन्दालसं च मकरालयकन्यकायाः ॥ ७ ॥

Roman Transliteration

praaptam padam prathamatah khalu yatprabhaavaa- nmaangalyabhaaji madhumaathini manmathena | mayyaapatettadiha mantharameekshanaardham mandaalasam cha makaraalayakanyakaayaah || 7 ||prāptaṃ padaṃ prathamataḥ khalu yatprabhāvā- nmāṅgalyabhāji madhumāthini manmathena | mayyāpatettadiha mantharamīkṣaṇārdhaṃ mandālasaṃ ca makarālayakanyakāyāḥ || 7 ||

Meaning

May that slow, languid, half-glance of the ocean’s daughter fall upon me—the power through which Kāma is poetically said to have first found a place with the auspicious slayer of Madhu.

Explanation

The verse speaks in the language of love’s power: even the deity of desire draws strength from the goddess’s look. “Ocean’s daughter” and “slayer of Madhu” identify Lakshmi and Vishnu. The devotee asks to be seen, not to control another person.The verse speaks in the language of love’s power: even the deity of desire draws strength from the goddess’s look. “Ocean’s daughter” and “slayer of Madhu” identify Lakshmi and Vishnu. The devotee asks to be seen, not to control another person.The verse speaks in the language of love’s power: even the deity of desire draws strength from the goddess’s look. “Ocean’s daughter” and “slayer of Madhu” identify Lakṣmī and Viṣṇu. The devotee asks to be seen, not to control another person.

8

दद्याद्दयानुपवनो द्रविणाम्बुधारा- मस्मिन्नकिंचनविहंगशिशौ विषण्णे । दुष्कर्मधर्ममपनीय चिराय दूरं नारायणप्रणयिनीनयनाम्बुवाहः ॥ ८ ॥

Roman Transliteration

dadyaaddayaanupavano dravinaambudhaaraa- masminnakimchanavihamgashishau vishanne | dushkarmadharmamapaneeya chiraaya dooram naaraayanapranayineenayanaambuvaahah || 8 ||dadyāddayānupavano draviṇāmbudhārā- masminnakiṃcanavihaṃgaśiśau viṣaṇṇe | duṣkarmadharmamapanīya cirāya dūraṃ nārāyaṇapraṇayinīnayanāmbuvāhaḥ || 8 ||

Meaning

May the rain-cloud of Narayana’s beloved one’s eyes, driven by the breeze of compassion, shower abundance upon me, a distressed little bird with nothing. May the weight of harmful deeds be borne far away.May the rain-cloud of Narayana’s beloved one’s eyes, driven by the breeze of compassion, shower abundance upon me, a distressed little bird with nothing. May the weight of harmful deeds be borne far away.May the rain-cloud of Nārāyaṇa’s beloved one’s eyes, driven by the breeze of compassion, shower abundance upon me, a distressed little bird with nothing. May the weight of harmful deeds be borne far away.

Explanation

A helpless fledgling waiting for rain is the emotional centre of the verse. The request combines material relief and release from damaging habits or their consequences. This is devotional hope, not a claim that recitation erases legal responsibility or debt.

9

इष्टाविशिष्टमतयोऽपि यया दयार्द्र- दृष्ट्या त्रिविष्टपपदं सुलभं लभन्ते । दृष्टिः प्रहृष्टकमलोदरदीप्तिरिष्टां पुष्टिं कृषीष्ट मम पुष्करविष्टरायाः ॥ ९ ॥

Roman Transliteration

ishtaavishishtamatayo’pi yayaa dayaardra- drishtyaa trivishtapapadam sulabham labhante | drishtih prahrishtakamalodaradeeptirishtaam pushtim krisheeshta mama pushkaravishtaraayaah || 9 ||iṣṭāviśiṣṭamatayo’pi yayā dayārdra- dṛṣṭyā triviṣṭapapadaṃ sulabhaṃ labhante | dṛṣṭiḥ prahṛṣṭakamalodaradīptiriṣṭāṃ puṣṭiṃ kṛṣīṣṭa mama puṣkaraviṣṭarāyāḥ || 9 ||

Meaning

May the lotus-seat goddess’s merciful gaze, radiant like the heart of an opening lotus, bring me the nourishment and flourishing I seek; through such compassion, even persons of limited discernment are imagined to reach exalted states.

Explanation

Puṣṭi means nourishment, growth and strength, not merely profit. The poetic contrast between ordinary capacities and an extraordinary destiny magnifies grace. The source spelling of the opening compound calls for a specialist grammatical check.

10
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गीर्देवतेति गरुडध्वजसुन्दरीति शाकंभरीति शशिशेखरवल्लभेति । सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयकेलिषु संस्थितायै तस्यै नमस्त्रिभुवनैकगुरोस्तरुण्यै ॥ १० ॥

Roman Transliteration

geerdevateti garudadhvajasundareeti shaakambhareeti shashishekharavallabheti | srishtisthitipralayakelishu samsthitaayai tasyai namastribhuvanaikagurostarunyai || 10 ||gīrdevateti garuḍadhvajasundarīti śākaṃbharīti śaśiśekharavallabheti | sṛṣṭisthitipralayakeliṣu saṃsthitāyai tasyai namastribhuvanaikagurostaruṇyai || 10 ||

Meaning

Salutations to the goddess called the deity of speech, the beloved of the Garuḍa-bannered Lord, Śākambharī and the beloved of the moon-crested Lord: the divine feminine present in creation, sustaining and dissolution.

Explanation

A striking theological expansion presents goddess-names associated with more than one tradition. Rather than claiming these deities have identical stories, the poet celebrates the sustaining feminine power across cosmic functions.

11

श्रुत्यै नमोऽस्तु शुभकर्मफलप्रसूत्यै रत्यै नमोऽस्तु रमणीयगुणार्णवायै । शक्त्यै नमोऽस्तु शतपत्रनिकेतनायै पुष्ट्यै नमोऽस्तु पुरुषोत्तमवल्लभायै ॥ ११ ॥

Roman Transliteration

shrutyai namo’stu shubhakarmaphalaprasootyai ratyai namo’stu ramaneeyagunaarnavaayai | shaktyai namo’stu shatapatraniketanaayai pushtyai namo’stu purushottamavallabhaayai || 11 ||śrutyai namo’stu śubhakarmaphalaprasūtyai ratyai namo’stu ramaṇīyaguṇārṇavāyai | śaktyai namo’stu śatapatraniketanāyai puṣṭyai namo’stu puruṣottamavallabhāyai || 11 ||

Meaning

Homage to her as sacred learning and the source of the fruits of good acts; homage to her as delight and an ocean of lovely qualities; homage as power dwelling in the hundred-petalled lotus; homage as nourishment beloved of Puruṣottama.

Explanation

The four salutations expand “prosperity” into learning, ethical action, affection, energy and sustenance. They resist a narrow reading of Lakshmi as money alone. The names śruti, rati, shakti and puṣṭi represent qualities celebrated in the praise.The four salutations expand “prosperity” into learning, ethical action, affection, energy and sustenance. They resist a narrow reading of Lakshmi as money alone. The names śruti, rati, shakti and puṣṭi represent qualities celebrated in the praise.The four salutations expand “prosperity” into learning, ethical action, affection, energy and sustenance. They resist a narrow reading of Lakṣmī as money alone. The names śruti, rati, śakti and puṣṭi represent qualities celebrated in the praise.

12

नमोऽस्तु नालीकनिभाननायै नमोऽस्तु दुग्धोदधिजन्मभूम्यै । नमोऽस्तु सोमामृतसोदरायै नमोऽस्तु नारायणवल्लभायै ॥ १२ ॥

Roman Transliteration

namo’stu naaleekanibhaananaayai namo’stu dugdhodadhijanmabhoomyai | namo’stu somaamritasodaraayai namo’stu naaraayanavallabhaayai || 12 ||namo’stu nālīkanibhānanāyai namo’stu dugdhodadhijanmabhūmyai | namo’stu somāmṛtasodarāyai namo’stu nārāyaṇavallabhāyai || 12 ||

Meaning

Salutations to her lotus-like face; salutations to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk; salutations to her who is kin to the moon and nectar; salutations to the beloved of Narayana.Salutations to her lotus-like face; salutations to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk; salutations to her who is kin to the moon and nectar; salutations to the beloved of Narayana.Salutations to her lotus-like face; salutations to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk; salutations to her who is kin to the moon and nectar; salutations to the beloved of Nārāyaṇa.

Explanation

Each epithet layers a different association: lotus beauty, the milk-ocean myth, the moon and amṛta, and her loving relation with Vishnu. These are mythic-poetic identifiers, not claims about literal geography.Each epithet layers a different association: lotus beauty, the milk-ocean myth, the moon and amṛta, and her loving relation with Vishnu. These are mythic-poetic identifiers, not claims about literal geography.Each epithet layers a different association: lotus beauty, the milk-ocean myth, the moon and amṛta, and her loving relation with Viṣṇu. These are mythic-poetic identifiers, not claims about literal geography.

13

संपत्कराणि सकलेन्द्रियनन्दनानि साम्राज्यदानविभवानि सरोरुहाक्षि । त्वद्वन्दनानि दुरिताहरणोद्यतानि मामेव मातरनिशं कलयन्तु मान्ये ॥ १३ ॥

Roman Transliteration

sampatkaraani sakalendriyanandanaani saamraajyadaanavibhavaani saroruhaakshi | tvadvandanaani duritaaharanodyataani maameva maataranisham kalayantu maanye || 13 ||saṃpatkarāṇi sakalendriyanandanāni sāmrājyadānavibhavāni saroruhākṣi | tvadvandanāni duritāharaṇodyatāni māmeva mātaraniśaṃ kalayantu mānye || 13 ||

Meaning

Lotus-eyed, honoured Mother, may my acts of salutation to you remain with me day and night. They are praised as bringing well-being, delight to the senses, great abundance and relief from misfortune.

