Annapurna Stotram

Annapurna Stotram: Mantra with Meaning

Goddess Annapurna is an aspect of Devi Adi Shakti (Parvati), and is known as Vedic Goddess of food and nourishment. In Vedic culture (Hinduism), food is considered sacred, and thus prayers are offered before consuming it. Due to the necessity of food for the sustenance of all living creatures, its donation is also considered the greatest among the charities. Apart from food and nourishment, Goddess Annapurna (incarnation of Parvati) is also worshipped for knowledge, wisdom, prosperities and liberation.

The Supreme God is always involved in doing some kind of Leela from time to time to teach the humanity about the importance of certain things. Similar leela happened once between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Once, God Shiva started an argument with His beloved wife about the material world. He said that everything materialistic is just an illusion, including the food that humans eat. Mother Parvati, Who is the great caretaker of Her children (the world), got furious about that statement. To show Shiva and the world Her importance, She disappeared, saying that She wanted to see how the world will thrive without Her.

With Parvati's disappearance, the world was soon deprived of food. There occurred a famine. Shiva's followers started begging Him for food. Even the demiGods were forced to beg for food. But there was no food available anywhere. Finally, Shiva and His followers came to know that there is only one place on earth where food was still available. It was in the city of Varanasi (Kashi). Shiva, with his attendants, went to Kashi to beg for food. To His surprise, the place was owned by His wife Parvati, but in the form of Annapurna. She was wearing celestial purple and brown garments, adorned lightly with ornaments. She was seated on a throne, serving and distributing food to the starving demiGods and hungry inhabitants of the Earth. Annapurna offered Her food as alms to Shiva and made Him realize that as Brahman, Shiva might have outgrown hunger, but his followers had not.

From that day, Mother Annapurna is worshipped as the Goddess of food and nourishment, along with all other material and spiritual wealth (because She is Adi Shakti Herself). This pure leela of Shiva and Parvati is to teach the humans and celestials about the importance of food and how much She is devoted in taking care of Her children.

Composed By: Adi Shankaracharya

Goddess Annapurna Giving Alms to God Shiva

Play the music, and sing the stotra along with it

॥ श्रीअन्नपूर्णास्तोत्रम् ॥

नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्य-रत्नाकरी
निर्धूताखिल-घोर-पावनकरी प्रत्यक्ष-माहेश्वरी ।
प्रालेयाचल-वंश-पावनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥१॥

One Who always gives joy and shelter to Her devotees, Who is the ocean of great beauty, Who purifies all the negavities and sufferings from the minds of the devotees, and Who is the great Goddess manifested in Kashi,
Who purified the king of the Mountains (by being born as His daughter, i.e. as Parvati), and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

नाना-रत्न-विचित्र-भूषणकरी हेमाम्बराडम्बरी
मुक्ता-हार-विलम्बमान-विलसत् वक्षोज-कुम्भान्तरी ।
काश्मीरागरु-वासिता रुचिकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥२॥

One Who is adorned with various gems shining in various colors, Whose garments are striking with the shine of the gold, and Who is decorated with a garland of pearls, shining and hanging around Her bosom,
Whose beautiful body is fragrant with the presence of saffron and agarwood, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

योगानन्दकरी रिपुक्षयकरी धर्मार्थ-निष्ठाकरी
चन्द्रार्कानल-भासमानलहरी त्रैलोक्य-रक्षाकरी ।
सर्वैश्वर्य-समस्त-वाञ्छितकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥३॥

One Who provides bliss of communion with God through Yoga, Who destroys the attachment to the senses (inner enemies), Who provides righteousness and worldly prosperities, Who is lustrous with the rays of Moon, Sun and Fire, and Who is the protector of the three worlds,
Who bestows all kinds of prosperities and fulfils all the wishes of Her devotees, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

कैलासाचल-कन्दरालयकरी गौरी उमा शङ्करी
कौमारी निगमार्थ-गोचरकरी ओङ्कार-बीजाक्षरी ।
मोक्ष-द्वार-कपाट-पाटन-करी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥४॥

One Who made the cave of Mount Kailash as Her dwelling place, Who is known by various names like Gauri, Uma, Shankari and Kaumari, Who is the manifestation of the Vedic scriptures and of the eternal syllable (Omkara),
Who opens the door of liberation within the heart of Her devotees, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

दृश्यादृश्य-विभूति-वाहन-करी ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डोदरी
लीला-नाटक-सूत्र-भेदनकरी विज्ञान-दीपाङ्कुरी ।
श्रीविश्वेशमनः प्रसादनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥५॥

