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Kanakadhara Stotram

The Kanakadhara Stotram - Adi Shankaracharya's hymn to Goddess Lakshmi which is said to have caused a shower of gold (kanaka dhara) upon a poor devotee's home.

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

मुग्धा मुहुर्विदधती वदने मुरारेः प्रेमत्रपाप्रणिहितानि गतागतानि।
माला दृशोर्मधुकरीव महोत्पले या सा मे श्रियं दिशतु सागरसम्भवायाः॥२॥

आमीलिताक्षमधिगम्य मुदा मुकुन्दमानन्दकन्दमनिमेषमनङ्गतन्त्रम्।
आकेकरस्थितकनीनिकपक्ष्मनेत्रं भूत्यै भवेन्मम भुजङ्गशयाङ्गनायाः॥३॥

बाह्वन्तरे मधुजितः श्रितकौस्तुभे या हारावलीव हरिनीलमयी विभाति।
कामप्रदा भगवतोऽपि कटाक्षमाला कल्याणमावहतु मे कमलालयायाः॥४॥

कालाम्बुदालिललितोरसि कैटभारेर्धाराधरे स्फुरति या तडिदङ्गनेव।
मातुः समस्तजगतां महनीयमूर्तिर्भद्राणि मे दिशतु भार्गवनन्दनायाः॥५॥

प्राप्तं पदं प्रथमतः खलु यत्प्रभावान्माङ्गल्यभाजि मधुमाथिनि मन्मथेन।
मय्यापतेत्तदिह मन्थरमीक्षणार्धं मन्दालसं च मकरालयकन्यकायाः॥६॥

विश्वामरेन्द्रपदविभ्रमदानदक्षमानन्दहेतुरधिकं मुरविद्विषोऽपि।
ईषन्निषीदतु मयि क्षणमीक्षणार्धमिन्दीवरोदरसहोदरमिन्दिरायाः॥७॥

इष्टा विशिष्टमतयोऽपि यया दयार्द्रदृष्ट्या त्रिविष्टपपदं सुलभं लभन्ते।
दृष्टिः प्रहृष्टकमलोदरदीप्तिरिष्टां पुष्टिं कृषीष्ट मम पुष्करविष्टरायाः॥८॥

दद्याद्दयानुपवनो द्रविणाम्बुधारामस्मिन्नकिञ्चनविहङ्गशिशौ विषण्णे।
दुष्कर्मधर्ममपनीय चिराय दूरं नारायणप्रणयिनीनयनाम्बुवाहः॥९॥

गीर्देवतेति गरुडध्वजसुन्दरीति शाकम्भरीति शशिशेखरवल्लभेति।
सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयकेलिषु संस्थितायै तस्यै नमस्त्रिभुवनैकगुरोस्तरुण्यै॥१०॥

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

नमोऽस्तु नालीकनिभाननायै नमोऽस्तु दुग्धोदधिजन्मभूत्यै।
नमोऽस्तु सोमामृतसोदरायै नमोऽस्तु नारायणवल्लभायै॥१२॥

नमोऽस्तु हेमाम्बुजपीठिकायै नमोऽस्तु भूमण्डलनायिकायै।
नमोऽस्तु देवादिदयापरायै नमोऽस्तु शार्ङ्गायुधवल्लभायै॥१३॥

नमोऽस्तु देव्यै भृगुनन्दनायै नमोऽस्तु विष्णोरुरसि स्थितायै।
नमोऽस्तु लक्ष्म्यै कमलालयायै नमोऽस्तु दामोदरवल्लभायै॥१४॥

नमोऽस्तु कान्त्यै कमलेक्षणायै नमोऽस्तु भूत्यै भुवनप्रसूत्यै।
नमोऽस्तु देवादिभिरर्चितायै नमोऽस्तु नन्दात्मजवल्लभायै॥१५॥

