Annapurna Chalisa
अन्नपूर्णा चालीसा
40-verse hymn to Annapurna Devi — the goddess of food and nourishment, consort-form of Lord Vishwanath at Kashi, who once begged alms from her own husband Shiva to demonstrate that even the lord of the universe depends on the mother for sustenance. Her golden ladle (sona-karchhuli) and bowl of rice (anna-patra) symbolise the inexhaustible bounty of the householder kitchen.
Significance
Annapurna is the only goddess whose worship is mandatory before any meal in traditional Hindu households — the prayer "Annapurne sadapurne" precedes lunch in Vaishnava and Shaiva homes alike. Her chalisa is recited to ensure no family member ever sleeps hungry, to bless the kitchen as the heart of the home, and to invoke the abundance that sustained Kashi through every famine in its 3500-year history.
When recited: Annapurna Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima), Akshaya Tritiya, before starting kitchen at new home (Anna-Prashana of house), daily by householders before cooking
Benefits
- Guarantee that no family member ever lacks food (per Kashi Annapurna pledge)
- Blessing of the kitchen as the abundance-centre of the home
- Removal of poverty and chronic financial scarcity
- Cure of digestive ailments and eating disorders
- Successful Anna-Prashana of new home or restaurant
- Spiritual merit of feeding Brahmins and the destitute (anna-daan punya)
Opening verses
First 6 verses of the Annapurna Chalisa — the most-recited opening section.
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शंकर प्राण वल्लभे।
ज्ञान वैराग्य सिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वती॥
जय जय अन्नपूर्णा माता। काशी पुरी में रहने वाली॥
सोने की कड़छुली हाथ सजाई। चांदी की थाली में अन्न सजाई॥
शिव से भिक्षा तुम मंगवाओ। जग को अन्न का महत्व बताओ॥
घर घर में तुम वास करो माँ। चूल्हा कभी न ठंडा हो माँ॥
Meaning
O Annapurna, ever-full, beloved life of Shankara — for the attainment of wisdom and dispassion, grant me alms, O Parvati. (Adi Shankaracharya's opening verse of Annapurna Stotram.) Victory, victory to Mother Annapurna, dweller of the city of Kashi. The golden ladle graces your hand; the silver plate holds the bestowed rice. You made even Shiva beg alms from you, teaching the world the supreme importance of food. May you dwell in every home, O Mother; may the hearth never grow cold. Devotees who recite this chalisa before cooking the day's first meal — placing a single grain of rice and a coin in your image-niche — invoke the inexhaustible abundance that has sustained the city of light through ten million pilgrim-meals, ensuring that no member of the household sleeps with an empty stomach.
For complete authoritative text
Refer to printed editions from these sources for the full 40-verse chalisa with traditional pronunciation guides: