Original text
या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना। या ब्रह्माच्युतशङ्करप्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा पूजिता सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा॥1॥ दोर्भिर्युक्ता चतुर्भिः स्फटिकमणिनिभैरक्षमालान्दधाना हस्तेनैकेन पद्मं सितमपि च शुकं पुस्तकं चापरेण। भासा कुन्देन्दुशङ्खस्फटिकमणिनिभा भासमानाऽसमाना सा मे वाग्देवतेयं निवसतु वदने सर्वदा सुप्रसन्ना॥2॥ सुरासुरसेवितपादपङ्कजा करे विराजत्कमनीयपुस्तका। विरिञ्चिपत्नी कमलासनस्थिता सरस्वती नृत्यतु वाचि मे सदा॥3॥ सरस्वती सरसिजकेसरप्रभा तपस्विनी सितकमलासनप्रिया। घनस्तनी कमलविलोललोचना मनस्विनी भवतु वरप्रसादिनी॥4॥ सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि। विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा॥5॥ सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वदेवि नमो नमः। शान्तरूपे शशिधरे सर्वयोगे नमो नमः॥6॥ नित्यानन्दे निराधारे निष्कलायै नमो नमः। विद्याधरे विशालाक्षि शुद्धज्ञाने नमो नमः॥7॥ शुद्धस्फटिकरूपायै सूक्ष्मरूपे नमो नमः। शब्दब्रह्मि चतुर्हस्ते सर्वसिद्ध्यै नमो नमः॥8॥ मुक्तालङ्कृतसर्वाङ्ग्यै मूलाधारे नमो नमः। मूलमन्त्रस्वरूपायै मूलशक्त्यै नमो नमः॥9॥ मनो मणिमहायोगे वागीश्वरि नमो नमः। वाग्भ्यै वरदहस्तायै वरदायै नमो नमः॥10॥ वेदायै वेदरूपायै वेदान्तायै नमो नमः। गुणदोषविवर्जिन्यै गुणदीप्त्यै नमो नमः॥11॥ सर्वज्ञाने सदानन्दे सर्वरूपे नमो नमः। सम्पन्नायै कुमार्यै च सर्वज्ञे नमो नमः॥12॥ योगानार्य उमादेव्यै योगानन्दे नमो नमः। दिव्यज्ञान त्रिनेत्रायै दिव्यमूर्त्यै नमो नमः॥13॥ अर्धचन्द्रजटाधारि चन्द्रबिम्बे नमो नमः। चन्द्रादित्यजटाधारि चन्द्रबिम्बे नमो नमः॥14॥ अणुरूपे महारूपे विश्वरूपे नमो नमः। अणिमाद्यष्टसिद्ध्यायै आनन्दायै नमो नमः॥15॥ ज्ञानविज्ञानरूपायै ज्ञानमूर्ते नमो नमः। नानाशास्त्रस्वरूपायै नानारूपे नमो नमः॥16॥ पद्मदा पद्मवंशा च पद्मरूपे नमो नमः। परमेष्ठ्यै परामूर्त्यै नमस्ते पापनाशिनि॥17॥ महादेव्यै महाकाल्यै महालक्ष्म्यै नमो नमः। ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवायै च ब्रह्मनार्यै नमो नमः॥18॥ कमलाकरपुष्पा च कामरूपे नमो नमः। कपालि कर्मदीप्तायै कर्मदायै नमो नमः॥19॥ सायं प्रातः पठेन्नित्यं षण्मासात् सिद्धिरुच्यते। चोरव्याघ्रभयं नास्ति पठतां शृण्वतामपि॥20॥ इत्थं सरस्वतीस्तोत्रम् अगस्त्यमुनिवाचकम्। सर्वसिद्धिकरं नॄणां सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्॥21॥ ॥ इति श्री अगस्त्यमुनिप्रोक्तं सरस्वतीस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration
Ya kundendutusharaharadhavala ya shubhravastravrita Ya vinavaradandamanditakara ya shvetapadmasana| Ya brahmachyutashankaraprabhritibhirdevaih sada pujita Sa mam patu sarasvati bhagavati nihsheshajadyapaha||1|| Dorbhiryukta chaturbhih sphatikamaninibhairakshamalandadhana Hastenaikena padmam sitamapi cha shukam pustakam chaparena| Bhasa kundendushankhasphatikamaninibha bhasamanasamana Sa me vagdevateyam nivasatu vadane sarvada suprasanna||2|| Surasurasevitapadapankaja Kare virajatkamaniyapustaka| Virinchipatni kamalasanasthita Sarasvati nrityatu vachi me sada||3|| Sarasvati sarasijakesaraprabha Tapasvini sitakamalasanapriya| Ghanastani kamalavilolalochana Manasvini bhavatu varaprasadini||4|| Sarasvati namastubhyam varade kamarupini| Vidyarambham karishyami siddhirbhavatu me sada||5|| Sarasvati namastubhyam sarvadevi namo namah| Shantarupe shashidhare sarvayoge namo namah||6|| Nityanande niradhare nishkalayai namo namah| Vidyadhare vishalakshi shuddhajnane namo namah||7|| Shuddhasphatikarupayai sukshmarupe namo namah| Shabdabrahmi chaturhaste sarvasiddhyai namo namah||8|| Muktalankritasarvangyai muladhare namo namah| Mulamantrasvarupayai mulashaktyai namo namah||9|| Mano manimahayoge vagishvari namo namah| Vagbhyai varadahastayai varadayai namo namah||10|| Vedayai vedarupayai vedantayai namo namah| Gunadoshavivarjinyai gunadiptyai namo namah||11|| Sarvajnane