Kanakadhaara Sthawam - explantion by Dr VVB Rama Rao Garu

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Pristine Use of Language - A Sanskrit Stawam

Part II

 

Adi Sankara is the most miraculous of God's creation. Believed to

be an incarnation of Shiva Himself, this great divine creation

became an ascetic unbelievably in his very boyhood. When we think

of this boy-monk and his eventual, extraordinary odyssey from Kaladi

(in Kerala) to Kashmir winning hearts and souls all the way,

composing hymns to gods and goddesses, convincing stalwarts and

propounding a faith unifying the theory-torn and confused to his

point of view, or to be precise, His deity, we all must accept the

creator's omnipotence. He is what Carlyle called vates sacer- the

sacred seer and, in mundane parlance, hero as man of letters too.

The pristine language, Sanskrit, with its melody, flexibility and

conceptualization (if we believe in Benjamim Lee Whorf's hypothesis

of the origin of language) may be viewed as God's own tongue, Dev

Bhasha. Adi Sankara used, among several other things, this sacred

language to sing the creator's praise. His propitiatory, invocative

verses stay everlastingly on the lips of the devout.

 

Stuti, Stawam, Stotram are all terms in devotional compositions

relating to songs in praise of the Supreme Being. In another type

of classication, these are described in terms of the length or

number of lines in the composition; Panchaka (for five) shatka (six)

ashtaka for (eight) and so on. Here is one f the most often recited

praise address to Goddesss Lakshmi, the deity of opulence and wealth.

 

Kanakadhaara Sthawam

 

The propounder and exegete of advaita, monism, Adi Sankara,

composed extempore umpteen stotras and stawams in praise of various

deities on various occasions. These compositions are not

premeditated. They are fountain springs activated by devotion of

the highest order. These are a vast treasure highly venerated for

their divinely illumined vision as also for their extreme felicity

of expression. The most sublime ascetic uttered kanakadhara stawam

on the spur of the moment. Once a poor woman whom he begged for alms

gave him a gooseberry (amla), all that she had, explaining her

poverty. Moved, the great sage and seer sang this praise of the

Goddess Lakshmi. The moment the hymn came to a close there was a

rain of gold, which made the woman dumb with overflowing devotion

for the Supreme Mother.

 

angam hareh pulakabhooshaNa maashrayantee

bhringaanganeva mukulaabharaNam tamaalam.

angeekritaakhila vibhooti rapaangaleelaa

maangalyadaastu mama mangaladevataayaah || 1||

 

May the sidelong glance of Sri Lakshmi, the one who has in Her all

affluence, attracted to Srihari like a honeybee to a Tamala tree in

full bloom, give me auspiciousness.

 

mugdhaa muhurvidadhatee vadane muraareh

prematrapaa praNihitaani gataa gataani

maalaa drushormadhukareeva mahotpalE yaa

saa mE shriyam dishatu saagara sambhavaayaah || 2||

 

Sri Mahalaksmi's glance is the most pleasant. Like a female honeybee

that goes again and again to the beloved lotus, Her glances shift

again and again to Murari, Srimannaarayana's face with love and coy

shyness. They appear like a garland. May the glances of the virgin

of the Ocean of Milk (Goddess Lakshmi) bless me with affluence!

 

aameelitaaksha madhigamya mudaa mukundam

aanandakandam animEsha manangatantram.

aakEkara sthita kaneeka pakshmanetram

bhootyai bhavenmama bhujanga shayaanganaayaah || 3||

 

May Her glance in which She has kept for ever the beautifully

drooping eyes of Her lord, Sree Mahavishnu, the glance that makes

Love God, Manmadha blossom without a wink, bless me with all riches

and wealth.

 

baahvantarE murajitah shrita kaustubhE yaa

haaraavaleeva harineelamayee vibhaati

kaamapradaa bhagavatOpi kataakshamaalaa

kalyaaNamaavahatu mE kamalaalayaayaah || 4||

 

May those sidelong glances serving Srihari with utmost devotion

shining effulgently like emerald garlands bless me with all kinds of

auspiciousness and prosperity.