सम्पत्कराणि सकलेन्द्रियनन्दनानि साम्राज्यदानविभवानि सरोरुहाक्षि।
त्वद्वन्दनानि दुरितोद्धरणोद्यतानि मामेव मातरनिशं कलयन्तु मान्ये॥१६॥

यत्कटाक्षसमुपासनाविधिः सेवकस्य सकलार्थसम्पदः।
सन्तनोति वचनाङ्गमानसैस्त्वां मुरारिहृदयेश्वरीं भजे॥१७॥

सरसिजनिलये सरोजहस्ते धवलतमांशुकगन्धमाल्यशोभे।
भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवनभूतिकरि प्रसीद मह्यम्॥१८॥

दिग्घस्तिभिः कनककुम्भमुखावसृष्टस्वर्वाहिनीविमलचारुजलप्लुताङ्गीम्।
प्रातर्नमामि जगतां जननीमशेषलोकाधिनाथगृहिणीममृताब्धिपुत्रीम्॥१९॥

कमले कमलाक्षवल्लभे त्वं करुणापूरतरङ्गितैरपाङ्गैः।
अवलोकय मामकिञ्चनानां प्रथमं पात्रमकृत्रिमं दयायाः॥२०॥

देवि प्रसीद जगदीश्वरि लोकमातः कल्याणगात्रि कमलेक्षणजीवनाथे।
दारिद्र्यभीतिहृदयं शरणागतं मामालोकय प्रतिदिनं सदयैरपाङ्गैः॥२१॥

स्तुवन्ति ये स्तुतिभिरमूभिरन्वहं त्रयीमयीं त्रिभुवनमातरं रमाम्।
गुणाधिका गुरुतरभाग्यभागिनो भवन्ति ते भुवि बुधभाविताशयाः॥२२॥

angam hareh pulakabhushanamashrayanti bhringanganeva mukulabharanam tamalam।
angikritakhilavibhutirapangalila mangalyada'stu mama mangaladevatayah॥1॥

mugdha muhurvidadhati vadane murareh prematrapapranihitani gatagatani।
mala drishormadhukariva mahotpale ya sa me shriyam dishatu sagarasambhavayah॥2॥

amilitakshamadhigamya muda mukundamanandakandamanimeshamanangatantram।
akekarasthitakaninikapakshmanetram bhutyai bhavenmama bhujangashayanganayah॥3॥

bahvantare madhujitah shritakaustubhe ya haravaliva harinilamayi vibhati।
kamaprada bhagavato'pi katakshamala kalyanamavahatu me kamalalayayah॥4॥

kalambudalilalitorasi kaitabharerdharadhare sphurati ya tadidanganeva।
matuh samastajagatam mahaniyamurtirbhadrani me dishatu bhargavanandanayah॥5॥

praptam padam prathamatah khalu yatprabhavanmangalyabhaji madhumathini manmathena।
mayyapatettadiha mantharamikshanardham mandalasam cha makaralayakanyakayah॥6॥

vishvamarendrapadavibhramadanadakshamanandaheturadhikam muravidvisho'pi।
ishannishidatu mayi kshanamikshanardhamindivarodarasahodaramindirayah॥7॥

ishta vishishtamatayo'pi yaya dayardradrishtya trivishtapapadam sulabham labhante।
drishtih prahrishtakamalodaradiptirishtam pushtim krishishta mama pushkaravishtarayah॥8॥

dadyaddayanupavano dravinambudharamasminnakinchanavihangashishau vishanne।
dushkarmadharmamapaniya chiraya duram narayanapranayininayanambuvahah॥9॥

girdevateti garudadhvajasundariti shakambhariti shashishekharavallabheti।
srishtisthitipralayakelishu samsthitayai tasyai namastribhuvanaikagurostarunyai॥10॥

shrutyai namo'stu shubhakarmaphalaprasutyai ratyai namo'stu ramaniyagunarnavayai।
shaktyai namo'stu shatapatraniketanayai pushtyai namo'stu purushottamavallabhayai॥11॥

