Agastya Lakshmi Stotram
श्रीलक्ष्मीस्तोत्रम् (अगस्त्यरचितम्)
What is the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram?
Agastya Lakshmi Stotram The Agastya Lakshmi Stotram is a 33-verse Sanskrit hymn traditionally attributed to the sage Agastya, addressed to Goddess Mahalakshmi for relief from poverty and the granting of wealth, health and well-being. It opens with 'Jaya padma-palashakshi jaya tvam shripati-priye' and closes with Lakshmi herself promising to bless anyone who recites it with faith and devotion.
Among the many Sanskrit hymns addressed to Goddess Lakshmi, the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram is unusual for how personal it gets. The sage Agastya does not simply praise the goddess from a distance – he tells her plainly that he has come to her poor and afraid, and asks her, verse after verse, to lift him out of hardship. The hymn runs to thirty-three verses in Sanskrit, moving from repeated salutations through a few sharp observations about wealth and character to a frank, almost pleading appeal, and it closes with Lakshmi’s own reply, where she promises to remain in the home of anyone who recites these words with faith.
Agastya Lakshmi Stotram Lyrics in English
All 33 verses in plain Roman transliteration (no diacritics), with the Devanagari original alongside each one.
Jaya padma-palashakshi jaya tvam shripati-priye
jaya matar mahalakshmi samsararnava-tarini
जय पद्मपलाशाक्षि जय त्वं श्रीपतिप्रिये
जय मातर्महालक्ष्मि संसारार्णवतारिणि
Meaning
Agastya opens with three cries of victory to the lotus-eyed goddess, calling her the one who carries her devotees across the ocean of worldly life.
Mahalakshmi namastubhyam namastubhyam sureshvari
haripriye namastubhyam namastubhyam dayanidhe
महालक्ष्मि नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं सुरेश्वरि
हरिप्रिये नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं दयानिधे
Meaning
He bows to Mahalakshmi as queen of the gods, beloved of Hari, and an ocean of mercy – a fourfold salutation repeated for emphasis.
Padmalaye namastubhyam namastubhyam cha sarvade
sarva-bhuta-hitarthaya vasu-vrishtim sada kuru
पद्मालये नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं च सर्वदे
सर्वभूतहितार्थाय वसुवृष्टिं सदा कुरु
Meaning
Salutations to the one seated on the lotus who gives to all; he asks her to keep raining wealth for the good of every living being.
Jagan-matar namastubhyam namastubhyam dayanidhe
dayavati namastubhyam vishveshvari namo’stu te
जगन्मातर्नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं दयानिधे
दयावति नमस्तुभ्यं विश्वेश्वरि नमोऽस्तु ते
Meaning
He calls her mother of the universe and full of compassion, bowing again to her as ruler of the whole world.
Namah kshirarnava-sute namas trailokya-dharini
vasu-vrishte namastubhyam raksha mam sharanagatam
नमः क्षीरार्णवसुते नमस्त्रैलोक्यधारिणि
वसुवृष्टे नमस्तुभ्यं रक्ष मां शरणागतं
Meaning
He salutes the daughter of the ocean of milk who holds up the three worlds, and asks her to protect one who has come seeking shelter.
Raksha tvam devadeveshi devadevasya vallabhe
daridrat trahi mam lakshmi kripam kuru mamopari
रक्ष त्वं देवदेवेशि देवदेवस्य वल्लभे
दरिद्रात्त्राहि मां लक्ष्मि कृपां कुरु ममोपरि
Meaning
A direct plea: protect me, queen of the gods, beloved of the god of gods; save me from poverty and show me your grace.
Namas trailokya-janani namas trailokya-pavani
brahmadayo namaste tvam jagad-ananda-dayini
नमस्त्रैलोक्यजननि नमस्त्रैलोक्यपावनि
ब्रह्मादयो नमस्ते त्वां जगदानन्ददायिनि
Meaning
Salutations to the mother and purifier of the three worlds; even Brahma and the other gods bow to her as the giver of the world's joy.
Vishnu-priye namastubhyam namastubhyam jagad-dhite
arta-hantri namastubhyam samriddhim kuru me sada
विष्णुप्रिये नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं जगद्धिते
आर्तहन्त्रि नमस्तुभ्यं समृद्धिं कुरु मे सदा
Meaning
Bowing to the beloved of Vishnu who works for the good of the world, he asks the remover of suffering to always grant him prosperity.
