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Mantra · Shankara's hymn to Lakshmi's side-glance, sung for a gooseberry

Kanakadhara Stotram

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

Also known as Kanakadhara Stotra

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

What the Kanakadhara Stotram is

The Kanakadhara Stotram is addressed to Lakshmi, and for most of its length to one detail of her: the glance from the corner of her eye. Tradition attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya, and its closing anushtubh verse names him as the composer and calls the hymn Suvarnadhara, another way of saying 'stream of gold'. The form printed here has 21 verses and that closing verse. Verses 1 to 7, in the fourteen-syllable Vasantatilaka metre, follow her eyes as they rest on Vishnu: a bee on a tamala tree, a sapphire necklace across the Kaustubha gem, lightning against a dark rain cloud. Verse 8 turns the image towards the singer, a penniless fledgling waiting for that cloud to rain. Verse 10 names her as the goddess of speech, as Shakambhari and as the beloved of moon-crested Shiva. Verses 11 to 15 are built on the refrain namo'stu, and verses 16 to 20 speak to her directly.

A dried gooseberry at a door in Kalady

According to tradition, the hymn was sung at Kalady in Kerala, Shankara's birthplace, while he was still a boy student who lived on alms. The Shankara Digvijaya accounts, including the one ascribed to Vidyaranya, tell that he stopped at the door of a Brahmin household so poor that the woman of the house had no rice to put in his bowl. Rather than send him away empty, she gave him a dried amalaka, the Indian gooseberry, the last food in the house. Shankara then turned to Lakshmi on her behalf. Popular retellings add an exchange: the goddess first answered that this family had given nothing in an earlier life and so had no merit to draw on, and Shankara replied that the gift just made should outweigh that past. As the verses ended, golden amalakas are said to have fallen over the house. Local tradition identifies the house with Swarnathu Mana, the 'golden house', a Namboothiri family home in the Kalady region, and places the day on Akshaya Tritiya. Sources disagree on how many verses he sang: the Kalady Sri Krishna temple's account says 19, several printed editions have 18 or 22, and South Indian chanting commonly uses the 21 given on this page.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiअङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणमाश्रयन्ती भृङ्गाङ्गनेव मुकुलाभरणं तमालम् । अङ्गीकृताखिलविभूतिरपाङ्गलीला माङ्गल्यदास्तु मम मङ्गलदेवतायाः ॥

Tamilஅங்கம் ஹரேஃ புலகபூஷணமாஶ்ரயந்தீ ப்ருங்காங்கநேவ முகுலாபரணம் தமாலம் । அங்கீக்ருதாகிலவிபூதிரபாங்கலீலா மாங்கல்யதாஸ்து மம மங்கலதேவதாயாஃ ॥

Teluguఅఙ్గం హరేః పులకభూషణమాశ్రయన్తీ భృఙ్గాఙ్గనేవ ముకులాభరణం తమాలమ్ । అఙ్గీకృతాఖిలవిభూతిరపాఙ్గలీలా మాఙ్గల్యదాస్తు మమ మఙ్గలదేవతాయాః ॥

Kannadaಅಙ್ಗಂ ಹರೇಃ ಪುಲಕಭೂಷಣಮಾಶ್ರಯನ್ತೀ ಭೃಙ್ಗಾಙ್ಗನೇವ ಮುಕುಲಾಭರಣಂ ತಮಾಲಮ್ । ಅಙ್ಗೀಕೃತಾಖಿಲವಿಭೂತಿರಪಾಙ್ಗಲೀಲಾ ಮಾಙ್ಗಲ್ಯದಾಸ್ತು ಮಮ ಮಙ್ಗಲದೇವತಾಯಾಃ ॥

Malayalamഅങ്ഗം ഹരേഃ പുലകഭൂഷണമാശ്രയന്തീ ഭൃങ്ഗാങ്ഗനേവ മുകുലാഭരണം തമാലമ് । അങ്ഗീകൃതാഖിലവിഭൂതിരപാങ്ഗലീലാ മാങ്ഗല്യദാസ്തു മമ മങ്ഗലദേവതായാഃ ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationaṅgaṃ hareḥ pulakabhūṣaṇamāśrayantī bhṛṅgāṅganeva mukulābharaṇaṃ tamālam | aṅgīkṛtākhilavibhūtirapāṅgalīlā māṅgalyadāstu mama maṅgaladevatāyāḥ ||

“As a female bee clings to the tamala tree adorned with buds, so the playful side-glance of Lakshmi rests on the body of Hari, which bristles with joy. May that glance of the goddess of auspiciousness, which holds all prosperity within it, bring me good fortune.”