sadanande sarvarupe namo namah| Sampannayai kumaryai cha sarvajne namo namah||12|| Yoganarya umadevyai yoganande namo namah| Divyajnana trinetrayai divyamurtyai namo namah||13|| Ardhachandrajatadhari chandrabimbe namo namah| Chandradityajatadhari chandrabimbe namo namah||14|| Anurupe maharupe vishvarupe namo namah| Animadyashtasiddhyayai anandayai namo namah||15|| Jnanavijnanarupayai jnanamurte namo namah| Nanashastrasvarupayai nanarupe namo namah||16|| Padmada padmavansha cha padmarupe namo namah| Parameshthyai paramurtyai namaste papanashini||17|| Mahadevyai mahakalyai mahalakshmyai namo namah| Brahmavishnushivayai cha brahmanaryai namo namah||18|| Kamalakarapushpa cha kamarupe namo namah| Kapali karmadiptayai karmadayai namo namah||19|| Sayam pratah pathennityam shanmasat siddhiruchyate| Choravyaghrabhayam nasti pathatam shrinvatamapi||20|| Ittham sarasvatistotram agastyamunivachakam| Sarvasiddhikaram naॄnam sarvapapapranashanam||21|| || iti shri agastyamuniproktam sarasvatistotram sampurnam ||
The fuller hymn behind familiar verses
Two of the best-known Saraswati prayers, "Ya kundendu" and "Saraswati namastubhyam", are in fact verses of this longer stotra, which its colophon attributes to the sage Agastya. Reading it whole shows how those short prayers fit into a complete praise of the goddess of knowledge, speech and the arts.
What the verses say
- 1–2, her form: white as jasmine, moon, frost and pearl garlands, in white garments, her hands adorned with the veena, seated on a white lotus, worshipped always by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva: "may she, Bhagavati Saraswati, protect me and remove all dullness". With four crystal-like arms she holds a rosary, a white lotus, a parrot and a book, and is asked to dwell always on the speaker's tongue.
- 3–4: her lotus feet served by gods and asuras, a lovely book in her hand, Brahma's consort; "may Saraswati dance on my speech forever".
- 5, the student's verse: Saraswati namastubhyam varade kamarupini, vidyarambham karishyami siddhir bhavatu me sada: salutations, Saraswati, giver of boons; I begin my studies; may I always succeed.
- 6–19, the namavali: a long chain of names each ending namo namah: eternal bliss, without support, pure knowledge, crystal-formed, subtle, Shabda-Brahman, dweller in the muladhara, the root mantra, Vageshwari, the Veda and Vedanta, beyond virtue and fault, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva in one.
- 20–21, phalashruti: recited morning and evening, it brings siddhi in six months; there is no fear of thieves or tigers for reciter or listener; "thus Agastya's Saraswati Stotra, granting every success and destroying every sin".
When to recite it
- On Vasant Panchami and during Saraswati puja in Navratri.
- At Vidyarambh, a child's first lesson, often on Vijayadashami, using verse 5.
- Daily before study, and before exams, performances or writing.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Ya kundendu" part of this stotra?
Yes, it is the first verse of Agastya's Saraswati Stotram, though it is often recited alone as the Saraswati vandana.
Which verse is said before studies?
Verse 5: "Saraswati namastubhyam varade kamarupini, vidyarambham karishyami siddhir bhavatu me sada".
Who composed it?
The closing line attributes it to the sage Agastya ("Agastyamuni-prokta").
How long before it bears fruit?
The phalashruti says that reciting it morning and evening brings siddhi within six months.
When is Vasant Panchami?
On Magh shukla panchami, usually in late January or February, the main festival of Saraswati.
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