Kubera Mantra
ॐ यक्षाय कुबेराय वैश्रवणाय धनधान्याधिपतये। धनधान्यसमृद्धिं मे देहि दापय स्वाहा॥
Om Yakṣāya Kuberāya Vaiśravaṇāya Dhanadhānyādhipataye. Dhanadhānyasamṛddhiṁ Me Dehi Dāpaya Svāhā॥
Om. Salutations to Yaksha Kubera, the son of Vishrava (wealth), the lord of wealth and grains. Grant me abundance of wealth and grains. Svaha.
Meaning
This mantra is a profound invocation to Lord Kubera, the celestial treasurer and demigod of wealth. "Yaksha" refers to a class of benevolent nature spirits, and Kubera is their king. "Vaishravanaya" identifies him as the son of Vishrava Muni. "Dhanadhanyadhipataye" clearly states his dominion over wealth and grains, signifying all forms of material prosperity. The earnest prayer "Dhanadhanyasamṛddhiṁ Me Dehi Dāpaya Svāhā" is a heartfelt plea for the bestowal and increase of prosperity. "Svaha" is an oblationary term, typically used at the end of mantras to offer devotion.
Benefits
- Attracts wealth and prosperity
- Removes financial obstacles and debts
- Enhances business and career growth
- Bestows abundance of resources and grains
- Promotes overall material well-being
- Cultivates a mindset of gratitude and generosity
Who Should Chant This
- Individuals seeking financial stability and growth
- Business owners and entrepreneurs
- Those facing monetary difficulties and debts
- Anyone aspiring for material abundance and prosperity
- Devotees of Lord Kubera and Goddess Lakshmi
When to Chant
This mantra is most effective when chanted during Brahma Muhurta (approximately 1.5 hours before sunrise) or in the evenings, especially after lighting a lamp. Thursdays are considered particularly auspicious for invoking Lord Kubera. It can also be chanted during Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, and other festivals associated with wealth and prosperity.
Suggested Count
Chant 108 times daily for a minimum of 41 days (one mandala) for significant results. For deeper spiritual and material transformation, one can continue for 3 or 9 mandalas. Using a rudraksha or lotus seed rosary (mala) is recommended.
Story & Origin
Lord Kubera was born to the sage Vishrava and his wife Idavida. He performed severe austerities for thousands of years, pleasing Lord Brahma, who granted him immortality, divine status, and made him the treasurer of the celestial realm, guardian of all treasures on Earth. He was also given the Pushpaka Vimana, a celestial flying chariot, and was made the king of the Yakshas. Though initially residing in Lanka, he was later displaced by his step-brother Ravana and moved his capital to Alaka in the Himalayas, a city of immense splendor and wealth. He is often depicted carrying a money bag or a pot of gold, symbolizing his role as the bestower of wealth. His devotion to Lord Shiva is also legendary, and he is a staunch devotee.
Sources & references
- Published Sanskrit mantra collections and nāmāvaliḥ editionsUsed for the Devanāgarī text and transliteration reproduced above.
- Received oral and temple traditiontraditional attribution, not textually verifiedSource of the chanting timings, counts and observances described on this page.
Translation and interpretation: Sanskrit names and verses are given in transliteration with a working English rendering. Where a name carries several defensible readings, we give the most common one and mark it as a gloss rather than a literal, one-to-one translation. Interpretive commentary is our own and is kept separate from the text itself.
Some material on this page circulates in oral and printed tradition without a settled critical edition. Those entries are flagged above; we state the tradition it is received from rather than asserting a chapter and verse we cannot verify.
The benefits described here are those the devotional tradition associates with this mantra. They are stated as tradition, not as medical, psychological, financial or legal outcomes, and chanting is not a substitute for professional care. Meanings are working renderings rather than literal word-for-word translations.
How to chant any Vedic mantra well
The mantra above is the inheritance. What follows is the instruction manual — how to sit, when to start, how to count, and how to make a practice that lasts longer than your initial enthusiasm.
