कनकधारा स्तोत्र
The Shower of Gold by Adi Shankaracharya
The Kanakadhara Stotram (कनकधारा स्तोत्र) is an exceptionally potent 21-verse Sanskrit hymn composed by the great 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya. 'Kanaka' means gold, and 'Dhara' means shower. Legend says that young Shankaracharya sang these verses praising Goddess Lakshmi's immense compassion, which caused her to literally manifest a shower of golden gooseberries (amlas) into a poor woman's house.
अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणमाश्रयन्ती, भृङ्गाङ्गनेव मुकुलाभरणं तमालम्। अङ्गीकृताखिलविभूतिरपाङ्गलीला, माङ्गल्यदास्तु मम मङ्गलदेवतायाः॥
मुग्धा मुहुर्विदधती वदने मुरारेः, प्रेमत्रपाप्रणिहितानि गतागतानि। माला दृशोर्मधुकरीव महोत्पले या, सा मे श्रियं दिशतु सागरसम्भवायाः॥
आमीलिताक्षमधिगम्य मुदा मुकुन्दम्, आनन्दकन्दमनिमेषमनङ्गतन्त्रम्। आकेकरस्थितकनीनिकपक्ष्मनेत्रं, भूत्यै भवेन्मम भुजङ्गशयाङ्गनायाः॥
बाह्वन्तरे मधुजितः श्रितकौस्तुभे या, हारावलीव हरिनीलमयी विभाति। कामप्रदा भगवतोऽपि कटाक्षमाला, कल्याणमावहतु मे कमलालयायाः॥
Young Adi Shankaracharya was seeking alms (bhiksha) and came to a very poor woman's hut. Having nothing else, she lovingly gave him the only thing she had — a single dry gooseberry (amla). Touched by her selflessness despite her poverty, Shankaracharya spontaneously composed this stotra asking Lakshmi to bless her. Lakshmi replied that the woman's poverty was due to past karma, but Shankaracharya argued her current selfless act wiped that away, resulting in a sudden shower of golden amlas.
It can be recited every morning, but chanting it on Fridays, Diwali, or during Dhanteras is considered the most auspicious for attracting financial stability and prosperity.