Abja-vase namastubhyam chapalayai namo namah
chanchalayai namastubhyam lalitayai namo namah
अब्जवासे नमस्तुभ्यं चपलायै नमो नमः
चञ्चलायै नमस्तुभ्यं ललितायै नमो नमः
Meaning
Repeated salutations to the one who dwells on the lotus, restless and playful and graceful by nature.
Namah pradyumna-janani matus tubhyam namo namah
paripalaya bho matar mam tubhyam sharanagatam
नमः प्रद्युम्नजननि मातुस्तुभ्यं नमो नमः
परिपालय भो मातर्मां तुभ्यं शरणागतं
Meaning
Salutations to the mother of Pradyumna; he asks her to look after him as a mother looks after a child who has come for refuge.
Sharanye tvam prapanno’smi kamale kamalalaye
trahi trahi mahalakshmi paritrana-parayane
शरण्ये त्वां प्रपन्नोऽस्मि कमले कमलालये
त्राहि त्राहि महालक्ष्मि परित्राणपरायणे
Meaning
He surrenders fully to the lotus-dwelling refuge of all, and calls out twice for her to save him, she who is devoted to rescuing the fallen.
Panditya shobhate naiva na shobhanti guna nare
shilatvam naiva shobheta mahalakshmi tvaya vina
पाण्डित्यं शोभते नैव न शोभन्ति गुणा नरे
शीलत्वं नैव शोभेत महालक्ष्मि त्वया विना
Meaning
Learning does not shine on its own, he says, and good qualities in a person find no shine either – even good character loses its glow without Lakshmi's presence.
Tavad virajate rupam tavach chhilam virajate
tavad guna naranam cha yaval lakshmih prasidati
तावद्विराजते रूपं तावच्छीलं विराजते
तावद्गुणा नराणां च यावल्लक्ष्मीः प्रसीदति
Meaning
Beauty, character and merit in a person only shine, he observes, as long as Lakshmi is pleased with them.
Lakshmi tvayalankrita manava ye papair vimukta nripa-loka-manyah
gunair vihina gunino bhavanti dushilinah shilavatam varishthah
लक्ष्मित्वयालङ्कृतमानवा ये पापैर्विमुक्ता नृपलोकमान्याः
गुणैर्विहीना गुणिनो भवन्ति दुशीलिनः शीलवतां वरिष्ठाः
Meaning
Those Lakshmi has adorned are freed of their faults and respected even by kings, while those without her favor lose their standing however virtuous they are – a frank comment on how the world treats wealth and its absence.
Lakshmir bhushayate rupam lakshmir bhushayate kulam
lakshmir bhushayate vidyam sarval lakshmir vishishyate
लक्ष्मीर्भूषयते रूपं लक्ष्मीर्भूषयते कुलं
लक्ष्मीर्भूषयते विद्यां सर्वाल्लक्ष्मीर्विशिष्यते
Meaning
Lakshmi is what truly adorns a person's looks, family name and learning; among all ornaments, he says, she outshines the rest.
Lakshmi tvad-guna-kirtanena kamalabhur yaty alam jihvatam
rudradya ravi-chandra-deva-patayo vaktum cha naiva kshamah
asmabhis tava rupa-lakshana-gunan vaktum katham shakyate
matar mam paripahi vishva-janani kritva mameshtam dhruvam
लक्ष्मि त्वद्गुणकीर्तनेन कमलाभूर्यात्यलं जिह्वतां रुद्राद्या रविचन्द्रदेवपतयो वक्तुं च नैव क्षमाः
अस्माभिस्तव रूपलक्षणगुणान्वक्तुं कथं शक्यते मातर्मां परिपाहि विश्वजननि कृत्वा ममेष्टं ध्रुवं
Meaning
In a longer, more musical verse, he says even Brahma and the gods who preside over sun and moon cannot fully describe her qualities, so how could he – and he simply asks her to grant his one true wish.
Dinarti-bhitam bhava-tapa-piditam dhanair vihinam tava parshvam agatam
kripa-nidhitvan mama lakshmi satvaram dhana-pradanad dhana-nayakam kuru
दीनार्तिभीतं भवतापपीडितं धनैर्विहीनं तव पार्श्वमागतं
कृपानिधित्वान्मम लक्ष्मि सत्वरं धनप्रदानाद्धन्नायकं कुरु
Meaning
He describes himself plainly – frightened, poor, worn down by worldly suffering, come to stand beside her – and asks her, out of her boundless mercy, to make him a man of means.