Explanation

The wish to remember the goddess “always” is central. The language of dominion and rich gifts is conventional praise; an ethical reading connects abundance to generosity, good judgment and responsible conduct rather than entitlement.

14

यत्कटाक्षसमुपासनाविधिः सेवकस्य सकलार्थसंपदः । संतनोति वचनाङ्गमानसै- स्त्वां मुरारिहृदयेश्वरीं भजे ॥ १४ ॥

Roman Transliteration

yatkataakshasamupaasanaavidhih sevakasya sakalaarthasampadah | samtanoti vachanaangamaanasai- stvaam muraarihridayeshvareem bhaje || 14 ||yatkaṭākṣasamupāsanāvidhiḥ sevakasya sakalārthasaṃpadaḥ | saṃtanoti vacanāṅgamānasai- stvāṃ murārihṛdayeśvarīṃ bhaje || 14 ||

Meaning

I worship you, sovereign of Murāri’s heart, through word, body and mind. The way of honouring your sidelong grace is celebrated as extending every kind of meaningful abundance to the devotee.

Explanation

The triad of speech, action and thought makes devotion an integrated ethical orientation rather than a merely spoken formula. The compound about worshipping the glance is compressed and its construction should be checked in the historical print.

15

सरसिजनिलये सरोजहस्ते धवलतमांशुकगन्धमाल्यशोभे । भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवनभूतिकरि प्रसीद मह्यम् ॥ १५ ॥

Roman Transliteration

sarasijanilaye sarojahaste dhavalatamaamshukagandhamaalyashobhe | bhagavati harivallabhe manojne tribhuvanabhootikari praseeda mahyam || 15 ||sarasijanilaye sarojahaste dhavalatamāṃśukagandhamālyaśobhe | bhagavati harivallabhe manojñe tribhuvanabhūtikari prasīda mahyam || 15 ||

Meaning

O lotus-dwelling, lotus-handed goddess, adorned with bright garments, fragrance and garlands; beloved of Hari, gracious and lovely, who brings flourishing to the three worlds—be kind to me.

Explanation

The hymn shifts from ornate descriptions of Lakshmi’s glance into a direct prayer for kindness. Lotus, scent and garland evoke freshness, beauty and sacred welcome; their details do not prescribe a compulsory ritual kit.The hymn shifts from ornate descriptions of Lakshmi’s glance into a direct prayer for kindness. Lotus, scent and garland evoke freshness, beauty and sacred welcome; their details do not prescribe a compulsory ritual kit.The hymn shifts from ornate descriptions of Lakṣmī’s glance into a direct prayer for kindness. Lotus, scent and garland evoke freshness, beauty and sacred welcome; their details do not prescribe a compulsory ritual kit.

16

दिग्घस्तिभिः कनककुम्भमुखावसृष्ट- स्वर्वाहिनीविमलचारुजलप्लुताङ्गीम् । प्रातर्नमामि जगतां जननीमशेष- लोकाधिनाथगृहिणीममृताब्धिपुत्रीम् ॥ १६ ॥

Roman Transliteration

digghastibhih kanakakumbhamukhaavasrishta- svarvaahineevimalachaarujalaplutaangeem | praatarnamaami jagataam jananeemashesha- lokaadhinaathagrihineemamritaabdhiputreem || 16 ||digghastibhiḥ kanakakumbhamukhāvasṛṣṭa- svarvāhinīvimalacārujalaplutāṅgīm | prātarnamāmi jagatāṃ jananīmaśeṣa- lokādhināthagṛhiṇīmamṛtābdhiputrīm || 16 ||

Meaning

At dawn I bow to the mother of the worlds, consort of the lord of all realms and daughter of the ocean of nectar, imagined bathed in pure, beautiful celestial waters poured from golden pitchers by the elephants of the quarters.

Explanation

This is an iconographic image of Lakshmi’s royal bathing, familiar from Gaja-Lakshmi representations. The first compound is a tentative normalization of an apparent error in the digital witness and must be collated to the print before approval.This is an iconographic image of Lakshmi’s royal bathing, familiar from Gaja-Lakshmi representations. The first compound is a tentative normalization of an apparent error in the digital witness and must be collated to the print before approval.This is an iconographic image of Lakṣmī’s royal bathing, familiar from Gaja-Lakṣmī representations. The first compound is a tentative normalization of an apparent error in the digital witness and must be collated to the print before approval.