namo'stu nalikanibhananayai namo'stu dugdhodadhijanmabhutyai।
namo'stu somamritasodarayai namo'stu narayanavallabhayai॥12॥

namo'stu hemambujapithikayai namo'stu bhumandalanayikayai।
namo'stu devadidayaparayai namo'stu sharngayudhavallabhayai॥13॥

namo'stu devyai bhrigunandanayai namo'stu vishnorurasi sthitayai।
namo'stu lakshmyai kamalalayayai namo'stu damodaravallabhayai॥14॥

namo'stu kantyai kamalekshanayai namo'stu bhutyai bhuvanaprasutyai।
namo'stu devadibhirarchitayai namo'stu nandatmajavallabhayai॥15॥

sampatkarani sakalendriyanandanani samrajyadanavibhavani saroruhakshi।
tvadvandanani duritoddharanodyatani mameva mataranisham kalayantu manye॥16॥

yatkatakshasamupasanavidhih sevakasya sakalarthasampadah।
santanoti vachanangamanasaistvam murarihridayeshvarim bhaje॥17॥

sarasijanilaye sarojahaste dhavalatamamshukagandhamalyashobhe।
bhagavati harivallabhe manojne tribhuvanabhutikari prasida mahyam॥18॥

digghastibhih kanakakumbhamukhavasrishtasvarvahinivimalacharujalaplutangim।
pratarnamami jagatam jananimasheshalokadhinathagrihinimamritabdhiputrim॥19॥

kamale kamalakshavallabhe tvam karunapuratarangitairapangaih।
avalokaya mamakinchananam prathamam patramakritrimam dayayah॥20॥

devi prasida jagadishvari lokamatah kalyanagatri kamalekshanajivanathe।
daridryabhitihridayam sharanagatam mamalokaya pratidinam sadayairapangaih॥21॥

stuvanti ye stutibhiramubhiranvaham trayimayim tribhuvanamataram ramam।
gunadhika gurutarabhagyabhagino bhavanti te bhuvi budhabhavitashayah॥22॥

Frequently asked questions about Kanakadhara Stotram

What is the story behind it?

Adi Shankaracharya, as a boy on alms rounds, came to a house so poor the woman had only a dried amla to give - and gave it. He composed this hymn to Lakshmi on the spot, and the tradition says a rain of golden amlas fell in her courtyard.

What does kanakadhara mean?

A stream of gold. The name comes from that account, and it is why the hymn is the one most recited for relief from poverty - the story is of someone who gave what she could not spare.

When is it recited?

Fridays, at the Diwali Lakshmi puja, at Varalakshmi Vratam and Akshaya Tritiya, and daily by those in financial difficulty as a sankalpa. Morning after a bath, before a ghee lamp.

Does it bring wealth?

Treat it as devotion, not a mechanism. What the tradition holds up in the story is the giving, not the gold - and the Sri Suktam makes the same point when it asks for alakshmi, the disorder that drives fortune away, to be removed.

Which other Lakshmi hymns go with it?

The Mahalakshmi Ashtakam, the Sri Suktam, and the Ashta Lakshmi Stotram - Friday recitations often take two or three of them in sequence.

About the Kanakadhara Stotram

The Kanakadhara Stotram - Adi Shankaracharya's hymn to Goddess Lakshmi which is said to have caused a shower of gold (kanaka dhara) upon a poor devotee's home.

Meaning

Shankara lavishly praises Goddess Lakshmi who rests on Vishnu's chest, whose merciful glance bestows all fortune, pleading for her compassionate look.

Benefits

Recited for wealth, prosperity and relief from poverty; famed for invoking Lakshmi's grace and an abundance of fortune, as in the story of Shankara and the amla fruit.

The Kanakadhara Stotram above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.

A stotram is a longer Sanskrit hymn of praise, not a forty-verse chalisa and not the lamp-song of an aarti. Browse every stotra on the Stotram index. For japa of a short formula use a mantra. The steps of worship around the recitation are in Puja Vidhi.