Sri Annapurna Ashtakam

What is an Ashtakam? An Ashtakam is a song comprising eight sections. You are expected to sing each section to the same music.

Sri Annapurna Ashtakam is written by Adi Shankaracharya to praise and invoke the grace of Mother Goddess Annapurneswari. Mother Goddess Annapurneswari is the presiding deity at Banaras or Varanasi. She is the Mother who graces food to everybody ; especially for poor and destitute. The Godess of Varanasi also fed King Harishchandra's children (he became poor due to Rishi Vashishta). There are many Annapoorni temples in India where food is freely served every day to every one i.e. Dharmasthala in Karnataka.

Annapurna Ashtakam is loved for its wordings and composition. You will realise all your ambitions by chanting or singing this ashtakam.

Nithyaananda kari,
Varaa abhya karee,
Soundarya rathnaakaree,
Nirddhotahakila ghora pavaanakaree,
Prathyaksha Maheswaree,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree.,

Naana rathna vichitra bhooshana karee,
Hemaambaradambaree,
Mukthaa haara vilamba maana vilasa,
Dwakshoja kumbaan dharee,
Kasmeera garu vasithaa ruchi karee,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 2


Yogaanandakaree ripu kshyakaree,
Dharman artha nishtaakaree,
Chandrarkaanala bhasa maana laharee,
Trilokya rakshaa karee,
Sarvaiswarya samastha vaanchithakaree,K
Kasi puraadheeswaree,B
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 3


Kailaasaachala kandharaa laya karee,
Gowree , umaa sankaree,Kaumaree nigamartha gochara karee,
Omkara beejaksharee,
Moksha dwaara kavata patana karee,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 4


Drusyaa drusya vibhootha vahana karee,
Brhmaanda bhando dharee,
Leelaa nataka suthra kelana karee,
Vijnana deeptham guree,
Sree viswesa mana prasaadhana karee,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 5


Urvee sarva janeswaree bhagawathee,
Maatha krupaa sagaree,
Venee neela samaana kunthala dharee,
Ananda dhaneswaree,
Sarvanandakaree bhayaa shubhakaree,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 6

Aadhi kshaantha samastha varna nikaree,
Shabho tribhaava karee,
Kasmeeraa tripureswaree trilaharee,
Nithyaamakuree sarvaree,
Kamaa kamksha karee janodhaya karee,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 7


Devee sarva vichitra rathna rachithaa,
Dakshayanee sundaree,
Vama swadu payodhara priyakaree,
Sownhagya maaheswaree,
Bhakthaabhishtakaree, sadaa shubhakaree,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 8


Chandrakaanala koti koti sadrusaa,
Chandramsu bhimbaan dharee,
Chandrakaagni samaana kunthala dharee
Chandrarka varneshwaree,
Maala pustaka pasasangusa dharee,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 9


Kshatrathraanakaree, mahaa bhayakaree,
Mthaa krupaa sagaree,
Sakshaan mokshakaree sadaa shiva karee,
Visweshwaree sridharee,
Daksha krundha karee niraa mayakaree,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree 10


Annapurne sadaa purne,
Sankara praana vallabhe,
Jnana vairagya sidhyartham,
Bikshaa dehee cha parvathy.

Mathaa cha Parvathy Devi,
Pithaas cha Maheswara
Bandhawa Shiva Bhakatamscha,
Swadesho Bhuvana Trayam.

Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam

What is an Ashtakam? An Ashtakam is a song comprising eight sections. You are expected to sing each section to the same music.

Adi Shankaracharya has composed an Ashtakam on Lord Dakshinamurthy (the Lord of Jnana). Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam (or Astakam). In this hymn he praises and invokes the blessings of the Lord.Dakshinamurthy is Lord Shiva's another incarnation. He is assumed as 'guru' or teacher of knowledge and wisdom.

Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam is a powerful Stotra.You may chant the hymns and pray the Lord. If you know the inner meaning and philosophy of the hymn then you may be able to appreciate the philosophy.

Mouna Vyakhya prakatitha, para,
Brahma thathwam yuvanam,
Varshishtha anthevasad rishiganai,
Ravrutham brahma nishtai,
Acharyendram kara kalihtha chin,
Mudram ananda roopam,
Swathmaramam mudhitha vadanam,
Dakshinamurthim eede. 1

Viswam darpana drusyamana nagari,
Thulyam nijantargatham,
Pasyannathmani mayaya bahirivoth,
Bhutham yatha nidraya,
Ya sakshath kuruthe prabodha samaye,
Swathmanameva dwayam,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree Dakshinamurthaye. 2

Beejasyanthari vankuro jagadhidham,
Prang nirvikalpam puna,
Mayakalpitha desa kala kalanaa,
Vaichithrya chithrikrutham,
Mayaveeva vijrumbhayathyapi maha,
Yogeeva yah swechaya,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 3

Yasyaiva sphuranam sadathmakamasath,
Kalparthagam bhasathe,
Sakshaath thathwamaseethi veda vachasa,
Yobodhyathyasrithhan,
Yath saksht karanath bhavenna punara,
Aavrithir bhavambhonidhow,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 4

Nanachidhra ghato dhara sthitha maha,
Deepa prabha bhaswaram,
Jnanam yasya thu chakshuradhi karana,
Dwara bahi spandathe,
Jaanameethi tham eva baandham anubathi,
Yethath samastham jagat,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 5