Mam vilokya janani haripriye
nirdhanam tvat samipam agatam
dehi me jhatiti lakshmi
karagram vastra-kanchana-varannam adbhutam
मां विलोक्य जननि हरिप्रिये
निर्धनं त्वत्समीपमागतं
देहि मे झटिति लक्ष्मि
कराग्रं वस्त्रकाञ्चनवरान्नमद्भुतं
Meaning
Looking at himself as a penniless man come before the mother dear to Hari, he asks her to quickly place cloth, gold and fine food in his open hands.
Tvam eva janani lakshmi pita lakshmi tvam eva cha
bhrata tvam cha sakha lakshmi vidya lakshmi tvam eva cha
त्वमेव जननी लक्ष्मि पिता लक्ष्मि त्वमेव च
भ्राता त्वं च सखा लक्ष्मि विद्या लक्ष्मि त्वमेव च
Meaning
In one breath he calls her his mother, his father, his brother, his friend and his knowledge itself – everything he has, he says, is really her.
Trahi trahi mahalakshmi trahi trahi sureshvari
trahi trahi jagan-matar daridrat trahi vegatah
त्राहि त्राहि महालक्ष्मि त्राहि त्राहि सुरेश्वरि
त्राहि त्राहि जगन्मातर्दरिद्रात्त्राहि वेगतः
Meaning
Three times over he calls out 'save me' to Mahalakshmi, queen of the gods and mother of the world, asking her to lift him out of poverty at once.
Namastubhyam jagad-dhatri namastubhyam namo namah
dharmadhare namastubhyam namah sampatti-dayini
नमस्तुभ्यं जगद्धात्रि नमस्तुभ्यं नमो नमः
धर्माधारे नमस्तुभ्यं नमः सम्पत्तिदायिनी
Meaning
Salutations again to the one who holds up the world and sustains dharma – he calls her the giver of prosperity.
Daridrarnava-magno’ham nimagno’ham rasatale
majjantam mam kare dhritva suddhara tvam rame drutam
दरिद्रार्णवमग्नोऽहं निमग्नोऽहं रसातले
मज्जन्तं मां करे धृत्वा सूद्धर त्वं रमे द्रुतं
Meaning
He describes himself as drowning in an ocean of poverty, sinking to its depths, and asks her to take his hand and pull him out quickly.
Kim lakshmi bahunoktena jalpitena punah punah
anyan me sharanam nasti satyam satyam haripriye
किं लक्ष्मि बहुनोक्तेन जल्पितेन पुनः पुनः
अन्यन्मे शरणं नास्ति सत्यं सत्यं हरिप्रिये
Meaning
What use is saying the same thing again and again, he asks – he has no other shelter, and this, he insists, is simply the truth.
Etach chhrutva’gasti-vakyam hrishyamana haripriya
uvacha madhuram vanim tushta’ham tava sarvada
एतच्श्रुत्वाऽगस्तिवाक्यं हृष्यमाण हरिप्रिया
उवाच मधुरां वाणीं तुष्टाहं तव सर्वदा
Meaning
Hearing Agastya's words, Lakshmi is pleased and answers him in a gentle voice, saying she is always satisfied with him.
Yat tvayoktam idam stotram yah pathishyati manavah
shrinoti cha mahabhagas tasyaham vashavartini
यत्त्वयोक्तमिदं स्तोत्रं यः पठिष्यति मानवः
शृणोति च महाभागस्तस्याहं वशवर्तिनी
Meaning
Lakshmi herself now speaks: whoever recites or even listens to this hymn that Agastya has composed, she says, will have her favor turned toward him.
Nityam pathati yo bhaktya tvalakshmis tasya nashyati
ranash cha nashyate tivram viyogam naiva pashyati
नित्यं पठति यो भक्त्या त्वलक्ष्मीस्तस्य नश्यति
रणश्च नश्यते तीव्रं वियोगं नैव पश्यति
Meaning
She promises that daily, devoted recitation destroys alakshmi – misfortune and want – and that sharp conflict fades and separation from loved ones is avoided.
Yah pathet pratar utthaya shraddha-bhakti-samanvitah
grihe tasya sada sthasye nityam shripatina saha
यः पठेत्प्रातरुत्थाय श्रद्धा-भक्तिसमन्वितः
गृहे तस्य सदा स्थास्ये नित्यं श्रीपतिना सह
Meaning
Whoever rises at dawn and recites it with faith and devotion, she says, will always have her dwelling in his home, together with her husband, the lord of wealth.