अङ्गं: aṅgaṃ — the body
हरेः: hareḥ — of Hari (Vishnu)
पुलकभूषणमाश्रयन्ती: pulakabhūṣaṇamāśrayantī — resting on [the body] adorned with bristling hair of joy
भृङ्गाङ्गनेव: bhṛṅgāṅganeva — like a female bee
मुकुलाभरणं: mukulābharaṇaṃ — adorned with buds
तमालम्: tamālam — the tamala tree
अङ्गीकृताखिलविभूतिरपाङ्गलीला: aṅgīkṛtākhilavibhūtirapāṅgalīlā — the play of the side-glance that holds all prosperity
माङ्गल्यदास्तु: māṅgalyadāstu — may it bring good fortune
मम: mama — to me
मङ्गलदेवतायाः: maṅgaladevatāyāḥ — of the goddess of auspiciousness

Kanakadhara Stotram lyrics in full

All 22 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Kanakadhara Stotram PDFAll 22 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

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Verse 1

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

As a female bee clings to the tamala tree adorned with buds, so the playful side-glance of Lakshmi rests on the body of Hari, which bristles with joy. May that glance of the goddess of auspiciousness, which holds all prosperity within it, bring me good fortune.

Verse 2

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

Her charming row of glances goes again and again to the face of Murari (Vishnu) and turns back, moved by love and shyness, like a bee hovering over a great blue lotus. May that glance of the ocean-born goddess grant me prosperity.

Verse 3

विश्वामरेन्द्रपदविभ्रमदानदक्षमानन्दहेतुरधिकं मुरविद्विषोऽपि ।
ईषन्निषीदतु मयि क्षणमीक्षणार्धमिन्दीवरोदरसहोदरमिन्दिरायाः ॥

Indira's half-glance, like the inside of a blue lotus, is able to bestow the glory of Indra's throne on the whole world of gods and gives even greater joy to Vishnu, enemy of Mura. May it rest on me, if only a little and for a moment.

Verse 4

आमीलिताक्षमधिगम्य मुदा मुकुन्दमानन्दकन्दमनिमेषमनङ्गतन्त्रम् ।
आकेकरस्थितकनीनिकपक्ष्मनेत्रं भूत्यै भवेन्मम भुजङ्गशयाङ्गनायाः ॥

Her unblinking eye, its pupil and lashes turned sideways, rests with joy on Mukunda, who half-closes his eyes in delight, the root of bliss, held by love. May that eye of the consort of the one who lies on the serpent bring me well-being.

Verse 5

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

On the chest of the slayer of Madhu, where the Kaustubha gem rests, her row of glances shines like a necklace of sapphires and fulfils the desires even of the Lord. May that garland of glances of the lotus-dwelling goddess bring me good.

Verse 6

कालाम्बुदालिललितोरसि कैटभारेर्धाराधरे स्फुरति या तडिदङ्गनेव ।
मातुस्समस्तजगतां महनीयमूर्तिर्भद्राणि मे दिशतु भार्गवनन्दनायाः ॥

She flashes like lightning on the chest of Vishnu, slayer of Kaitabha, which is as lovely as a bank of dark rain clouds. May the revered form of the mother of all worlds, the daughter of Bhrigu, grant me blessings.

Verse 7

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

By the power of her glance, Manmatha (Kama) first found a place in the auspicious slayer of Madhu. May that slow, languid half-glance of the daughter of the ocean fall on me here.

