Miscellaneous - Religion   

Hymn for all seasons

CHENNAI: Scriptures assign a high status to Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. As the Goddess of wealth She has the power to confer prosperity, well-being and good graces on devotees. Even a mere glance of Hers is capable of granting boons and wishes. But more importantly as the Divine Mother, full of compassion for all created beings, She is ready to plead to the Lord on behalf of Her erring, suffering children.

The origin of the hymn Kanakadhara Stotra composed by Adi Sankara, extolling Goddess Lakshmi, reflects the prevailing social and cultural system of that era that expected certain duties of those belonging to their respective walks of life, pointed out Sri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal in a discourse. If it was the ordained duty of a Sanyasi to live on the alms offered by a Grihastha (householder), the householder was obliged to take care of the needs of Sanyasis. Accordingly when Adi Sankara, as a young lad who had taken up Sanyasa, approached a poor household for Bhiksha (alms), it so happened that the woman in the house had nothing except a gooseberry to offer.

Adi Sankara was so moved by the generosity of the woman who was reeling in poverty that he dedicated this hymn to Goddess Lakshmi, beseeching Her to confer prosperity on the woman. It is said that in response to the fervent plea of Sankara there rained a shower of gold in the household.

In this hymn, Sankara vouches that Her boundless compassion is such that one can rest assured that She will take care of all those who seek Her grace. The Goddess, who had emerged from the ocean, when it was churned to obtain nectar, is extolled as choosing the faultless Lord Vishnu as her husband, Who immediately offered Her a place on His chest.

It is unique among the hymns of Adi Sankara as embedded within its verses are powerful mantras that are capable of granting wishes. The construction of each verse in the hymn is such that the recitation becomes a personal prayer.

Prosperity is not merely confined to possession of wealth, but includes cultivation of proficiencies like skill in one's job, and virtues that constitute a person of integrity. The greatness of this prayer is that it is not only capable of conferring worldly merits, but it can also lead the devotee to the higher plane of salvation.

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