The story of Kanakadhara Stotram
Kanakadharastotram is a sacred hymn of the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, attributed to Acharya Shankara Bhagavat Pada.
Kanakadharastotram is a sacred hymn of the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, attributed to Acharya Shankara Bhagavat Pada.
There is a story behind the composition that would touch the heart of every devotee..
The origin of that work is described in the monumental creation named Shankara Digvijayam, written by Madhava Vidyaranya Swamigal
The text is given below along with translation
स हि जातु गुरोः कुले वसन् सवयोभिः सह भैक्ष्यलिप्सया।
भगवान् भवनं द्विजन्मनो धनहीनस्य विवेश कस्यचित्॥१
तमवोचत तत्र सादरं वटुवर्यं गृहिणः कुटुम्बिनी।
कृतिनो हि भवदृशेषु ये वरिवस्या प्रतिपादयन्ति ते॥२
विधिना खलु वञ्चिता वयं वितरीतुं वटवे न शक्नुमः।
अपिभैक्ष्यमकिञ्चनत्वतो धिगिदं जन्म निरर्थकं गतम्॥३
इति दीनमुदीरयन्त्यसौ प्रददावामलकं व्रतीन्दवे।
करुणं वचनम् निशम्य सोऽप्यभवज्ज्ञाननिधिर्दयार्द्रधीः॥४
स मुनिर्मुरभित्कुटुम्बिनीं पदचित्रैर्नवनीतकोमलैः।
मधुरैरुपतस्थिवांस्तवैर् द्विजदारिद्र्य दशा निवृत्तये॥५
अमुना वचनेन तोषिता कमला तद्भवनं समन्ततः
कनकामलकैरपूरयज्जनतायाः हृदयं च विस्मयैः॥६
अमरस्पृहणीयसम्पदं द्विजवर्यस्य निवेशमात्मवान्।
स विधाय यथा पुरं गुरोः सविधे शास्त्रवरान्यशिक्षत॥७
माधवविद्यारण्यकृते शङ्करदिग्विजये॥
sa hi jātu guroḥ kule vasan savayobhiḥ saha bhaikṣyalipsayā|
bhagavān bhavanaṁ dvijanmano dhanahīnasya viveśa kasyacit||1
tamavocata tatra sādaraṁ vaṭuvaryaṁ gṛhiṇaḥ kuṭumbinī|
kṛtino hi bhavadṛśeṣu ye varivasyā pratipādayanti te||2
vidhinā khalu vañcitā vayaṁ vitarītuṁ vaṭave na śaknumaḥ|
apibhaikṣyamakiñcanatvato dhigidaṁ janma nirarthakaṁ gatam||3
iti dīnamudīrayantyasau pradadāvāmalakaṁ vratīndave|
karuṇaṁ vacanam niśamya so'pyabhavajjñānanidhirdayārdradhīḥ||4
sa munirmurabhitkuṭumbinīṁ padacitrairnavanītakomalaiḥ|
madhurairupatasthivāṁstavair dvijadāridrya daśā nivṛttaye||5
amunā vacanena toṣitā kamalā tadbhavanaṁ samantataḥ
kanakāmalakairapūrayajjanatāyāḥ hṛdayaṁ ca vismayaiḥ||6
amaraspṛhaṇīyasampadaṁ dvijavaryasya niveśamātmavān|
sa vidhāya yathā puraṁ guroḥ savidhe śāstravarānyaśikṣata||7
mādhavavidyāraṇyakṛte śaṅkaradigvijaye||
Once upon a time the young initiate Shankara was staying in the Gurukulam... the residential school run by his preceptor.. There he stated in the company of other initiates of his own age.|
The Bhagavan set out one day, along with his friends, to seek alms or bhiksha for daily food as is the practice among the brahmacharis. He reached the doorsteps of a brahmin householder who was very poor. 1
The initiate asked for Bhiksha
The lady of the house told the young Vatu that she and her people were indeed very fortunate to have a chance to play host and offer honours to great persons like the young guest. 2
She informed him regretfully that she and her family were cheated by fate and thrown into utter poverty and did not have anything to offer to the young initiate who had appeared at their door. They could not offer Bhiksha to the young initiate and honour him, and therefore their whole life had gone waste.3
Thus crying miserably, she gave the young Vatu an Amla fruit (gooseberry)( which alone she was having in the house)
The young Shankara who is the storehouse of wisdom, when he listened to the pathetic story of the lady and watched her miserable state of affairs, and his heart was filled with sympathy for the miserable lady. 4
That young Sage praised the consort of the Lord who killed the demon Mura.. Mother Lakshmi, through a hymn that was composed with words and imageries as sweet and tender as fresh butter, praying to Her that the utter poverty of the Brahmin in whose house he had gone for alms should be removed forthwith. 5
The Goddess of wealth Kamala, was pleased with the hymn composed by the young recluse Shankara, and in her happiness, she showered gooseberry fruits made of Gold and filled the whole house with that shower of wealth... filling the house with prosperity and filling the hearts of all around with amazement. 6
The young initiate returned to the abode of his guru after endowing the household of the worthy brahmin with wealth that could be desired only by gods in heaven. And there at the feet of the preceptor, he learned all the great Shastras.. 7