Verse 8

दद्याद्दयानुपवनो द्रविणाम्बुधारामस्मिन्नकिञ्चनविहङ्गशिशौ विषण्णे ।
दुष्कर्मघर्ममपनीय चिराय दूरं नारायणप्रणयिनीनयनाम्बुवाहः ॥

May the rain cloud of the eyes of Narayana's beloved, driven by the wind of compassion, drive the scorching heat of my bad deeds far away for good. May it pour a stream of wealth on me, a forlorn and penniless fledgling bird.

Verse 9

इष्टाविशिष्टमतयोऽपि यया दयार्द्रदृष्ट्या त्रिविष्टपपदं सुलभं लभन्ते ।
दृष्टिः प्रहृष्टकमलोदरदीप्तिरिष्टां पुष्टिं कृषीष्ट मम पुष्करविष्टरायाः ॥

By her glance, moist with compassion, even people of ordinary understanding easily reach the heavenly realm. May the glance of the lotus-seated goddess, bright as the inside of a blooming lotus, grant me the prosperity I wish for.

Verse 10

गीर्देवतेति गरुडध्वजसुन्दरीति शाकम्भरीति शशिशेखरवल्लभेति ।
सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयकेलिषु संस्थितायै तस्यै नमस्त्रिभुवनैकगुरोस्तरुण्यै ॥

She is called the goddess of speech, the beautiful consort of the one whose banner bears Garuda, Shakambhari, and the beloved of the moon-crested Shiva. Salutations to her, the young consort of the one teacher of the three worlds, who abides in the play of creation, preservation and dissolution.

Verse 11

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

Salutations to her as the Veda, who yields the fruit of good actions; to her as delight, an ocean of lovely qualities. Salutations to her as power, who dwells in the hundred-petalled lotus; to her as nourishment, the beloved of Purushottama.

Verse 12

नमोऽस्तु नालीकनिभाननायै नमोऽस्तु दुग्धोदधिजन्मभूम्यै ।
नमोऽस्तु सोमामृतसोदरायै नमोऽस्तु नारायणवल्लभायै ॥

Salutations to her whose face is like a lotus; to her whose birthplace is the ocean of milk. Salutations to the sister of the moon and of nectar; to the beloved of Narayana.

Verse 13

नमोऽस्तु हेमाम्बुजपीठिकायै नमोऽस्तु भूमण्डलनायिकायै ।
नमोऽस्तु देवादिदयापरायै नमोऽस्तु शार्ङ्गायुधवल्लभायै ॥

Salutations to her who is seated on a golden lotus; to the ruler of the whole earth. Salutations to her who is full of compassion for the gods and others; to the beloved of the one who bears the Sharnga bow.

Verse 14

नमोऽस्तु देव्यै भृगुनन्दनायै नमोऽस्तु विष्णोरुरसिस्थितायै ।
नमोऽस्तु लक्ष्म्यै कमलालयायै नमोऽस्तु दामोदरवल्लभायै ॥

Salutations to the goddess, daughter of Bhrigu; to her who dwells on the chest of Vishnu. Salutations to Lakshmi, who lives in the lotus; to the beloved of Damodara.

Verse 15

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

Salutations to her who is radiance itself, the lotus-eyed one; to her who is prosperity, the mother of the worlds. Salutations to her who is worshipped by the gods and others; to the beloved of Nanda's son (Krishna).

Verse 16

सम्पत्कराणि सकलेन्द्रियनन्दनानि साम्राज्यदानविभवानि सरोरुहाक्षि ।
त्वद्वन्दनानि दुरिताहरणोद्यतानि मामेव मातरनिशं कलयन्तु मान्ये ॥

O lotus-eyed one, salutations to you bring wealth, delight all the senses, have the power to bestow sovereignty, and are ready to take away sins. O revered mother, may they always stay with me alone.

Verse 17

यत्कटाक्षसमुपासनाविधिः सेवकस्य सकलार्थसम्पदः ।
सन्तनोति वचनाङ्गमानसैस्त्वां मुरारिहृदयेश्वरीं भजे ॥

Worshipping her side-glance brings every kind of wealth to the devotee. With speech, body and mind I worship you, queen of the heart of Murari.

