Annapurna Stotram
अन्नपूर्णा स्तोत्रम्
What is the Annapurna Stotram?
Annapurna Stotram The Annapurna Stotram is a 12-verse Sanskrit hymn by Adi Shankaracharya to Goddess Annapurna, the Kashi deity of food and nourishment, asking her for alms (bhiksha) so no devotee ever goes without sustenance, knowledge or liberation.
The Annapurna Stotram is Adi Shankaracharya’s hymn to Annapurna Devi, the goddess of food who presides over Kashi (Varanasi). Each of its main verses piles up epithet after epithet describing her beauty, power and grace, and then closes with the same humble refrain: bhiksham dehi, “give me alms.” The prayer treats the Mother of the universe as the one who feeds every being, and asks her not only for food but for the wisdom and detachment that food of the spirit brings. This page carries the complete Sanskrit text in Devanagari with an easy Roman reading and a plain-English meaning for every verse.
Annapurna Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Devanagari is given first, with a readable Roman transliteration below it. Tap any verse to open its plain-English meaning.
Nityanandakari varabhayakari saundaryaratnakari
Nirdhutakhilaghorapavanakari pratyakshamaheshvari
Praleyachalavamshapavanakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्यरत्नाकरी
निर्धूताखिलघोरपावनकरी प्रत्यक्षमाहेश्वरी ।
प्रालेयाचलवंशपावनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She gives unending bliss, grants boons and freedom from fear, and is a treasury of beauty; she burns away every terror and purifies, the living form of the great Ishvari. Born to sanctify the Himalaya's line, she reigns over the city of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Nanaratnavichitrabhushanakari hemambaradambari
Muktaharavilambamana vilasadvakshojakumbhantari
Kashmiragaruvasita ruchikari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
नानारत्नविचित्रभूषणकरी हेमाम्बराडम्बरी
मुक्ताहारविलम्बमानविलसद्वक्षोजकुम्भान्तरी ।
काश्मीरागरुवासिता रुचिकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She is adorned with many wondrous jewels and robed in shining gold, a pearl necklace swaying gracefully upon her. Fragrant with saffron and agaru, delightful to behold, she is the sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Yoganandakari ripukshayakari dharmaikanishthakari
Chandrarkanalabhasamanalahari trailokyarakshakari
Sarvaishvaryasamastavanchhitakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
योगानन्दकरी रिपुक्षयकरी धर्मैकनिष्ठाकरी
चन्द्रार्कानलभासमानलहरी त्रैलोक्यरक्षाकरी ।
सर्वैश्वर्यसमस्तवाञ्छितकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She grants the joy of yoga, destroys foes, and holds one steady in dharma; radiant in waves like moon, sun and fire, she protects the three worlds. She bestows all lordly power and every wish, sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Kailasachalakandaralayakari gauri uma shankari
Kaumari nigamarthagocharakari onkarabijakshari
Mokshadvarakapatapatanakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
कैलासाचलकन्दरालयकरी गौरी उमा शङ्करी
कौमारी निगमार्थगोचरकरी ओङ्कारबीजाक्षरी ।
मोक्षद्वारकपाटपाटनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She dwells in the caves of Mount Kailasa and is Gauri, Uma and Shankari; ever youthful, she makes the meaning of the Vedas clear and is the seed-syllable Om. She throws open the shut doors of liberation, sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Drishyadrishyavibhutivahanakari brahmandabhandodari
Lilanatakasutrabhedanakari vijnanadipankuri
Shrivishveshamanahprasadanakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
दृश्यादृश्यविभूतिवाहनकरी ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डोदरी
लीलानाटकसूत्रभेदनकरी विज्ञानदीपाङ्कुरी ।
श्रीविश्वेशमनःप्रसादनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She bears every glory seen and unseen, holding the whole cosmos within her; she cuts the puppet-strings of this play of worlds and is the first sprout of true insight. She gladdens the mind of Vishveshvara (Shiva), sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Urvisarvajaneshvari bhagavati matannapurneshvari
Veninilasamanakuntaladhari nityannadaneshvari
Sarvanandakari sadashubhakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