Sukha-saubhagya-sampanno manasvi buddhiman bhavet
putravan gunavan shreshtho bhoga-bhokta cha manavah
सुखसौभाग्यसम्पन्नो मनस्वी बुद्धिमान् भवेत्
पुत्रवान् गुणवान् श्रेष्ठो भोगभोक्ता च मानवः
Meaning
Such a person, she promises, gains happiness and good fortune, a clear mind and sound judgment, worthy children, and the ability to enjoy life's comforts.
Idam stotram mahapunyam lakshmy-agasti-prakirtitam
vishnu-prasada-jananam chatur-varga-phala-pradam
इदं स्तोत्रं महापुण्यं लक्ष्म्यगस्तिप्रकीर्तितं
विष्णुप्रसादजननं चतुर्वर्गफलप्रदं
Meaning
This hymn, greatly meritorious and proclaimed by Lakshmi through Agastya, is said to please Vishnu and grant all four aims of human life – dharma, wealth, desire and liberation.
Raja-dvare jayash chaiva shatrosh chaiva parajayah
bhuta-preta-pishachanam vyaghranam na bhayam tatha
राजद्वारे जयश्चैव शत्रोश्चैव पराजयः
भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां व्याघ्राणां न भयं तथा
Meaning
It is said to bring success in royal courts and the defeat of one's rivals, and freedom from fear of spirits, ghosts and wild tigers.
Na shastranala-toyaughad bhayam tasya prajayate
durvrittanam cha papanam bahu-hanikaram param
न शस्त्रानलतोयौघाद्भयं तस्य प्रजायते
दुर्वृत्तानां च पापानां बहुहानिकरं परं
Meaning
There is no fear left, it says, from weapons, fire or flood for one who recites it, and it brings great loss upon those who act wrongly or with ill intent.
Mandura-kari-shalasu gavam goshthe samahitah
pathet tad-dosha-shantyartham mahapataka-nashanam
मन्दुराकरिशालासु गवां गोष्ठे समाहितः
पठेत्तद्दोषशान्त्यर्थं महापातकनाशनं
Meaning
Recited even near stables, elephant yards or cowsheds, it is said to calm whatever fault troubles the place and to undo serious wrongdoing.
Sarva-saukhya-karam nrinam ayur-arogyadam tatha
agasti-munina proktam prajanam hita-kamyaya
सर्वसौख्यकरं नृणामायुरारोग्यदं तथा
अगस्तिमुनिना प्रोक्तं प्रजानां हितकाम्यया
Meaning
The closing verse sums it up: the hymn brings all happiness, long life and health, spoken by the sage Agastya purely for people's welfare.
Meaning & Significance
The Agastya Lakshmi Stotram builds in three clear movements. The first eleven verses are almost entirely salutation – ‘namastubhyam’, ‘I bow to you’, repeated to different names and forms of the goddess: Mahalakshmi, beloved of Hari, daughter of the ocean of milk, mother of the three worlds. It reads less like a formal prayer and more like someone gathering courage before asking for something.
Verses twelve to fifteen step back from prayer into plain observation. Agastya notes that learning and good character do not shine on their own – a person’s qualities only seem to glow when Lakshmi is pleased with them. It is a frank statement about how the world actually treats wealth and those who lack it, not a claim that virtue itself is worthless.
From verse sixteen onward the tone turns personal. Agastya describes himself as poor and afraid, standing before the goddess with empty hands, and asks her outright for cloth, gold and food. Verse nineteen calls her mother, father, brother, friend and knowledge all at once – nothing is held back in how he asks.
The final section, from verse twenty-four, shifts voice: Lakshmi herself replies, pleased with what Agastya has said, and promises that whoever recites the hymn with faith – especially at dawn – will have her presence in their home, freedom from want, and a life of health and good fortune.
How Do You Chant the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram?
- Sit facing east or north – Choose a quiet spot, light a lamp before an image of Goddess Lakshmi if you have one, and sit comfortably facing east or north.
- Begin with a short prayer – Offer a brief salutation to Ganesha and Lakshmi before starting, as is customary before any stotra.
- Read the verses slowly – Go through all 33 verses in order, in Sanskrit or the transliteration, paying attention to the meaning rather than rushing through the words.
