Annapurne Sadapurne (Annapurna Mantra)

Where it comes from

These two verses close Adi Shankaracharya's Annapurna Stotram (verses 11 and 12). The ten verses before them end with bhiksham dehi kripavalambanakari matannapurneshvari, "give me alms, Mother Annapurneshwari". These last two gather that request into a form short enough to say every day, and they are widely recited on their own as the Annapurna mantra.

What it means

Annapurne sadapurne: O Annapurna, always full. Shankara-prana-vallabhe: beloved as life itself to Shankara (Shiva). Jnana-vairagya-siddhyartham: for the attainment of knowledge and detachment. Bhiksham dehi cha Parvati: give me alms, O Parvati.

The turn in the last line is the whole point. You stand before the goddess of food with a begging bowl, as Shiva himself once did in Kashi, and what you ask her to fill it with is not rice but wisdom and freedom from craving. It is a prayer that food should nourish the spirit as well as the body.

The second verse widens it into a statement of belonging: my mother is the goddess Parvati, my father is Lord Maheshvara, my relatives are Shiva's devotees, and my homeland is all three worlds. Many families recite it as a blessing at the end of a meal.

When to recite it

• Before eating, with hands joined over the plate, or after placing a few grains aside as an offering.
• While lighting the stove or beginning to cook, especially in the morning.
• On Annapurna Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima) and in Annapurna Puja.
• When feeding guests, sadhus or anyone in need.

There is no fixed count. Saying the first verse once, sincerely, before a meal is the usual practice. It sits well alongside the Gita's Brahmarpanam bhojan mantra.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a mantra or a shloka?

Strictly it is a shloka, two verses from a stotra, but it is used as the Annapurna mantra in daily practice, the way many short stuti verses are.

Should it be said before or after eating?

The first verse is usually said before eating. The second, "mata cha Parvati devi", is often added at the end, but both together before the meal is fine too.

Can children say it?

Yes. It is one of the first prayers many children learn, because it is short and said at every meal.

Why does it ask for knowledge instead of food?

Because it assumes the goddess of food will provide food. The deeper request is that what we eat should make us wiser and less greedy, not just full.

Is a special puja needed to begin chanting it?

No initiation or puja is needed. A lamp in the kitchen on Annapurna Jayanti is a good day to start if you want a beginning.