उर्वीसर्वजनेश्वरी भगवती माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी
वेणीनीलसमानकुन्तलधरी नित्यान्नदानेश्वरी ।
सर्वानन्दकरी सदाशुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She is the empress of the whole earth and all its people, the divine Mother Annapurna; her dark hair falls in a lovely braid, and she gives food without end. Source of all delight and ever-auspicious, she is the sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Adikshantasamastavarnanakari shambhostribhavakari
Kashmiratrijaleshvari trilahari nityankura sharvari
Kamakankshakari janodayakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
आदिक्षान्तसमस्तवर्णनकरी शम्भोस्त्रिभावाकरी
काश्मीरात्रिजलेश्वरी त्रिलहरी नित्याङ्कुरा शर्वरी ।
कामाकाङ्क्षकरी जनोदयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She sounds forth all letters from A to Ksha and embodies Shambhu's threefold nature; ruler of the three sacred waters, three-crested, ever-fresh, she is the night of dissolution. She awakens right desire and lifts people upward, sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Devi sarvavichitraratnarachita dakshayani sundari
Vame svadupayodhara priyakari saubhagyamaheshvari
Bhaktabhishtakari sadashubhakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
देवी सर्वविचित्ररत्नरचिता दाक्षायणी सुन्दरी
वामे स्वादुपयोधरा प्रियकरी सौभाग्यमाहेश्वरी ।
भक्ताभीष्टकरी सदाशुभकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
The goddess wrought of every marvellous gem, the beautiful daughter of Daksha; standing at Shiva's left she nourishes sweetly and brings joy, the Maheshvari of good fortune. She fulfils her devotees' hopes and is ever-auspicious, sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Chandrarkanalakotikotisadrisha chandramshubimbadhari
Chandrarkagnisamanakundaladhari chandrarkavarneshvari
Malapustakapashasankushadhari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
चन्द्रार्कानलकोटिकोटिसदृशा चन्द्रांशुबिम्बाधरी
चन्द्रार्काग्निसमानकुण्डलधरी चन्द्रार्कवर्णेश्वरी ।
मालापुस्तकपाशसाङ्कुशधरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She shines like countless millions of moons, suns and fires, her lips like the moon's disc; she wears earrings bright as moon, sun and fire, her hue that of moon and sun. She holds the rosary, book, noose and goad, sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Kshatratranakari mahabhayakari mata kripasagari
Sakshanmokshakari sada shivakari vishveshvari shridhari
Dakshakrandakari niramayakari kashipuradhishvari
Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari
क्षत्रत्राणकरी महाभयकरी माता कृपासागरी
साक्षान्मोक्षकरी सदा शिवकरी विश्वेश्वरी श्रीधरी ।
दक्षाक्रन्दकरी निरामयकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी माताऽन्नपूर्णेश्वरी ॥
Meaning
She shields the brave and is a Mother of an ocean of mercy; she grants liberation directly, ever does good, and is the sovereign of all who bears Sri. Free of disease and sorrow, she is the sovereign of Kashi. Grant me alms, O compassionate Mother Annapurna.
Annapurne sadapurne shankarapranavallabhe
Jnanavairagyasiddhyartham bhiksham dehi cha parvati
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्करप्राणवल्लभे ।
ज्ञानवैराग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ॥
Meaning
O Annapurna, ever-full and forever complete, beloved of Shankara's very life-breath; for the sake of gaining knowledge and detachment, grant me alms, O Parvati. This is the most-recited verse of the hymn.
Phalashruti
Mata cha parvati devi pita devo maheshvarah
Bandhavah shivabhaktashcha svadesho bhuvanatrayam
माता च पार्वती देवी पिता देवो महेश्वरः ।
बान्धवाः शिवभक्ताश्च स्वदेशो भुवनत्रयम् ॥
Meaning
My mother is the goddess Parvati, my father the Lord Maheshvara; the devotees of Shiva are my kin, and the three worlds are my homeland. The hymn closes with this vow of total belonging to the Divine.
Meaning & Significance
The Annapurna Stotram works by naming. Verse after verse stacks up titles for the goddess: she is the mine of beauty, the mother in Kailasa’s caves, the one who holds the cosmos in her body, the sound of every letter from A to Ksha. The list is not decoration; it is a way of saying that whatever sustains life at any level comes from her.