- Chant at dawn on Fridays – Verse 27 of the hymn itself recommends reciting after rising at dawn with faith and devotion (shraddha-bhakti); Friday is the day traditionally kept for Lakshmi worship.
- Repeat for 11 or 21 days – Many households recite it as a short vow of 11 or 21 consecutive days, especially in the lead-up to Diwali or Varalakshmi Vratam.
- Close with gratitude – End by bowing and thanking the goddess, rather than treating the recitation only as a request for wealth.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
The hymn’s own closing verses, spoken in Lakshmi’s voice, list out what regular and sincere recitation is said to bring.
- Relief from poverty: Verses 20 and 22 ask directly for release from daridra (poverty), and verse 26 says alakshmi – misfortune – is destroyed for the sincere reciter.
- Protection from fear: Verse 30 mentions freedom from fear of ghosts, spirits and wild animals such as tigers.
- Safety from harm: Verse 31 speaks of protection from weapons, fire and flood.
- Success in disputes: Verse 30 mentions success in royal courts – today read as official matters and disputes – and the defeat of rivals.
- Health and long life: Verse 33 credits the hymn with granting comfort, longevity and health to those who recite it.
- Family harmony and good children: Verse 28 promises a sound mind, worthy children and the capacity to enjoy life's comforts.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The preserved text of this hymn, kept by sanskritdocuments.org and mirrored across sites such as Stotra Nidhi and Vaidika Vignanam, attributes it directly to the sage Agastya – ‘agastya rachita shri lakshmi stotra.’ Agastya is one of the most storied rishis of Hindu tradition, credited in the Puranas and epics with drinking the ocean dry, subduing the Vindhya mountains, and carrying Vedic learning to the south of India. Hymns attributed to him tend to share this same direct, no-nonsense quality – he asks the goddess for exactly what he needs.
Popular tradition places the stotram within the wider body of Puranic literature associated with the Skanda Purana, though the preserved manuscript itself carries no chapter or canto citation, so this attribution is best read as traditional rather than textually pinned down.
The hymn closes with its own line of closure – ‘iti agasti-muni-virachitam shri-mahalakshmi-stotram sampurnam’, ‘thus ends the Mahalakshmi Stotram composed by the sage Agastya’ – and with a short narrative frame in verses 24 and 25 where Lakshmi, moved by what Agastya has said, answers him directly and promises her blessing to future reciters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram?
It is a 33-verse Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Mahalakshmi, traditionally composed by the sage Agastya, in which he openly admits his poverty and asks the goddess for relief – and which closes with her reply, promising blessings to those who recite it with devotion.
Is the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram the same as the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam?
No, they are two different hymns. The Mahalakshmi Ashtakam is a shorter, 8-verse hymn traditionally spoken by Indra and found in the Padma Purana, opening with 'Namastestu Mahamaye'. The Agastya Lakshmi Stotram is a longer, 33-verse hymn attributed to the sage Agastya, opening with 'Jaya padma-palashakshi'. Both honor Lakshmi but are separate compositions with different authorship, length and wording.
How many verses does the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram have?
The standard Sanskrit recension preserved by sanskritdocuments.org has 33 verses, ending with a closing section where Lakshmi herself speaks and promises blessings to sincere reciters.
What is the best day and time to chant this stotram?
Friday is the traditional day for Lakshmi worship, and verse 27 of the hymn itself recommends reciting it at dawn with faith and devotion. It is also commonly chanted during Diwali and Varalakshmi Vratam.
What are the benefits of chanting the Agastya Lakshmi Stotram?
According to the hymn's own closing verses, regular and devoted recitation is said to remove poverty and misfortune, bring protection from fear and harm, support success in disputes, and grant health, long life and family well-being.
Who was sage Agastya?
Agastya is one of the great rishis of Hindu tradition, remembered in the Puranas and epics for feats such as drinking the ocean dry and subduing the Vindhya mountains, and credited with carrying Vedic learning to South India. Several devotional hymns, including this one, are attributed to him.
Can I chant this stotram if I don't know Sanskrit?
Yes. The lyrics here are given in plain Roman transliteration alongside the Devanagari, with a plain-English meaning for every verse, so you can follow along and understand what you are reciting even without prior knowledge of Sanskrit.
Does chanting this stotram require any special ritual?
No elaborate ritual is prescribed in the hymn itself. Verse 27 asks only for faith and devotion (shraddha-bhakti) at the time of recitation; lighting a lamp and sitting facing east or north is a common but optional practice.
॥ ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः ॥