 

kaalaambudaali lalitorasi kaitabhaarE

dhaaraadharE sphurati yat tatidanganEva

maatus samastajagataam mahaneeyamoortih

bhadraaNi mE dishatu bhaargavanandanaayaah || 5||

 

Sri Mahavishunu's bosom is extremely beautiful like a row of black

clouds. Goddess Lakshmi on His bosom shines like a glorious

lightning. May the glance of that Universal Mother, Bhrigu " s

daughter, give me all joy and all prosperity.

 

praaptam padam prathamatah khalu yatprabhaavaat

maangalyabhaaji madhumaadini manmadhEna

mayyaapatettadiha manthara meekshaNaardham

mandaalasam cha makaraalaya kanyakaayaah || 6||

 

Manmadha owes his first position under Srihari to the kind glances

of Sree Mahalakshmi on him. May Her glance from Her half open, soft

and tired glance come to me.

 

vishvaamarEndra padaveebhrama daanadaksham

aananda hetumadhikam muravid vishOpi

eeshannisheedatu mayi kshaNa meekshaNaarddham.

indeevarodara sahodaramindiraayaa || 7||

 

May the goddess Indira's glance, comparable to the effulgence of the

glorious black lotuses, that blesses all divine worlds and gives joy

to Srihari, stay for a moment on me.

 

ishTaa vishishTamatayOpi ya yayaa dayaadraa

drishTyaa trivishTapa padam sulabham bhajantE

drshTih prahrushTa kamalOdaradeeptirishTaam

pushTim krisheeshTa mama pushkara vishTaraayaah || 8||

 

May the glance that could enable devout and good men get high

positions like that of Indra, the glance with the glory of the light

in the lotus, give me the strength and fullness that I pray for.

 

dadyaad dayaanupavanO draviNaambudhaaraam

asminnakinchana vihangashishau vishhaNNe

dushkarma gharma mapaneeya chiraaya dooram

naaraayaNapraNayinee nayanaambuvaahah || 9||

 

May the wind of Goddess Lakshmi's glance, which dispels the cloud of

the heat of evil deeds for long, as a favourable one, cause a cloud

rain on this wretched little bird, Chataka, and rain prosperity.

 

geerdEvateti garuDadhvajasundareeti

shaakambhareeti shashishekharavallabheti

srishTi sthitipralayakelishu sansthitaa yaa

tasyai namastribhuvanaika gurOstaruNyai || 10||

 

To the Mother of all Learning, the consort of GaruDadhwaja, Vishnu,

to Sakambhari, the consort of Shiva, who plays Her part in the play

of Creation, Sustenance and Destruction, to the Supreme Preceptor of

all the three worlds, to Mother, my devout salutations.

 

shrutyai namOstu shubhakarma phalaprasootyai

ratyai namOstu ramaNeeya guNaarNavaayai

shaktyai namOstu shatapatra nikEtanaayai

pushTyai namOstu purushhottama vallabhaayai || 11||

 

My salutations to the auspicious fruit yielding form of Sriti, Veda.

My salutations to the form of the extremely pleasant and joyous

Ratiroopa. Salutations to the form of Shakti on the hundred petalled

lotus. Salutations to the form of PushTi, the consort of

Purushottama, the best of Beings.

 

namOstu naaleeka nibhaananaayai

namOstu dugdhodadhijanmabhoomyai

namOstu somaamritasodaraayai

namOstu naaraayaNa vallabhaayai || 12||

 

Salutations to Sree Mahalaksmi, the lotus-faced, the milk-ocean

born, the sister of Moon and Nectar and the consort of Sri

Mahavishnu.

 

namOstu hemaambujapeeThikaayai

namOstu bhoomaNDalanaayikaayai

namOstu devaadidayaaparaayai

namOstu shaarngaayudha vallabhaayai || 13||

 

Salutations again and again to the Mother whose dais and seat is the

lotus, sovereign of the earth, the darling of Kodandapani, the Great

Bow-bearer, Sri Mahavishnu.