17

कमले कमलाक्षवल्लभे त्वं करुणापूरतरङ्गितैरपाङ्गैः । अवलोकय मामकिंचनानां प्रथमं पात्रमकृत्रिमं दयायाः ॥ १७ ॥

Roman Transliteration

kamale kamalaakshavallabhe tvam karunaapooratarangitairapaangaih | avalokaya maamakimchanaanaam prathamam paatramakritrimam dayaayaah || 17 ||kamale kamalākṣavallabhe tvaṃ karuṇāpūrataraṅgitairapāṅgaiḥ | avalokaya māmakiṃcanānāṃ prathamaṃ pātramakṛtrimaṃ dayāyāḥ || 17 ||

Meaning

O Kamala, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look upon me with sidelong glances rippling with a flood of compassion. Among those who possess nothing, I ask to be seen as a genuine recipient of kindness.O Kamala, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look upon me with sidelong glances rippling with a flood of compassion. Among those who possess nothing, I ask to be seen as a genuine recipient of kindness.O Kamalā, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look upon me with sidelong glances rippling with a flood of compassion. Among those who possess nothing, I ask to be seen as a genuine recipient of kindness.

Explanation

The hymn approaches its emotional climax in a simple, vulnerable appeal. Akiñcana can mean one without possessions or one who has relinquished possessiveness; the petitioner asks for unpretentious compassion, not superiority over others.

18

स्तुवन्ति ये स्तुतिभिरमीभिरन्वहं त्रयीमयीं त्रिभुवनमातरं रमाम् । गुणाधिका गुरुतरभाग्यभाजिनो भवन्ति ते भुवि बुधभाविताशयाः ॥ १८ ॥

Roman Transliteration

stuvanti ye stutibhirameebhiranvaham trayeemayeem tribhuvanamaataram ramaam | gunaadhikaa gurutarabhaagyabhaajino bhavanti te bhuvi budhabhaavitaashayaah || 18 ||stuvanti ye stutibhiramībhiranvahaṃ trayīmayīṃ tribhuvanamātaraṃ ramām | guṇādhikā gurutarabhāgyabhājino bhavanti te bhuvi budhabhāvitāśayāḥ || 18 ||

Meaning

Those who continually praise Rama, mother of the three worlds and embodiment of Vedic learning, are portrayed as rich in good qualities and great good fortune, their intentions esteemed by discerning people.Those who continually praise Rama, mother of the three worlds and embodiment of Vedic learning, are portrayed as rich in good qualities and great good fortune, their intentions esteemed by discerning people.Those who continually praise Ramā, mother of the three worlds and embodiment of Vedic learning, are portrayed as rich in good qualities and great good fortune, their intentions esteemed by discerning people.

Explanation

This concluding verse has the character of a phalaśruti, a statement of devotional fruit, but it is numbered verse 18 within the chosen witness. It describes a religious ideal; no specific financial return or ritual schedule is assured.

19
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इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यस्य श्रीगोविन्दभगवत्पूज्यपादशिष्यस्य श्रीमच्छंकरभगवतः कृतौ कनकधारास्तोत्रं संपूर्णम् ॥

Roman Transliteration

iti shreematparamahamsaparivraajakaachaaryasya shreegovindabhagavatpoojyapaadashishyasya shreemachchhamkarabhagavatah kritau kanakadhaaraastotram sampoornam ||iti śrīmatparamahaṃsaparivrājakācāryasya śrīgovindabhagavatpūjyapādaśiṣyasya śrīmacchaṃkarabhagavataḥ kṛtau kanakadhārāstotraṃ saṃpūrṇam ||

Meaning

The printed closing formula presents this hymn within the works attributed to Shankara, described as disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda. This is an attribution formula, not independent proof of authorship.The printed closing formula presents this hymn within the works attributed to Shankara, described as disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda. This is an attribution formula, not independent proof of authorship.The printed closing formula presents this hymn within the works attributed to Śaṅkara, described as disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda. This is an attribution formula, not independent proof of authorship.

Explanation

The colophon is paratext, not a nineteenth or additional principal verse.

Context & Usage

Edition notice: The selected 18-verse digital transcription is Ambuda’s CC0 1910 Shri Vani Vilas-linked recension. Two tentative, transparently documented editorial adjustments affect verses 8 and 16; the historical print has digital transcription is Ambuda’s CC0 1910 Sri Vani Vilas-linked recension. Two tentative, transparently documented editorial adjustments affect verses 8 and 16; the historical print has not been independently collated. Unpublished educational edition. 1 2

Closing colophon

Meaning: The printed closing formula presents this hymn within the works attributed to Shankara, described as disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda. This is an attribution formula, not independent proof of authorship. The printed closing formula presents this hymn within the works attributed to Śaṅkara, described as disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda. This is an attribution formula, not independent proof of authorship. Explanation: The colophon is paratext, not a nineteenth or additional principal verse.

