| Kanakadhara Stotra | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Adi Shankara |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Verses | 22 |
TheKanakadhara Stotra (Sanskrit:कनकधारा स्तोत्रम्,romanized: Kanakadhārāstotram) is aHindu hymn (stotram) composed inSanskrit by the Hindu guruAdi Shankara. This hymn was his very first composition at 8 years of age.[1]
Kanakadhārā means "the stream (dhārā) of gold (kanaka)", and the hymn is called by this name since legend has it that whenAdi Shankara recited it, the goddessLakshmi showered a stream of gold within the hut of his poor Brahmana benefactor.[2]
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The hymn is attributed toAdi Shankara, a revered Hindu philosopher.
According to tradition, as a young boy, Adi Shankara was out seekingalms to prepare his lunch and happened upon the doorstep of a very poorBrahmana woman. Having nothing edible in her home, the lady frantically searched her house, only to find a singlegooseberry fruit, which she then offered to Shankara. Shankara was so moved by the incredible selflessness of this woman that he burst forth into poetry and sang 22 stanzas in praise of the goddess Lakshmi. Pleased by the beauty of the hymn, the goddess instantly showered the lady's house with gooseberries made of pure gold.[3]
The first hymn of theKanakadhara Stotra is as follows:[4]
aṅgaṃ hareḥ pulaka-bhūṣaṇam āśrayantī
bhṛṅgāṅganeva mukulābharaṇaṃ tamālam |
aṅgīkṛtākhila vibhūtir-apāṅgalīlā
mā-galyadāstu mama maṅgala-devatāyāḥ
— Kanakadhara Stotra, Verse 1
May Her glance, who abides in the body of Śrī Hari (who wears supreme happiness as ornament), just as the bees takes shelter in the profusely blossomed (buds) Tamāla tree, Who is the abode of all superhuman powers, and Who is all auspiciousness, be auspicious to me.