Verse 18

सरसिजनिलये सरोजहस्ते धवलतमांशुकगन्धमाल्यशोभे ।
भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवनभूतिकरि प्रसीद मह्यम् ॥

O you who dwell in the lotus and hold a lotus in your hand, radiant in the whitest garments, fragrance and garlands; O blessed goddess, beloved of Hari, lovely one, giver of prosperity to the three worlds, be gracious to me.

Verse 19

दिग्घस्तिभिः कनककुम्भमुखावसृष्टस्वर्वाहिनीविमलचारुजलप्लुताङ्गीम् ।
प्रातर्नमामि जगतां जननीमशेषलोकाधिनाथगृहिणीममृताब्धिपुत्रीम् ॥

Each morning I bow to the mother of the worlds, whose body is bathed in the pure, lovely water of the heavenly Ganga poured from golden pots by the elephants of the quarters. She is the wife of the lord of all the worlds and the daughter of the ocean of nectar.

Verse 20

कमले कमलाक्षवल्लभे त्वं करुणापूरतरङ्गितैरपाङ्गैः ।
अवलोकय मामकिञ्चनानां प्रथमं पात्रमकृत्रिमं दयायाः ॥

O Kamala, beloved of the lotus-eyed Lord, look on me with side-glances that ripple with a flood of compassion. I am the foremost among the destitute, a true and fitting object of your mercy.

Verse 21

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

The verse says that those who praise Rama, who is the essence of the three Vedas and the mother of the three worlds, with these hymns every day become rich in virtues and share in great good fortune on earth, and their intentions are esteemed by the wise.

Phala Shruti 1

सुवर्णधारास्तोत्रं यच्छङ्कराचार्य निर्मितम् ।
त्रिसन्ध्यं यः पठेन्नित्यं स कुबेरसमो भवेत् ॥

The verse says that whoever recites this Suvarnadhara (stream of gold) hymn composed by Shankaracharya daily, at the three junctions of the day, becomes equal to Kubera, the lord of wealth.

The syllable people get wrong

In apāṅga, the word for the side-glance in verse 1 (and again as apāṅgaiḥ in verse 20), the middle ā is long and the ṅ is the nasal of 'sing', so it is said a-PAANG-ga with the n flowing straight into the g. Saying 'a-panga' with a short flat vowel blurs the one word the whole hymn turns on.

When the Kanakadhara Stotram is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Akshaya Tritiya, kept at Kalady as the Kanakadhara Yajnam

Questions

It depends on the edition. The order printed in the Vani Vilas Works of Shankaracharya has 18 core verses; the Kalady temple tradition speaks of 19; South Indian chanting, including the widely heard M.S. Subbulakshmi recording, uses 21, adding three namo'stu verses after verse 12; and several North Indian prints reach 22 with a verse beginning devi prasida jagadishvari. The text on this page is the 21-verse form with its closing phala verse.

Two verses close the hymn. Verse 21, stuvanti ye, says that those who praise Rama, the mother of the three worlds and the essence of the three Vedas, with these verses each day become rich in good qualities and share in great fortune. The short anushtubh verse after it, suvarnadharastotram, names Shankaracharya as the composer and says that a person who recites it at the three junctions of the day becomes like Kubera.

Verse 10 lists names that normally belong to other goddesses: Gir-devata, the goddess of speech usually identified with Saraswati; Shakambhari, the goddess who feeds the world with vegetation; and the beloved of the moon-crested Shiva, Parvati. The verse then salutes her as the young consort of the one teacher of the three worlds, at play in creation, preservation and dissolution. Read this way, the verse treats these goddesses as one power seen under different names.

Verse 8 uses a monsoon image. Lakshmi's eyes are a rain cloud, compassion is the wind that drives it, and the singer calls himself akinchana-vihanga-shishu, a forlorn fledgling bird with nothing of its own, waiting under a hot sky. The heat is his bad karma (dushkarma-gharma), and the rain he asks for is a stream of wealth. Many explanations connect the bird with the chataka, said in Indian poetry to drink only falling rain.

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