What the poem is saying

The title Kanakadhārā evokes a “stream of gold,” yet most of the poetry dwells on Lakshmi’s sidelong glanceLakṣmī’s sidelong glance—the tiny movement of loving attention that opens into a meditation on compassion. Bees and lotuses, raincloud and lightning, ornaments and sacred bathing give physical shape to grace. Vishnu appears as Hari, Murāri, Madhujit and Narayana; the hymn repeatedly addresses the goddess as his beloved.—the tiny movement of loving attention that opens into a meditation on compassion. Bees and lotuses, raincloud and lightning, ornaments and sacred bathing give physical shape to grace. Viṣṇu appears as Hari, Murāri, Madhujit and Nārāyaṇa; the hymn repeatedly addresses the goddess as his beloved.

Shankara and the golden-gooseberry storyŚaṅkara and the golden-gooseberry story

A familiar devotional story says that young Shankara received a single āmalaka (Indian gooseberry) from a woman with little to spare, praised Lakshmi, and witnessed golden gooseberries shower down. This is a A familiar devotional story says that young Śaṅkara received a single āmalaka (Indian gooseberry) from a woman with little to spare, praised Lakṣmī, and witnessed golden gooseberries shower down. This is a traditional hagiographic account, not a verified event report. The selected digital text’s colophon attributes the hymn to Shankara, disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda; neither that statement nor inclusion in a 1910 collection proves personal authorship. , not a verified event report. The selected digital text’s colophon attributes the hymn to Śaṅkara, disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpāda; neither that statement nor inclusion in a 1910 collection proves personal authorship. 1 3

Which text has been included? Exactly 18 numbered verses and the closing attribution formula. Some 21- and 25-verse recitations incorporate extra namo’stu praises, additional prayers or another phalaśruti; they are not silently grafted onto this edition. In verse 8, a word boundary has been provisionally joined; in verse 16 the Ambuda form दिघ्वस्तिभिः is provisionally normalized to दिग्घस्तिभिः, pending print collation. 1 3 4

Frequently asked questions

Does the hymn guarantee wealth? No. The poem voices a devotional hope for abundance and relief from hardship; it supplies no evidence or measurable guarantee of financial outcomes. Why do websites list 18, 21 or more verses? Recitation traditions vary in ordering and extra prayers. Counts only make sense against a named witness; this particular edition uses eighteen main verses. Is initiation needed to read the hymn? This is a publicly recited praise hymn. This edition does not prescribe recitation counts, initiation practices, or result-oriented rites.

Related resources

  • related reading — Lakshmirelated reading — Lakṣmī
  • related reading — Vishnurelated reading — Viṣṇu
  • related reading — Shri Sūktam (a distinct Vedic text)related reading — Śrī Sūktam (a distinct Vedic text)

Related Reading

Sources, Credits & Licensing

Founder-authorized educational edition. Independent textual and specialist review remains incomplete; this reading does not confer initiation or ritual authorization.

Electronic Sanskrit: Ambuda, CC0 1.0; 1910 Vani Vilas source. Romanization and bilingual prose: ShivGoraksh.

Text licence

Original Roman reading

The Roman reading recorded with this edition, retaining its spelling and word forms before the Easy Roman display conversion.

  1. 1

    aṅgaṃ hareḥ pulakabhūṣaṇamāśrayantī bhṛṅgāṅganeva mukulābharaṇaṃ tamālam | aṅgīkṛtākhilavibhūtirapāṅgalīlā māṅgalyadāstu mama maṅgaladevatāyāḥ || 1 ||

  2. 2

    mugdhā muhurvidadhatī vadane murāreḥ prematrapāpraṇihitāni gatāgatāni | mālādṛśormadhukarīva mahotpale yā sā me śriyaṃ diśatu sāgarasaṃbhavāyāḥ || 2 ||

  3. 3

    viśvāmarendrapadavibhramadānadakṣa- mānandaheturadhikaṃ muravidviṣo’pi | īṣanniṣīdatu mayi kṣaṇamīkṣaṇārddha- mindīvarodarasahodaramindirāyāḥ || 3 ||

  4. 4

    āmīlitākṣamadhigamya mudā mukunda- mānandakandamanimeṣamanaṅgatantram | ākekarasthitakanīnikapakṣmanetraṃ bhūtyai bhavenmama bhujaṃgaśayāṅganāyāḥ || 4 ||

  5. 5

    bāhvantare madhujitaḥ śritakaustubhe yā hārāvalīva harinīlamayī vibhāti | kāmapradā bhagavato’pi kaṭākṣamālā kalyāṇamāvahatu me kamalālayāyāḥ || 5 ||

  6. 6

    kālāmbudālilalitorasi kaiṭabhāre- rdhārādhare sphurati yattaṭidaṅganeva | mātuḥ samastajagatāṃ mahanīyamūrti- rbhadrāṇi me diśatu bhārgavanandanāyāḥ || 6 ||

  7. 7

    prāptaṃ padaṃ prathamataḥ khalu yatprabhāvā- nmāṅgalyabhāji madhumāthini manmathena | mayyāpatettadiha mantharamīkṣaṇārdhaṃ mandālasaṃ ca makarālayakanyakāyāḥ || 7 ||