I had already furnished a translation for Kankadhara Stotram .. The link for the same is given below
https://kanfusion.blogspot.com/2019/11/kanakadhaaraa-stotram.html
The origin of that work is described in the monumental creation named Shankara Digvijayam, written by Madhava Vidyaranya Swamigal
The text is given below along with translation
स हि जातु गुरोः कुले वसन् सवयोभिः सह भैक्ष्यलिप्सया।
भगवान् भवनं द्विजन्मनो धनहीनस्य विवेश कस्यचित्॥१
तमवोचत तत्र सादरं वटुवर्यं गृहिणः कुटुम्बिनी।
कृतिनो हि भवदृशेषु ये वरिवस्या प्रतिपादयन्ति ते॥२
विधिना खलु वञ्चिता वयं वितरीतुं वटवे न शक्नुमः।
अपिभैक्ष्यमकिञ्चनत्वतो धिगिदं जन्म निरर्थकं गतम्॥३
इति दीनमुदीरयन्त्यसौ प्रददावामलकं व्रतीन्दवे।
करुणं वचनम् निशम्य सोऽप्यभवज्ज्ञाननिधिर्दयार्द्रधीः॥४
स मुनिर्मुरभित्कुटुम्बिनीं पदचित्रैर्नवनीतकोमलैः।
मधुरैरुपतस्थिवांस्तवैर् द्विजदारिद्र्य दशा निवृत्तये॥५
अमुना वचनेन तोषिता कमला तद्भवनं समन्ततः
कनकामलकैरपूरयज्जनतायाः हृदयं च विस्मयैः॥६
अमरस्पृहणीयसम्पदं द्विजवर्यस्य निवेशमात्मवान्।
स विधाय यथा पुरं गुरोः सविधे शास्त्रवरान्यशिक्षत॥७
माधवविद्यारण्यकृते शङ्करदिग्विजये॥
sa hi jātu guroḥ kule vasan savayobhiḥ saha bhaikṣyalipsayā|
bhagavān bhavanaṁ dvijanmano dhanahīnasya viveśa kasyacit||1
tamavocata tatra sādaraṁ vaṭuvaryaṁ gṛhiṇaḥ kuṭumbinī|
kṛtino hi bhavadṛśeṣu ye varivasyā pratipādayanti te||2
vidhinā khalu vañcitā vayaṁ vitarītuṁ vaṭave na śaknumaḥ|
apibhaikṣyamakiñcanatvato dhigidaṁ janma nirarthakaṁ gatam||3
iti dīnamudīrayantyasau pradadāvāmalakaṁ vratīndave|
karuṇaṁ vacanam niśamya so'pyabhavajjñānanidhirdayārdradhīḥ||4
sa munirmurabhitkuṭumbinīṁ padacitrairnavanītakomalaiḥ|
madhurairupatasthivāṁstavair dvijadāridrya daśā nivṛttaye||5
amunā vacanena toṣitā kamalā tadbhavanaṁ samantataḥ
kanakāmalakairapūrayajjanatāyāḥ hṛdayaṁ ca vismayaiḥ||6
amaraspṛhaṇīyasampadaṁ dvijavaryasya niveśamātmavān|
sa vidhāya yathā puraṁ guroḥ savidhe śāstravarānyaśikṣata||7
mādhavavidyāraṇyakṛte śaṅkaradigvijaye||
Once upon a time the young initiate Shankara was staying in the Gurukulam... the residential school run by his preceptor.. There he stated in the company of other initiates of his own age.|
The Bhagavan set out one day, along with his friends, to seek alms or bhiksha for daily food as is the practice among the brahmacharis. He reached the doorsteps of a brahmin householder who was very poor. 1
The initiate asked for Bhiksha
The lady of the house told the young Vatu that she and her people were indeed very fortunate to have a chance to play host and offer honours to great persons like the young guest. 2
She informed him regretfully that she and her family were cheated by fate and thrown into utter poverty and did not have anything to offer to the young initiate who had appeared at their door. They could not offer Bhiksha to the young initiate and honour him, and therefore their whole life had gone waste.3
Thus crying miserably, she gave the young Vatu an Amla fruit (gooseberry)( which alone she was having in the house)
The young Shankara who is the storehouse of wisdom, when he listened to the pathetic story of the lady and watched her miserable state of affairs, and his heart was filled with sympathy for the miserable lady. 4
That young Sage praised the consort of the Lord who killed the demon Mura.. Mother Lakshmi, through a hymn that was composed with words and imageries as sweet and tender as fresh butter, praying to Her that the utter poverty of the Brahmin in whose house he had gone for alms should be removed forthwith. 5
The Goddess of wealth Kamala, was pleased with the hymn composed by the young recluse Shankara, and in her happiness, she showered gooseberry fruits made of Gold and filled the whole house with that shower of wealth... filling the house with prosperity and filling the hearts of all around with amazement. 6
The young initiate returned to the abode of his guru after endowing the household of the worthy brahmin with wealth that could be desired only by gods in heaven. And there at the feet of the preceptor, he learned all the great Shastras.. 7
I had already furnished a translation for Kankadhara Stotram .. The link for the same is given below
https://kanfusion.blogspot.com/2019/11/kanakadhaaraa-stotram.html