 

namoOstu devyai bhrigunandanaayai

namOstu vishNorurasi sthitaayai

namOstu lakshmyai kamalaalayaayai

namOstu daamodara vallabhaayai || 14||

 

Salutations again and again to Bhrugu's daughter, the Devi on Sri

Mahavishnu's bosom, the one having residence in the lotus and the

consort of Damodara, Sri Mahavishnu..

 

namOstu kaantyai kamalekshaNaayai

namOstu bhootyai bhuvanaprasooutyai

namOstu devaadibhirarchitaayai

namOstu nandaatmajavallabhaayai || 15||

 

Salutations to the form of effulgence, the lotus-eyed, the form of

all affluence, the Mother of the Universe worshipped by deities and

the consort of Nandagopabala, Sri Krishna.

 

sampatkaraaNi sakalEndriya nandanaani

saamraajyadaana vibhavaani saroruhaakshi

tvadvandanaani duritaaharaNodyataani

maamEva maataranisham kalayantu maanye || 16||

 

Mother! Salutations to You who bestow affluence, make all senses

joyous, give empires strength. They are ever ready to uproot all

evil. May those salutations make me fulfilled day and night.

 

yatkaTaaksha samupaasanaavidhih

sevakasya sakalaarthasampadah

santanoti vachanaanga maanasaih

stvaam muraarihridayeshvareem bhajE || 17||

 

I pray with all my heart and soul the Mother whose single glance

could bless the devotee with all affluence and prosperity by a mere

sidelong glance. Salutations to Her with my manas (hear-mind-

intellect), body and action.

 

sarasijanayanE sarojahastE

dhavalatamaam shukagandhamaalya shobhE

bhagavati harivallabhE manogyE

tribhuvanabhuutikari praseeda mahyam || 18||

 

Mother! Your eyes are like lotuses. The lotus in Your hand is

splendid. You shine in white robes, sandal anointed, and garland

decked. My heart knows You thus. Grace me with Your blessing!

 

digghastibhih kanakakumbha mukhaavasrishTa

svarvaahinee vimalachaarujalaaplutaangeem

praatarnamaami jagataam jananeemashEsha

lokaadhinaathagrihiNeem amritaabdhiputreem. || 19||

 

Elephants of the eight directions (diks) shower the waters of the

river Mandakini with golden vessels on the Mother. I worship the

Mother of the worlds, the consort of the Lord of the Universe and

the daughter of the Ocean of Milk.

 

kamalE kamalaaksha vallabhE

karunaapoora taraingtai rapaangai

avalokaya maa makinchanaanaam

pradhamam paatra makrutimam dayaayayaa. || 20||

 

The beloved of Kamalaksha (Sri Mahavishnu)! O Kamalaadevi! Cast a

sidelong glance with your moist, merciful eye at me, the topmost

among the most impecunious, with your grace. Truly I deserve to be

the object of your compassion.

 

stuvanti yE stutibhi ramoobhi ranwaham

trayee mayeem tribhuvanamaataram ramaam

guNaadhikaa gurutara bhaagyabhaajinO

bhavanti tE bhuvi budhabhaavitaashayaah. || 21||

 

Those who with these praises sing the gory of the Goddess Lakshmi

would acquire great qualities and get great prosperity and be

blessed with noble hearts that would earn the praise of the wise and

the good.

 

suvarnadhaara stotram yachchankaraachaarya nirmitam

trisandhyam yahpaTEnnityam kubErasamObhaveth. || 22||

 

The one who recites this composition of Sri Sankaracharya at the

three sandhyas, dawn, noon and dusk would equal Kubera, the Deity of

Money.

 

Dr V.V.B.Rama Rao, is a retired ELT professional with nearly forty

books to his credit. He is a creative writer, translator and

essayist now living in New Delhi.

 

Email: <vvbramarao