अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणम् — Benefits & How to Chant
अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणम्
The opening invocation of the Kanakadhara Stotram, the most famous prayer to remove poverty
Believed to attract the grace of Lakshmi's wealth-bestowing kataksha (glance)
Ideal as a short daily prayer for prosperity when the full stotram cannot be recited
Cultivates devotion by meditating on the beauty and auspiciousness of the Goddess
Traditionally recited on Fridays, Diwali and Dhanteras to invite abundance
Said to bring mangalya
auspiciousness, marital wellbeing and overall welfare
How to Chant अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणम्
Instructions
Sit before an image of Lakshmi or Lakshmi-Narayana and light a ghee lamp. Offer lotus or yellow flowers. Recite this verse 11 or 108 times, visualizing the compassionate sidelong glance of the Goddess falling upon you. It may be chanted alone as a potent seed-prayer or as the opening of the complete Kanakadhara Stotram.
Spiritual Significance
According to the Shankaravijaya, as the boy Shankaracharya recited these verses describing Lakshmi's glance, the sky darkened and golden amla fruits rained upon the poor woman's house, ending her poverty forever. This opening verse is thus regarded as the very beginning of the prayer that manifested wealth from nothing.
Origin & History
Source: Kanakadhara Stotram (verse 1 of the descriptive verses), composed by Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
As a young Brahmachari of about eight years, Shankaracharya begged alms at the door of a desperately poor woman who had nothing to give but a single amla (gooseberry). Moved by her selfless generosity, he spontaneously praised Goddess Lakshmi, and this verse — 'Angam Hareh Pulaka Bhushanam' — opens that prayer, the Kanakadhara Stotram. Pleased, Lakshmi showered golden gooseberries upon the woman's home.