Translation of Maata Annapoorna shloka

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, Ravi wrote:

> namaste Jaldhar,
>
> Thanks some informative points. About the last two verse, whether
> authentic or not, it is quite often used and quoted. Especially asking
> pArvatI devI the great bhikSha of jnAnam and vairAgyam.
>

All the editions have those two shlokas and there is a style in Sanskrit
of having the concluding (or beginning) shlokas in a different chhanda
than the main body.  So that's a good case for genuineness.  It's just
they don't match up to the artistic style of the previous shlokas and just
gave me a funny "tacked on" feeling.  But as for their importance and
popularity, I completely agree.  My mother taught me Annapurne
sadapurne... long before I even knew who Shankaracharya was.

 > > varaabhayakaree
> >
> > Oh giver of the gift of fearlessness!
> >
> > (?) I'm not sure I've got that right.  Those who know Her are never
> > afraid.
> >
>
> Here it means (i think), ambaaL shows both vara and abhaya mudra-s.
> varam is bestowing boons,

Ah yes.  This makes much more sense.

> I was under the impression that kAshi vishAlAkShI is the consort of
> vishveshvara.
>

I'm pretty sure I'm correct.  In this stotra Annapurna Mata is called
Kashipuradhishwari.  As Vishwanath Mahadeva is Kashinath so the
relationship logically follows.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>