  8. 8

    dadyāddayānupavano draviṇāmbudhārā- masminnakiṃcanavihaṃgaśiśau viṣaṇṇe | duṣkarmadharmamapanīya cirāya dūraṃ nārāyaṇapraṇayinīnayanāmbuvāhaḥ || 8 ||

  9. 9

    iṣṭāviśiṣṭamatayo’pi yayā dayārdra- dṛṣṭyā triviṣṭapapadaṃ sulabhaṃ labhante | dṛṣṭiḥ prahṛṣṭakamalodaradīptiriṣṭāṃ puṣṭiṃ kṛṣīṣṭa mama puṣkaraviṣṭarāyāḥ || 9 ||

  10. 10

    gīrdevateti garuḍadhvajasundarīti śākaṃbharīti śaśiśekharavallabheti | sṛṣṭisthitipralayakeliṣu saṃsthitāyai tasyai namastribhuvanaikagurostaruṇyai || 10 ||

  11. 11

    śrutyai namo’stu śubhakarmaphalaprasūtyai ratyai namo’stu ramaṇīyaguṇārṇavāyai | śaktyai namo’stu śatapatraniketanāyai puṣṭyai namo’stu puruṣottamavallabhāyai || 11 ||

  12. 12

    namo’stu nālīkanibhānanāyai namo’stu dugdhodadhijanmabhūmyai | namo’stu somāmṛtasodarāyai namo’stu nārāyaṇavallabhāyai || 12 ||

  13. 13

    saṃpatkarāṇi sakalendriyanandanāni sāmrājyadānavibhavāni saroruhākṣi | tvadvandanāni duritāharaṇodyatāni māmeva mātaraniśaṃ kalayantu mānye || 13 ||

  14. 14

    yatkaṭākṣasamupāsanāvidhiḥ sevakasya sakalārthasaṃpadaḥ | saṃtanoti vacanāṅgamānasai- stvāṃ murārihṛdayeśvarīṃ bhaje || 14 ||

  15. 15

    sarasijanilaye sarojahaste dhavalatamāṃśukagandhamālyaśobhe | bhagavati harivallabhe manojñe tribhuvanabhūtikari prasīda mahyam || 15 ||

  16. 16

    digghastibhiḥ kanakakumbhamukhāvasṛṣṭa- svarvāhinīvimalacārujalaplutāṅgīm | prātarnamāmi jagatāṃ jananīmaśeṣa- lokādhināthagṛhiṇīmamṛtābdhiputrīm || 16 ||

  17. 17

    kamale kamalākṣavallabhe tvaṃ karuṇāpūrataraṅgitairapāṅgaiḥ | avalokaya māmakiṃcanānāṃ prathamaṃ pātramakṛtrimaṃ dayāyāḥ || 17 ||

  18. 18

    stuvanti ye stutibhiramībhiranvahaṃ trayīmayīṃ tribhuvanamātaraṃ ramām | guṇādhikā gurutarabhāgyabhājino bhavanti te bhuvi budhabhāvitāśayāḥ || 18 ||

  19. 19

    iti śrīmatparamahaṃsaparivrājakācāryasya śrīgovindabhagavatpūjyapādaśiṣyasya śrīmacchaṃkarabhagavataḥ kṛtau kanakadhārāstotraṃ saṃpūrṇam ||

Sources and editorial controls

  • 1 Ambuda: full 18-verse CC0 electronic edition read; linked to Sri Vani Vilas Press (1910).
  • 2 Identified 1910 printed edition, Vol. 18; original printed pages not directly inspected.
  • 3 Stotra Nidhi and 4 Vaidika Vignanam: comparative digital recensions and counts.
  • All variant readings and rights questions are recorded individually in the source list.
Additional passage commentary

These meanings and explanations are independently authored for ShivGoraksh and do not replace the original Sanskrit.

Verse 1

Meaning: May the auspicious goddess bring me well-being: her playful sidelong glance rests upon Hari’s form, adorned with the thrill of love, like a female bee settling on a dark tamāla tree decked with buds. All splendour seems to dwell in that glance. Explanation: Lakshmi is not introduced through coins or treasure but through an intimate image of attention and tenderness. The dark tree evokes Vishnu, the bee her loving glance; the poet requests maṅgalya, a life made auspicious, rather than a guaranteed sum of money. Lakṣmī is not introduced through coins or treasure but through an intimate image of attention and tenderness. The dark tree evokes Viṣṇu, the bee her loving glance; the poet requests maṅgalya, a life made auspicious, rather than a guaranteed sum of money.

Verse 2

Meaning: May the ocean-born goddess grant me prosperity. Her eyes move again and again toward Murāri’s face, then away in bashful love, like a bee circling a great lotus. Explanation: The emotion is affection mixed with modesty, not fear. Shri here suggests flourishing and dignity as well as material prosperity. Calling Lakshmi “ocean-born” recalls the widespread mythic account of her appearance during the churning of the ocean. The emotion is affection mixed with modesty, not fear. Śrī here suggests flourishing and dignity as well as material prosperity. Calling Lakṣmī “ocean-born” recalls the widespread mythic account of her appearance during the churning of the ocean.