Why every verse asks for alms
The refrain bhiksham dehi – “give me alms” – repeats at the end of each main verse. There is a well-loved story behind it: Shiva, absorbed in meditation, once called the whole world an illusion, including food. Parvati, to teach that the body too is real and must be fed, took the form of Annapurna and opened a kitchen in Kashi. Shiva himself came to her with a begging bowl. Reciting this hymn, the devotee stands where Shiva stood, asking the Mother for the food that keeps body and spirit alive.
Food, knowledge and freedom
The eleventh verse widens the request. It asks not just for grain but for jnana (knowledge) and vairagya (detachment). Annapurna feeds the seeker on both planes: the meal that sustains the body and the wisdom that frees the soul. The closing verse then dissolves the seeker’s small identity into the divine family – Parvati as mother, Shiva as father, the three worlds as home.
How to Chant the Annapurna Stotram
- Sit facing east or north – settle before an image of Annapurna or Devi with a clean lamp lit.
- Begin with a bow – offer a short prayer to Ganesha and your guru, then take Annapurna's name.
- Recite verse by verse – read the Devanagari or Roman line clearly, keeping the rhythm of the four-pada verses steady.
- Dwell on the refrain – let each 'Bhiksham dehi' be a genuine request, not just a repeated phrase.
- Close with verse eleven – chant 'Annapurne sadapurne…' with attention; many recite this couplet alone before every meal.
- Offer food or water – conclude by offering a little cooked food or water and sharing it as prasad.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Devotees turn to the Annapurna Stotram chiefly for sufficiency – the assurance that a home will never lack food or nourishment.
- Never short of food: The core prayer is for a household where the kitchen and granary stay full and no one goes hungry.
- Gratitude before meals: Reciting even the eleventh verse before eating turns an ordinary meal into an act of thanks.
- Knowledge and detachment: Verse eleven asks specifically for jnana and vairagya, joining material and spiritual nourishment.
- Steadiness and courage: The verses invoke protection of the three worlds and freedom from fear and disease.
- Devotion to the Mother: Regular recitation deepens bhakti toward Parvati as the sustainer of all life.
- Blessing on a new home or kitchen: Many chant it when setting up a new house or before festival cooking and community feasts.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Annapurna Stotram is traditionally credited to Adi Shankaracharya, the eighth-century teacher of Advaita Vedanta who composed many devotional hymns alongside his philosophical works. Its setting is Kashi (Varanasi), where Annapurna – a form of Parvati – is worshipped as the goddess who feeds the city and the world; her temple stands close to the Kashi Vishwanath shrine. The hymn’s structure is distinctive: ten long verses, each built from a chain of epithets and sealed with the plea ‘Bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari,’ followed by two short concluding shlokas. The most famous of these, ‘Annapurne sadapurne,’ is recited on its own across India as a grace before meals. Some printed editions include additional verses drawn from the Annada Kalpa Tantra and title the piece the Annapurna Ashtakam; the twelve-verse form given here is the version most widely chanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Annapurna Stotram?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the eighth-century Advaita teacher, and is addressed to Annapurna, the goddess of food worshipped in Kashi (Varanasi).
How many verses does the Annapurna Stotram have?
The widely chanted form has 12 verses: ten longer verses each ending 'Bhiksham dehi…' and two short closing shlokas ('Annapurne sadapurne' and 'Mata cha Parvati'). Some editions add a few extra verses from the Annada Kalpa Tantra.
What does 'Annapurne sadapurne' mean?
It means 'O Annapurna, ever-full and forever complete, beloved of Shankara.' This verse asks the goddess for alms so the devotee may gain knowledge and detachment, and it is commonly recited on its own before meals.
What are the benefits of reciting the Annapurna Stotram?
Devotees recite it to pray for a home that never lacks food, for gratitude before meals, and for spiritual nourishment – knowledge and detachment – alongside protection and freedom from fear.
When should the Annapurna Stotram be chanted?
It is best chanted in the early morning after a bath and before preparing or taking food. It is also recited on Annakut, Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, and before community feasts or setting up a new kitchen.
Why does each verse ask for 'bhiksha' (alms)?
In the story of Annapurna, Shiva himself came to her in Kashi with a begging bowl to receive food. Asking for alms places the devotee in that same posture of humility before the Mother who feeds all beings.
॥ इति श्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यविरचितं अन्नपूर्णास्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