One Who bears many visible and invisible divine attributes, Who holds the whole Universe within Her, and Who lights the lamp of wisdom within Her devotees, thus making them understand the divine play of Her creation,
Who brings joy to the heart of Shiva, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

उर्वी-सर्व-जनेश्वरी भगवती माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी
वेणी-नील-समान-कुन्त-लहरी नित्यान्न-दानेश्वरी ।
सर्वानन्दकरी सदा-शुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥६॥

One Who Herself is the Mother Earth and the Goddess of everyone, Who is known by Her devotees as Mother Annapurnesvari, Whose dark braids of hair flow down like the waves of Her grace, and Who is always devoted on bestowing food to Her children,
Who brings all kinds of joys and good fortunes to Her devotees, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

आदिक्षान्त-समस्त-वर्णनकरी शम्भोस्त्रि-भावाकरी
काश्मीरा-त्रिजलेश्वरी त्रिलहरी नित्याङ्कुरा शर्वरी ।
कामाकाङ्क्षकरी जनोदयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥७॥

One Who is the manifestation of all the letters starting with "A" and ending in "Ksha", Who is the repository of three aspects of Shambhu (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), Who is saffron -colored, and the Goddess of three kinds of waves (will, knowledge and action), and Who is always sprouting creation with Her feminine power,
Who fulfils the wishes of Her devotees and raises their lives (by providing food and other necessities), and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

देवी सर्व-विचित्र-रत्न-रचिता दाक्षायणी सुन्दरी
वामे स्वादुपयोधरा-प्रियकरी सौभाग्य-माहेश्वरी ।
भक्ताभीष्टकरी सदा-शुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥८॥

One Who is the cause of all the auspiciousness in this world, Who was the most beautiful daughter of King Daksha, Who carries sweet milk (signifying food) in Her left hand (to distribute to Her children), and Who is the great Goddess of fortune,
Who fulfils the desire of Her devotees and makes their destiny propitious, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

चन्द्रार्कानल-कोटि-कोटि-सदृशा चन्द्रांशु-बिम्बाधरी
चन्द्रार्काग्नि-समान-कुण्डल-धरी चन्द्रार्क-वर्णेश्वरी ।
माला-पुस्तक-पाशसाङ्कुश-धरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥९॥

One Whose splendor is like millions and millions of Moons, Suns, and Fires shining together, Whose radiant red lips resembles the Bimba fruit, Whose earrings and bracelets shine with the splendor of Moon, Sun, and Fire, and Who is resplendent like the Moon and the Sun,
Who holds a prayer bead (signifying repetition of God's name), a book (signifying divine knowledge), a noose (signifying divine attraction), and a hook (signifying divine goading) in Her four hands, and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

क्षत्र-त्राणकरी महाऽभयकरी माता कृपा-सागरी
साक्षान्मोक्षकरी सदा शिवकरी विश्वेश्वरी श्रीधरी ।
दक्षाक्रन्दकरी निरामयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥१०॥

One Who protects the devotees with Her great power and grant them fearlessness, Who is the great Mother and an ocean of compassion, Who is the great liberator, bestower of eternal good, Who is the wife of Shiva, and the repository of auspiciousness,
Who made Daksha (symbol of ego) cry, Who is the remover of all ills (negativity), and Who is the ruling Mother of the city of Kashi; please be gracious to me O Mother Annapurna, and grant me Your blessings.

अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्कर-प्राण-वल्लभे ।
ज्ञान-वैराग्य-सिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ॥

O Mother Annapurna, You are ever perfect and the beloved of Shankara. Please grant me the alms of Your grace, and please awaken within me the spiritual knowledge and freedom from all worldly desires.

माता च पार्वती देवी पिता देवो महेश्वरः ।
बान्धवाः शिवभक्ताश्च स्वदेशो भुवनत्रयम् ॥

My mother is Devi Parvati, and my father is Deva Maheshvara. The devotees of Shiva are my friends, and my own motherland is Tribhuvana (three worlds).

॥ इति श्रीशङ्करभगवतः कृतौ अन्नपूर्णास्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Hence ends Annapurna Stotram composed by Shri Adi Shankaracharya.

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NOTE:
You may find that some texts do not match the words from the song. Know that, the texts written here is the correct and complete one. For easy reading, dash sign (-) is placed in the middle of texts, leaving space as it is. If you want the original format, just remove dash sign from all the verses.