Verse 3

Meaning: May even half of Indirā’s blue-lotus-dark glance rest on me for an instant. That glance is portrayed as capable of bestowing even the station of Indra and as a source of deep joy to the vanquisher of Mura. Explanation: The poet deliberately asks for a tiny share—half a glance, a single moment. The grandeur of Indra’s position heightens the contrast with the supplicant’s humility. Such imagery is praise-poetry, not a measurable prediction about status or wealth.

Verse 4

Meaning: May the eyes of the consort of the serpent-reclining Lord bring me well-being. They rest, half closed and gently sidelong, on Mukunda, the source of joy, in a moment of delighted, motionless absorption. Explanation: The compact compounds describe the eyes, lashes, pupils and the delicacy of an affectionate look; their exact syntactic segmentation needs a Sanskrit specialist’s review. The verse treats Lakshmi’s attentive presence as a sign of bhūti—well-being and flourishing. The compact compounds describe the eyes, lashes, pupils and the delicacy of an affectionate look; their exact syntactic segmentation needs a Sanskrit specialist’s review. The verse treats Lakṣmī’s attentive presence as a sign of bhūti—well-being and flourishing.

Verse 5

Meaning: May the lotus-dwelling goddess’s garland of glances bring me good. It shines across the Kaustubha-adorned chest of the conqueror of Madhu like a row of deep blue jewels and is said to fulfil even the Lord’s wishes. Explanation: The Kaustubha jewel places the image on Vishnu’s chest. A series of glances becomes a necklace, turning affection into an ornament. Kāma here means a wished-for good; the image need not be read as a promise of every desire being fulfilled. The Kaustubha jewel places the image on Viṣṇu’s chest. A series of glances becomes a necklace, turning affection into an ornament. Kāma here means a wished-for good; the image need not be read as a promise of every desire being fulfilled.

Verse 6

Meaning: May the venerable form of the mother of all worlds grant me auspicious things. On the cloud-dark chest of the enemy of Kaiṭabha, she flashes like a streak of lightning against a rain-bearing sky. Explanation: The pairing of dark cloud and lightning is a classical colour-image for Vishnu and Lakshmi. Bhārgavanandanā is a traditional epithet of the goddess. The stress again falls on bhadra—auspicious, life-supporting good. The pairing of dark cloud and lightning is a classical colour-image for Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī. Bhārgavanandanā is a traditional epithet of the goddess. The stress again falls on bhadra—auspicious, life-supporting good.

Verse 7

Meaning: May that slow, languid, half-glance of the ocean’s daughter fall upon me—the power through which Kāma is poetically said to have first found a place with the auspicious slayer of Madhu. Explanation: The verse speaks in the language of love’s power: even the deity of desire draws strength from the goddess’s look. “Ocean’s daughter” and “slayer of Madhu” identify Lakshmi and Vishnu. The devotee asks to be seen, not to control another person. The verse speaks in the language of love’s power: even the deity of desire draws strength from the goddess’s look. “Ocean’s daughter” and “slayer of Madhu” identify Lakṣmī and Viṣṇu. The devotee asks to be seen, not to control another person.

Verse 8

Meaning: May the rain-cloud of Narayana’s beloved one’s eyes, driven by the breeze of compassion, shower abundance upon me, a distressed little bird with nothing. May the weight of harmful deeds be borne far away. May the rain-cloud of Nārāyaṇa’s beloved one’s eyes, driven by the breeze of compassion, shower abundance upon me, a distressed little bird with nothing. May the weight of harmful deeds be borne far away. Explanation: A helpless fledgling waiting for rain is the emotional centre of the verse. The request combines material relief and release from damaging habits or their consequences. This is devotional hope, not a claim that recitation erases legal responsibility or debt.

Verse 9

Meaning: May the lotus-seat goddess’s merciful gaze, radiant like the heart of an opening lotus, bring me the nourishment and flourishing I seek; through such compassion, even persons of limited discernment are imagined to reach exalted states. Explanation: Puṣṭi means nourishment, growth and strength, not merely profit. The poetic contrast between ordinary capacities and an extraordinary destiny magnifies grace. The source spelling of the opening compound calls for a specialist grammatical check.

Verse 10

Meaning: Salutations to the goddess called the deity of speech, the beloved of the Garuḍa-bannered Lord, Śākambharī and the beloved of the moon-crested Lord: the divine feminine present in creation, sustaining and dissolution. Explanation: A striking theological expansion presents goddess-names associated with more than one tradition. Rather than claiming these deities have identical stories, the poet celebrates the sustaining feminine power across cosmic functions.

