Śrī Annapūrṇambā is the upāṅga deity of Śrī Lalitāmbikā found as the twenty-second mantra. She is also worshiped in pañca pañcikā devatās in kamadhugā pañcaka, as the last kamadhugā ambā. In anuttarāmnāya, she is called Annapūrnā Sundarī equating her to Supreme Empress Śrī Lalitā Parā Bhaṭṭārikāmbā. She is the reigning deity of Kāśi, with Lord Viśvanātha as her consort. Her worship on Diwali amāvaysā on a laddu (sweet) chariot is very famous. She is not mentioned in Lalitopākhyāna, during the war with Bhaṇḍāsura.
Her dhyānā śloka is:
ādāya dakṣakareṇa suvarṇadarvīṁ
dugdhānnapūrṇamitarena ca ratna pātraṁ |
annapradānaniratāṁ navahemavarṇāṁ
ambāṁ bhaje kanaka bhūṣaṇamālyaśobhāṁ ||
ādāya = taking in (her hand); dakṣakareṇa= (with) right hand; svarṇadarvī = Golden ladle with big handle; dugdhānnapūrṇamitarena = in the other (left-hand holding) a milk porridge; ca ratna-pātraṁ = in a jeweled vessel; annapradānaniratāṁ = keen in serving (this) food; navahemavanāṁ = Of the hue of fresh gold; kanaka bhūṣaṇamālyaśobhāṁ = adorned with golden ornaments and garlands of yellow flowers; ambām = O Mother of all; bhaje = I adoringly worship.
The mantra of Annapūrnāmbā as seen in Kalpa Sūtra:
bhuvanā kamalā subhagā tāro namo
bhagavati pūrṇe śekharaṁ anna
mamābhilaṣitam uktvā'nnam dehi
dahana-jāyeti śriya upāṅgam annapūrṇā || PKS 10.30
Bhuvanā = Bhuvaneśvari bīja, Hrīṁ; kamala = Mahālakshmi bīja, Śrīṁ; subhagā = Manmatha bīja, Klīṁ; taro = Pranavah = Oṁ; namo bhagavati = these words as such 'namo bhagavati'; pūrṇe śekharaṁ anna = word ‘pūrṇe’ with ‘anna’ in front - 'annapūrṇe'; mamābhilaṣitam uktvā = say ‘mamābhilașitam’ - mamābhilaṣitaṁ; annaṁ dehi = words ‘annaṁ dehi’; dahana-jāyā = wife of Agni, svāhā; iti śriya upāṅgaṁ annapūrṇā = This is upāṅga devi of Lalitāmbā, Annapūrṇāmbā.
The mantra runs thus:
hrīṁ śrīm klīṁ oṁ namo bhagavati
annapūrṇe mamābhilaṣitam annaṁ dehi svāhā
āmbāṁ: We find this in a sense of address, O! Mother, Creatrix of the worlds. The symbol of creation which is initial movement (primordial spanda) is the bīja ‘hrīm’
ādāya dakṣiṇa kareṇa suvarnadarvīṁ: This means with your right hand holding a golden ladle, gold here is indicative of richness and hence the bīja ‘śrīṁ’
itarena ca ratna pātraṁ: On your other hand is a jeweled pot. This points to all the worldly pleasures and hence the bīja ‘klīṁ
dugdhānnapūrṇaṁ: full of milk porridge - pāyasa - fullness indicates the omniscience and omnipotence, and milk is a product of Cow, which is one of the most venerated animals and is usually seen as a representation of Vedas. It is white in colour — indicating the amalgamation of all colors, so this will rightly show us the praṇava —‘oṁ’
Thus we find the mother holding a ladle and a jeweled pot which had nectar, these will point to the order of the bījas chanted — ‘hrīṁ śrīṁ klīṁ oṁ. This points to us the final goal that this Amba is showing us — the most subtle essence of Vedas in form of praṇava ‘oṁ’ by ladle ‘śrīṁ and in the pot ‘klīṁ. The last two bījas point to being in this world and using things found in this world, to get that experiential knowledge
annapradāna niratāṁ: always engaged in enthusiastically giving the above nectar from the pot is found in the mantra as ‘mamābhiliṣitam annaṁ dehi’, the address to this deity is also seen in mantra as ‘annapūrṇe’
navahemavarṇāṁ, kanaka bhūṣaṇamālyaśobhāṁ: Of the colour of new molten gold, wearing necklaces and ornaments of gold. This is ‘richness’ or ‘lordship’, as seen in many mantras, this is the nature of ‘Īśvara’ which is called ‘aiśvaryaṁ’, another word for this is ‘bhaga’ and one who has this ‘richness’ is called ‘bhagavati’
bhaje: I adore or worship. Worship is to leave this body consciousness of being individual to the all-pervading which are indicated by namo, which can be split as ‘na’- not; ‘maḥ’- individual and ‘svāhā’ losing all ego of individual existence into the fire of all-pervading consciousness.
Meditation guide:
The above meditation stanza does not include the environment of the Devi as seen at Kāsi. She is flanked by Śrīdevi (Lakṣmi) and Bhūdevi and her consort Lord Visvesvara (Śivā) dances in front of her. She is in the posture of distributing alms from her pot of nectar to him through a ladle.
- ‘hrīṁ’ indicated Devi Uma who is the Goddesses Annapūrnā herself,
- 'śrīṁ’ is Lakṣmi Devi on her side and
- 'klīṁ is the Bhū Bevi on another side.
- ‘oṁ is her consort Lord Viśveśvara dancing in front of her.
Annam or Food is the basic building block of this body, which is built by food and nourished by it. Bhārgava Rāma says ānanda or bliss in the form of Brahman and resides in this body in his kalpasūtra - ‘ānando brahmanaṁ rūpam tacca dehe vyavasthitaṁ’. Hence meaning for ‘mamābhiliṣitaṁ’ — that which is desired by me to be attained - will mean “bliss” (of course bliss is desired by all) and “annaṁ” will point to the receptacle of this bliss. Thus desired bliss experienced in the body is said in this part of the mantra.
On finer pondering of the above bījas, we find the clue to the sādhana in our daily routine (which is within the family).
- ‘hrīṁ’ is the core center - the attainment of bliss,
- ‘śrīm’ will point to the material / physical aspect, and
- ‘klīṁ’ to the mental aspect.
We are praying for the experience of this essence to the Vedas represented as — praṇava’ ‘pra’ ‘nava’- pra- praharṣena- with enthusiasm; ‘nava’- ever new. This is verily bliss and prayer to sustain this bliss in this receptacle by Divine motherly form is said here. Anuttarāmnāya or the highest way, zenith of the way is ‘the experience’ of bliss. It is apt that the main deity of this way is ‘Annapūrṇā’.
Source: "Meditative Texts - Revised Thoughts on the Way" by Yogamba Sameta Atmanandanatha (Ramesh Kutticad)
Yogamba Sahita Atmanandantha (Ramesh Kutticad) is a Śrī Vidyā Guru from Chennai. He is associated with Guruji since 1996. Smt. and Sri Ramesh have painstakingly written the following scholarly, research. We're grateful to him for allowing us to make these articles available for the public.