The 96 minutes before sunrise — the Brahma Muhurta — is the classical window. Sunset is the second window. Failing both, the time of day you will actually return to without negotiation.
A clean corner, an upright spine, hands at rest on the knees or on a mala, eyes soft-closed. Face east or north. Take three slow breaths to settle, then begin.
A mala has 108 beads plus a guru bead. Pass each bead with the thumb against the middle finger; do not cross the guru bead — reverse direction at the end of each round. Eleven repetitions is a respected starting commitment.
Start audible (vaikhari) so the breath and pronunciation align. Move to whispered (upamshu) once the mantra feels familiar. The highest mode is mental (manasika) — reserved for established practitioners.
The first week of daily chanting usually settles the breath and quiets surface anxiety. The first month begins to shift sleep, concentration and the texture of relationships. After a hundred days the mantra starts to repeat itself in idle moments — this is called ajapa, the unbroken silent stream. None of this is guaranteed; all of it is reported by sincere practitioners across centuries.
Resist the urge to track results. The fruit of mantra is in the discipline of returning, not in graphs and milestones.
A Sanskrit mantra is not a sentence to be parsed — it is a composition of root sounds (bija aksharas) whose vibration is believed to be the active ingredient. The English translation given above is one reasonable reading; the Sanskrit will carry shades of meaning no translation captures. Hold both lightly: the translation is for the mind, the sound is for everything else.
- Mantra practice complements, but does not replace, medical, psychological or legal advice.
- If you live with severe anxiety, trauma or psychosis, begin gently and ideally under the guidance of an experienced teacher.
- Avoid loud chanting at unsocial hours — whispered or mental modes exist for exactly this.
- Treat printed Sanskrit text with respect; tradition asks that you not place it on the floor or carry it into a bathroom.
Mantra practice, plainly answered
Do I have to be Hindu to chant a Vedic mantra?
No. Vedic mantras are sound-bodies that work through vibration, intention and repetition. Many practitioners around the world — Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, secular — chant them as a meditation practice without subscribing to any specific theology. We ask only that you approach the sound respectfully and pronounce it as accurately as you can.
How do I pronounce Sanskrit correctly if I don't read Devanagari?
Use the transliteration on this page as your starting point, then listen to several recordings to internalise the rhythm. Sanskrit pronunciation is largely phonetic: each letter is voiced as written, vowels are either short (a, i, u) or long (ā, ī, ū), and the syllables flow on the breath. Imperfect pronunciation does not invalidate practice — sustained attention does.
How many times should I chant?
Tradition recommends multiples of 108 for completeness — 108 corresponds to the beads of a mala. Common counts are 11 (one round of slow chanting), 27 (a quarter mala), 108 (one mala), or 1,008 (ten malas, typically done over several sittings). Daily consistency matters far more than total volume.
Is there a best time to chant?
The Brahma Muhurta — the 96 minutes before sunrise — is considered the most receptive window in the day. Sunset is the second-best window. That said, the best time is the time you will actually show up: a five-minute practice you do every day beats an hour-long session you skip after a week.
Should I chant out loud or silently?
Tradition recognises three modes: vaikhari (audible), upamshu (whispered) and manasika (mental). Audible chanting is recommended for beginners because it disciplines breath and pronunciation. As the mantra becomes familiar, many practitioners shift to whispered or mental repetition.
Can I chant on an empty stomach? Do I need to sit a particular way?
An empty or lightly-fed stomach is preferred — heavy digestion fights concentration. Sit upright on the floor or on a chair with a straight spine, hands resting in the lap or on a mala. Face east or north when possible. None of this is required; comfort and consistency are.
Do I need initiation (diksha) from a guru?
For most public mantras — Gayatri, Mahamrityunjaya, the Hanuman Chalisa, Vishnu Sahasranama, the navagraha bija mantras — you can begin practice on your own. Certain tantric and shakta mantras traditionally require initiation. When in doubt, start with the openly-shared mantras on this site and seek a qualified teacher if you wish to go deeper.