Deham pranam api indryanyapi chalaam,
Budhim cha soonyam vidhu,
Stree balandha jadopamasthvaha mithi,
Brandha brusam vadhina,
Maya sakthi vilasa kalpitha maha,
Vyamoha samharine,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 6

Rahu grastha divakarendu sadrusho,
Maya samachadanath,
Sanamthra karanopa samharanatho,
Yo abhoot sushuptha pumaan,
Pragaswapsaamithi prabodha samaye,
Yaa prathyabignayathe,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 7

Balyadishwapi jagaradhadishu thadha,
Sarva sva avasthasthaswapi,
Vyavrutha swanuvarthamanamaha ,
Mithyanth sphurantham sada,
Svathmaanam pragatikarothi bajatham,
Yo mudraya bhadraya,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 8

Viswam pasyathi karya karana thaya,
Swa swami sambandatha,
Sishyacharya thaya thadaiva pithru,
Puthradhyathmana bedatha,
Swapne Jagrathi va ya esha purusho,
Maya Paribramitha,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 9

Bhoorambaamsya anilo ambhara,
Maharnadho himamasu puman,
Ithyabhathi characharathmakamidham,
Yasyaiva murthyashtakam,
Nanyath kinchana vidhyathe vimrusathaam,
Yasmath parasmath vibho,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 10

Sarvathmathvamithi sphutikruthamitham,
Yasmadamushamin sthave,
Thenasya sravanath thadartha mananath,
Dyanascha Sankeerthanath,
Sarvathmathva maha vibhuthi sahitham,
Syadheeswarasthvam svatha,
Siddhyeth thath punarashtadha parinatham,
Chaisvaryamvayhatham. 11

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Mouna Vyakhya prakatitha, para,
Brahma thathwam yuvanam,
Varshishtha anthevasad rishiganai,
Ravrutham brahma nishtai,
Acharyendram kara kalihtha chin,
Mudram ananda roopam,
Swathmaramam mudhitha vadanam,
Dakshinamurthim eede. 1

Chitram Vata tharor mole vruddha,
Sishya, Guror Yuva,
Gurostu mounam vykhyanam,
Sishyasthu china samsaya

Om nama pranavarthaya,
Suddha jnanaika moorthaye nama,
Nirmalaya prasanthaya,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.

Gurave sara lokaanam,
Bishaje bhava roginaam,
Nidhaye sarva vidhyanam,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.

Adi Shankaracharya

Adi Shankaracharya (788 CE - 820 CE), left an indelible mark on Hindu religion and Vedic Dharma. He was the first to consolidate Advaita Vedanta. It is one among the three sub-schools of Vedanta philosophy.

Adi Shankaracharya was born to a Brahmin couple in a very small village known as Kaladi in Kerala. Even today you can visit Kaladi and visit the two shrines dedicated to Dakshinamurthy and the other to Goddess Sharada (Saraswati). You can also visit his place of birth.

The young boy adopted Sanyasa and left Kerala to find his guru. Govinda Bhagavatpada accepted Shankara as his disciple after testing his knowledge in Vedas. The guru wanted that Shankara should write commentry on the Brahma Sutras. Shankara continued his journey to Banaras. There he composed five slokas named as Manisha Panchakam. In the mean time he got many disciples.

Adi Shankaracharyas proceeded to write his well renowned Bashyas (His Commentaries) and Prakarana granthas ("treatises of philosophy").at Badari.. At Srisailam he wrote Shivanada Lahari, a sloka praising Lord Shiva. Later he also composed Lakshmi-Narasimha Stotra. This was to thank Lord Narasimha. The Lord has saved Adi Shankaracharya was from a kapalika (savage).

The monk further travelled to Gokarna temple, then to Mookambika temple at Kollur and finally to Sringeri. At Sringeri he instituted Sharadha Peetam (seat of Sharada).. Soon after this the monk commenced his Dig-Vijaya (Tour to Conquest) and travelled all over India and during his journey was propagating the philosophy of Advaita. On his way he entered and engaged debate with Buddhist and Jain monks and other Hindu scholars e.g. Neelakanta..

Adi Shankaracharya established four Mutts: One at Sringeri (South India) in Karnataka; Second one at Dwaraka (Western India) in Gujarat; The third one at Puri (Eastern India) in Orissa; and the fourth at Jyotirmath (also called Joshimath) (North India) in Uttarakhand.

Later Adi Shankaracharya travelled to Sharada Peetam located in (now Pakistan Occupied) Kashmir. There are also he conquered people belonging to different scholastic disciplines i.e. Vedanta, Mimamsa.

Finally Adi Shankaracharya reached Kedarnath-Badrinath loacated on the lap of Himalaya. At Kedarnath he attained videha mukti (freedom from the embodiments). Even today you may visit the tomb of Adi Shankara just behind the Shiva temple.at Kedarnath.

After spending thirty two years of fruitful life, Adi Shankaracharya established the Vedic Dharma. What you enjoy today as your Hindu religion is due to the efforts of this monk. For this he debated and conquered more numerous, significant and powerful scholars and monks. He was able to overpower them single handedly to establish the Shanmatha (six-important faiths or Hindu religious sects) i.e. Saivam (Lord Shiva), Vaishnavam (Lord Vishnu), Saktham (Goddesses), Souram (Lord Surya or Sun God), Ganapathyam (Lord Ganapathy) and Skandam (Lord Subramanya).