Annapurna Stotram: Sanskrit Text, Meaning & Benefits
Annapurna Stotram — Sanskrit Text
नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्यरत्नाकरी
निर्धूताखिलघोरपावनकरी प्रत्यक्षमाहेश्वरी ।
प्रालेयाचलवंशपावनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥१॥
नानारत्नविचित्रभूषणकरी हेमाम्बराडम्बरी
मुक्ताहारविलम्बमान विलसद्वक्षोजकुम्भान्तरी ।
काश्मीरागरुवासिता रुचिकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥२॥
योगानन्दकरी रिपुक्षयकरी धर्मार्थनिष्ठाकरी
चन्द्रार्कानलभासमानलहरी त्रैलोक्यरक्षाकरी ।
सर्वैश्वर्यसमस्तवाञ्छितकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥३॥
कैलासाचलकन्दरालयकरी गौरी उमा शङ्करी
कौमारी निगमार्थगोचरकरी ओङ्कारबीजाक्षरी ।
मोक्षद्वारकपाटपाटनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥४॥
दृश्यादृश्य विभूतिवाहनकरी ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डोदरी
लीलानाटकसूत्रभेदनकरी विज्ञानदीपाङ्कुरी ।
श्रीविश्वेशमनः प्रसादनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥५॥
उर्वी सर्वजनेश्वरी भगवती मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी
वेणीनीलसमानकुन्तलधरी नित्यान्नदानेश्वरी ।
सर्वानन्दकरी सदाशुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥६॥
आदिक्षान्तसमस्तवर्णनकरी शम्भोस्त्रिभावाकरी
काश्मीरा त्रिजलेश्वरी त्रिलहरी नित्याङ्कुरा शर्वरी ।
कामाकाङ्क्षकरी जनोदयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥७॥
देवी सर्वविचित्ररत्नरचिता दाक्षायणी सुन्दरी
वामे स्वादुपयोधरा प्रियकरी सौभाग्य माहेश्वरी ।
भक्ताभीष्टकरी सदाशुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥८॥
चन्द्रार्कानलकोटिकोटिसदृशा चन्द्रांशुबिम्बाधरी
चन्द्रार्काग्निसमानकुण्डलधरी चन्द्रार्कवर्णेश्वरी ।
मालापुस्तकपाशसाङ्कुशधरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥९॥
क्षत्रत्राणकरी महाभयकरी माता कृपासागरी
साक्षान्मोक्षकरी सदा शिवकरी विश्वेश्वरी श्रीधरी ।
दक्षाक्रन्दकरी निरामयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥१०॥
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्करप्राणवल्लभे ।
ज्ञानवैराग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ॥११॥
माता मे पार्वती देवी पिता देवो महेश्वरः ।
बान्धवाः शिवभक्ताश्च स्वदेशो भुवनत्रयम् ॥१२॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
nityānandakarī varābhayakarī saundaryaratnākarī
nirdhūtākhilaghorapāvanakarī pratyakṣamāheśvarī |
prāleyācalavaṃśapāvanakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||1||
nānāratnavicitrabhūṣaṇakarī hemāmbarāḍambarī
muktāhāravilambamāna vilasadvakṣojakumbhāntarī |
kāśmīrāgaruvāsitā rucikarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||2||
yogānandakarī ripukṣayakarī dharmārthaniṣṭhākarī
candrārkānalabhāsamānalaharī trailokyarakṣākarī |
sarvaiśvaryasamastavāñchitakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||3||
kailāsācalakandarālayakarī gaurī umā śaṅkarī
kaumārī nigamārthagocarakarī oṅkārabījākṣarī |
mokṣadvārakapāṭapāṭanakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||4||
dṛśyādṛśya vibhūtivāhanakarī brahmāṇḍabhāṇḍodarī
līlānāṭakasūtrabhedanakarī vijñānadīpāṅkurī |
śrīviśveśamanaḥ prasādanakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||5||
urvī sarvajaneśvarī bhagavatī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī
veṇīnīlasamānakuntaladharī nityānnadāneśvarī |
sarvānandakarī sadāśubhakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||6||
ādikṣāntasamastavarṇanakarī śambhostribhāvākarī
kāśmīrā trijaleśvarī trilaharī nityāṅkurā śarvarī |
kāmākāṅkṣakarī janodayakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||7||
devī sarvavicitraratnaracitā dākṣāyaṇī sundarī
vāme svādupayodharā priyakarī saubhāgya māheśvarī |
bhaktābhīṣṭakarī sadāśubhakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||8||
candrārkānalakoṭikoṭisadṛśā candrāṃśubimbādharī
candrārkāgnisamānakuṇḍaladharī candrārkavarṇeśvarī |
mālāpustakapāśasāṅkuśadharī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||9||
kṣatratrāṇakarī mahābhayakarī mātā kṛpāsāgarī
sākṣānmokṣakarī sadā śivakarī viśveśvarī śrīdharī |
dakṣākrandakarī nirāmayakarī kāśīpurādhīśvarī
bhikṣāṃ dehi kṛpāvalambanakarī mātānnapūrṇeśvarī ||10||
annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe śaṅkaraprāṇavallabhe |
jñānavairāgyasiddhyarthaṃ bhikṣāṃ dehi ca pārvati ||11||
mātā me pārvatī devī pitā devo maheśvaraḥ |
bāndhavāḥ śivabhaktāśca svadeśo bhuvanatrayam ||12||
Meaning
This hymn beseeches Goddess Annapurna — literally “She who is full of food (anna)” — the divine Mother enshrined in Kashi (Varanasi) and the consort of Shiva. Each verse heaps tender epithets on her and ends with the humble plea, “Bhiksham dehi” — “Grant me alms, O Mother Annapurneshvari, you who extend the support of your grace.”
