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(The hymn of the golden shower)
By Sri Sankara Bhagavad Pada
Adi Sankara was possibly one of the great
saints of his time. He was born in a poor Brahmin family in
Kerala. After Brahmopadesa, as was usual during those times, he
was asked to beg alms for his lunch. One day, when he went to a
Brahmin’s house, the lady of the house was so poor that she did
not have anything to give him. She searched hard and found one
small gooseberry, which she gave to the boy, Sankara. He was so
touched by her gesture that he sang these 21 mellifluous hymns
on Goddess Lakshmi, who rained golden gooseberries into the poor
woman’s house. Even today it is believed that poverty would be
banished by singing this hymn.
Angam hare pulaka
bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya… 1
To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted
To the unopened buds of black Tamala tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity.
Mugdha muhurvidhadhadathi vadhane
Murare,
Premathrapapranihithani gathagathani,
Mala dhrishotmadhukareeva maheth pale ya,
Sa ne sriyam dhisathu sagarasambhavaya…2
Again and again return, those glances,
Filled with hesitation and love,
Of her who is born to the ocean of milk,
To the face of Murari,
Like the honey bees to the pretty blue lotus,
And let those glances shower me with wealth.
Ameelithaksha madhigamya mudha Mukundam
Anandakandamanimeshamananga thanthram,
Akekara stiththa kaninika pashma nethram,
Bhoothyai bhavenmama bhjangasayananganaya… 3
With half-closed eyes stares she on Mukunda,
Filled with happiness, shyness and the science of love,
On the ecstasy filled face with closed eyes of her Lord,
And let her, who is the wife of Him who sleeps on the snake,
Shower me with wealth.
Bahwanthare madhujitha srithakausthube
ya,
Haravaleeva nari neela mayi vibhathi,
Kamapradha bhagavatho api kadaksha mala,
Kalyanamavahathu me kamalalayaya…4
He who has won over Madhu,
Wears the Kousthuba as ornament,
And also the garland of glances, of blue Indraneela,
Filled with love to protect and grant wishes to Him,
Of her who lives on the lotus,
And let those also fall on me,
And grant me all that is good.
Kalambudhaalithorasi kaida bhare,
Dharaadhare sphurathi yaa thadinganeva,
Mathu samastha jagatham mahaneeya murthy,
Badrani me dhisathu bhargava nandanaya…5
Like the streak of lightning in black dark cloud,
She is shining on the dark, broad chest,
Of He who killed Kaidaba,
And let the eyes of the great mother of all universe,
Who is the daughter of Sage Bharghava,
Fall on me lightly and bring me prosperity.
Praptham padam pradhamatha khalu yat
prabhavath,
Mangalyabhaji madhu madhini manamathena,
Mayyapadetha mathara meekshanardham,
Manthalasam cha makaralaya kanyakaya...6
The God of love could only reach ,
The killer of Madhu,
Through the power of her kind glances,
Loaded with love and blessing
And let that side glance,
Which is auspicious and indolent,
Fall on me.
Viswamarendra padhavee bramadhana
dhaksham,
Ananda hethu radhikam madhu vishwoapi,
Eshanna sheedhathu mayi kshanameekshanartham,
Indhivarodhara sahodharamidhiraya…7
Capable of making one as king of Devas in this world,
Her sidelong glance of a moment,
Made Indra regain his kingdom,
And is making Him who killed Madhu supremely happy.
And let her with her blue lotus eyes glance at me a little.
Ishta visishtamathayopi yaya dhayardhra,
Dhrishtya thravishta papadam sulabham labhanthe,
Hrishtim prahrushta kamlodhara deepthirishtam,
Pushtim krishishta mama pushkravishtaraya…8
To her devotees and those who are great,
Grants she a place in heaven which is difficult to attain,
Just by a glance of her compassion-filled eyes,
Let her sparkling eyes which are like the fully opened lotus,
Fall on me and grant me all my desires.
Dhadyaddhayanupavanopi
dravinambhudaraam,
Asminna kinchina vihanga sisou vishanne,
Dhushkaramagarmmapaneeya chiraya dhooram,
Narayana pranayinee nayanambhuvaha…9
Please send your mercy which is like wind,
And shower the rain of wealth on this parched land,
And quench the thirst of this little chataka bird,
And likewise, drive away afar my load of sins,
Oh, darling of Narayana,
By the glance from your cloud-like dark eyes.
Gheerdhevathethi garuda dwaja
sundarithi,
Sakambhareethi sasi shekara vallebhethi,
Srishti sthithi pralaya kelishu samsthitha ya,
Thasyai namas thribhvanai ka guros tharunyai…10
She is the goddess of knowledge,
She is the darling of Him who has Garuda as flag,
She is the power that causes death at the time of deluge,
And she is the wife of Him who has the crescent,
And she does the creation, upkeep and destruction at various
times,
And my salutations to this lady who is worshipped by all the
three worlds.
(To be continued)
(Translated by
P R Ramachander)
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Kanaka Dhara Stotra - 1