Verse 11

Meaning: Homage to her as sacred learning and the source of the fruits of good acts; homage to her as delight and an ocean of lovely qualities; homage as power dwelling in the hundred-petalled lotus; homage as nourishment beloved of Puruṣottama. Explanation: The four salutations expand “prosperity” into learning, ethical action, affection, energy and sustenance. They resist a narrow reading of Lakshmi as money alone. The names śruti, rati, shakti and puṣṭi represent qualities celebrated in the praise. The four salutations expand “prosperity” into learning, ethical action, affection, energy and sustenance. They resist a narrow reading of Lakṣmī as money alone. The names śruti, rati, śakti and puṣṭi represent qualities celebrated in the praise.

Verse 12

Meaning: Salutations to her lotus-like face; salutations to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk; salutations to her who is kin to the moon and nectar; salutations to the beloved of Narayana. Salutations to her lotus-like face; salutations to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk; salutations to her who is kin to the moon and nectar; salutations to the beloved of Nārāyaṇa. Explanation: Each epithet layers a different association: lotus beauty, the milk-ocean myth, the moon and amṛta, and her loving relation with Vishnu. These are mythic-poetic identifiers, not claims about literal geography. Each epithet layers a different association: lotus beauty, the milk-ocean myth, the moon and amṛta, and her loving relation with Viṣṇu. These are mythic-poetic identifiers, not claims about literal geography.

Verse 13

Meaning: Lotus-eyed, honoured Mother, may my acts of salutation to you remain with me day and night. They are praised as bringing well-being, delight to the senses, great abundance and relief from misfortune. Explanation: The wish to remember the goddess “always” is central. The language of dominion and rich gifts is conventional praise; an ethical reading connects abundance to generosity, good judgment and responsible conduct rather than entitlement.

Verse 14

Meaning: I worship you, sovereign of Murāri’s heart, through word, body and mind. The way of honouring your sidelong grace is celebrated as extending every kind of meaningful abundance to the devotee. Explanation: The triad of speech, action and thought makes devotion an integrated ethical orientation rather than a merely spoken formula. The compound about worshipping the glance is compressed and its construction should be checked in the historical print.

Verse 15

Meaning: O lotus-dwelling, lotus-handed goddess, adorned with bright garments, fragrance and garlands; beloved of Hari, gracious and lovely, who brings flourishing to the three worlds—be kind to me. Explanation: The hymn shifts from ornate descriptions of Lakshmi’s glance into a direct prayer for kindness. Lotus, scent and garland evoke freshness, beauty and sacred welcome; their details do not prescribe a compulsory ritual kit. The hymn shifts from ornate descriptions of Lakṣmī’s glance into a direct prayer for kindness. Lotus, scent and garland evoke freshness, beauty and sacred welcome; their details do not prescribe a compulsory ritual kit.

Verse 16

Meaning: At dawn I bow to the mother of the worlds, consort of the lord of all realms and daughter of the ocean of nectar, imagined bathed in pure, beautiful celestial waters poured from golden pitchers by the elephants of the quarters. Explanation: This is an iconographic image of Lakshmi’s royal bathing, familiar from Gaja-Lakshmi representations. The first compound is a tentative normalization of an apparent error in the digital witness and must be collated to the print before approval. This is an iconographic image of Lakṣmī’s royal bathing, familiar from Gaja-Lakṣmī representations. The first compound is a tentative normalization of an apparent error in the digital witness and must be collated to the print before approval.

Verse 17

Meaning: O Kamala, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look upon me with sidelong glances rippling with a flood of compassion. Among those who possess nothing, I ask to be seen as a genuine recipient of kindness. O Kamalā, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look upon me with sidelong glances rippling with a flood of compassion. Among those who possess nothing, I ask to be seen as a genuine recipient of kindness. Explanation: The hymn approaches its emotional climax in a simple, vulnerable appeal. Akiñcana can mean one without possessions or one who has relinquished possessiveness; the petitioner asks for unpretentious compassion, not superiority over others.

Verse 18

Meaning: Those who continually praise Rama, mother of the three worlds and embodiment of Vedic learning, are portrayed as rich in good qualities and great good fortune, their intentions esteemed by discerning people. Those who continually praise Ramā, mother of the three worlds and embodiment of Vedic learning, are portrayed as rich in good qualities and great good fortune, their intentions esteemed by discerning people. Explanation: This concluding verse has the character of a phalaśruti, a statement of devotional fruit, but it is numbered verse 18 within the chosen witness. It describes a religious ideal; no specific financial return or ritual schedule is assured.

  1. कनकधारास्तोत्रम् — Ambuda CC0 machine-readable edition of The Works of Sri Sankaracharya, Vol. 18 · Open source
  2. The Works of Sri Sankaracharya, Volume 18, Stotras Part 2 (1910) · Open source
  3. Kanakadhara Stotram: textual-family notes and 18/21/25 counts · Open source
  4. Kanakadhārā Stotram — alternate modern devotional reading · Open source
  5. Śrī Kanakadhārā Stotram — extensive devotional reading · Open source
  6. Kanakadhārā Stotram — 18-verse 1910-recension summary · Open source