She is the giver of eternal bliss, bestower of boons and fearlessness, an ocean of beauty; the purifier who washes away all dread; the visible Maheshvari, sanctifier of the Himalayan lineage, the sovereign of Kashi. She is adorned with jewels and golden robes; she grants yogic bliss, destroys enemies, upholds dharma and artha, protects the three worlds, and fulfils every desire. She is Gauri, Uma, Shankari; the seed-syllable Om; the one who breaks open the doors of liberation; the womb of the cosmic egg; the lamp of true knowledge. The closing verses pray: “O Annapurna, ever-full, beloved of Shankara, grant me alms for the sake of wisdom and dispassion, O Parvati,” and affirm the devotee’s surrender: “Mother is Parvati, Father is Maheshvara, my kin are the devotees of Shiva, and my homeland is the three worlds.”
About this Stotra
The Annapurna Stotram, also called Annapurnashtakam, is composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Annapurna is the form of Parvati who presides over nourishment and abundance; her famous temple stands beside the Kashi Vishwanath shrine in Varanasi, where she is believed to feed all beings. The legend tells that when Shiva called the world an illusion, Annapurna manifested to demonstrate that food and the sustaining mother-power are very real, and Shiva himself stood before her with a begging-bowl — the very posture this stotra adopts with its refrain “Bhiksham dehi.”
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
Annapurna is the goddess who ensures that no devotee’s kitchen is ever empty. This stotra is recited for plentiful food, freedom from hunger and poverty, household prosperity, and the steady flow of resources. Beyond material sustenance, the eleventh verse asks for “jnana-vairagya” — wisdom and dispassion — revealing the stotra’s deeper aim: that true fullness is spiritual. Devotees chant it before cooking or serving food, when starting a new home or business, and to cultivate gratitude and the spirit of annadana (the gift of food).
Astrological Relevance
Annapurna governs nourishment, sustenance and the “daily bread” of life, themes ruled in astrology by the 2nd house (food, wealth, family resources), the 4th house (home, mother, comfort) and the Moon (nurturing, the stomach). Her worship is a classic remedy for an afflicted 2nd house, a weak Moon, or hard periods of financial scarcity and food-insecurity. Because she is a form of Parvati/Lakshmi-Gauri, the stotra also strengthens domestic harmony and the karaka of the mother. Chanting it is recommended when Jupiter (abundance) or the Moon (well-being) is weak, and during Saturn periods that pinch resources.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit facing east or north before an image of Annapurna or Parvati, ideally in or facing the kitchen/dining space. Light a lamp and offer flowers, kumkum and a small portion of cooked food (naivedya). Recite the twelve verses with devotion, dwelling on the refrain “Bhiksham dehi.” It is especially meritorious to follow recitation with annadana — offering food to others. Daily chanting before the first meal, or as part of morning worship, is the traditional practice.
Best Day & Time
Fridays and Mondays, the Annapurna Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima), Navratri, and Akshaya Tritiya are highly auspicious. Early morning before cooking the day’s food, or before the first meal, is the ideal time. Purnima (full-moon) days are particularly favoured for Annapurna worship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Goddess Annapurna?
Annapurna is a form of Goddess Parvati who governs food and nourishment. Her principal temple is in Kashi (Varanasi), where she is revered as the Mother who feeds all beings.
Why does every verse say “Bhiksham dehi”?
“Bhiksham dehi” means “grant me alms.” Following the legend in which even Shiva sought food from Annapurna, the devotee humbly asks the Mother for sustenance — both material and spiritual.
What benefits does the Annapurna Stotram give?
It is chanted for abundance of food, household prosperity, freedom from want, and, as the hymn itself states, for wisdom and dispassion (jnana and vairagya).
At the feet of the Mother who feeds the world
The Annapurna Stotram attributed to Adi Shankaracharya is remarkable for the sheer directness of its central prayer: Bhiksham dehi - grant me alms. The philosopher-saint who is credited with reviving the rigours of Advaita Vedanta composed, by tradition, some of the most tender hymns in the bhakti canon, and in approaching Goddess Annapurna of Kashi - who stands as the very embodiment of nourishment, the one who never lets the hungry leave empty; he takes the posture of a simple mendicant rather than a learned disputant. That choice carries enormous weight: it teaches that even the highest knowledge bows before the Mother's compassion, and that the need for her sustenance is universal and nothing to be ashamed of.
Goddess Annapurna is worshipped not only for material food but for the nourishment of the mind, the arts and the spirit, making her stotra beloved among students, scholars, and those who support households. In the Jyotish tradition, her blessings are associated with a strong, graceful Jupiter (Brihaspati) - the planet of abundance, learning and grace - as well as with the Moon as the sustainer of life. Devotees chant this stotram on Fridays, on Akshaya Tritiya, on Annapurna Jayanti, and at the start of new ventures related to the home or livelihood. The mood it evokes is one of deep reassurance: that the universe, in its most intimate maternal form, has never and will never forget to feed its children.