Karagre Vasate Lakshmi

Karagre Vasate Lakshmi

This is a morning prayer called “karadarshana”. One begins the day with this prayer. “Kara” means the palm of the hand and it stands for the five karmendriyas, or the organs of action. While looking at the palm, one invokes the Lord in the form of various deities, thus sanctifying all the actions that will be done during the day. By acknowledging the Lord as the giver of the capacity to perform actions and as the giver of the fruits of those actions, one sanctifies the actions. Thus, one prays in the morning to reinforce the attitude that all actions are performed as a service to the Lord.

This shloka is to be recited in the morning. On the tip of your fingers is Goddess Lakshmi; on the base of your fingers is Goddess Sarasvati; in the middle of your fingers is Lord Govinda. In this manner, look at your palm.

So, every morning, one should have a reverent look at one’s hand which represents sincere labor.

I bow to Mother Earth, who has mountains and jungles on her body and whose clothing is made by the ocean. The wife of Lord Vishnu, please pardon me for touching you with my feet.

It is considered propitious to start the day with this sincere prayer.

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning :

Karagre-on the tip of your fingers;

vasate- dwells;

Lakshmi- the Goddess of Prosperity;

karamadhye-palm;

Saraswati- the Goddess of Knowledge Saraswati;

karamule- in the wrist;

tu-whereas;

sthita gauri – the Goddess Durga;

prabhate-in the morning;

karadarshanam-look at your palm.

Benefits / Importance:
We are praying Laxmi, Saraswati and Durga for giving us wealth, the appropriate knowledge to use that wealth, and the strength to sustain us.