Kavyakantha Sri Ganapati Muni's
Indra Satakam
dvitīyaḥ svarūpastabakaḥ - traiṣṭubhaḥ
Indra Śatakam – Introduction
Indra Śatakam is a powerful devotional hymn composed by Kāvyakaṇṭha Vasiṣṭha Sri Ganapati Muni in praise of Bhagavān Indra, the sovereign Lord of the Devas, the wielder of the Vajra, the protector of the worlds, and the giver of divine strength. This work forms part of Muni’s larger vision of reviving the Vedic understanding of Indra as the Supreme Divine Power who illumines, protects, governs, and uplifts both the individual seeker and the world.
Sri Ganapati Muni intended to compose one thousand verses on Bhagavān Indra, just as he composed one thousand verses on Umā in Umā Sahasram. However, for some reason, this great work remained incomplete, and he completed 125 verses. Among these, the first 100 verses form the Indra Śatakam, while the remaining 25 verses are known separately as the Indra Katākṣa Stabakam, a devotional hymn in praise of Bhagavān Indra’s gracious glance.
The Indra Śatakam is divided into four stabakas of twenty-five verses each. The first, Prārambha Stabaka, is an auspicious opening in which the poet bows to Indra as Maghavan, Vṛtrahan, Purandara, Vāsava, and Ṛtapati. It establishes remembrance, surrender, inspired speech, and devotion as the foundation of Indra-upāsanā.
The second, Svarūpa Stabaka, reveals the deeper philosophical nature of Indra. Here Indra is not seen merely as a celestial king, but as the Supreme Reality appearing as Brahman beyond the worlds, as the inner ruler within the worlds, and as the cosmic power manifest through the worlds. This stabaka presents Indra as Sat-Cit-Ānanda, the light, consciousness, bliss, and power behind creation.
The third, Daiva Stabaka, declares Indra as the chosen Deity of the poet. Again and again, Muni says, “Vṛṣan is my Deity.” In this section, Indra is praised as Saguna Brahman — ancient yet ever youthful, terrible to the forces of adharma yet beautiful to the devotee, pervading the universe inwardly and outwardly, and shining as Sun, lightning, fire, prāṇa, and the inner witness.
The fourth, Karuṇā Stabaka, is a profound prayer to Indra as the ocean of compassion. It teaches that human effort, austerity, worship, yoga, yajña, virtue, and noble birth become truly fruitful only through divine grace. Indra’s compassion purifies the heart, removes ego, grants firmness of mind, strength of speech, steady remembrance, and the power to protect dharma and one’s own country.
In essence, Indra Śatakam presents Bhagavān Indra as the Supreme Divine Force of illumination, strength, protection, sovereignty, compassion, and inner awakening. It is not merely a hymn of praise, but a complete spiritual movement — from salutation and surrender, to philosophical realization, firm devotion, and finally the descent of divine grace into the heart and life of the seeker.
॥ kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrīgaṇapatimuni viracitam
indra śatakam॥
dvitīyaḥ svarūpastabakaḥ - traiṣṭubhaḥ
devaṃ mahendraṃ padabandhupāpa
vidhvaṃsanaṃ vajradharaṃ namāmi ।
lokāntaraṃ lokamayaṃ ca yasya
lokātigaṃ ca pravibhāti rūpam ॥ 26 ॥
ātmaiva lokaḥ sakalo mahīyān
ātmaiva lokāntaratāmupaiti ।
ātmaiva lokasya paraḥ parastād
ātmaiva lokādhipatirmahendraḥ ॥ 27 ॥
prāk sargato niṣkala eka āsīt
satpūrṇabodhākṛtirādidevaḥ ।
saprājyaśaktirbhuvanaṃ sasarja
sṛṣṭasya cābhūjjagato’ntarātmā ॥ 28 ॥
yo bhāti śuddho jagataḥ parastāt
yaścāntarātmā jagato’khilasya ।
bāhyālayākāśavadekarūpā
vetau kavīnāṃ vacaneṣu bhinnau ॥ 29 ॥
lokātigaṃ brahma vadanti śuddhaṃ
lokāntaraṃ cālakamindramāhuḥ ।
jñeyo’yamekasya parīkṣakāṇāṃ dṛṣṭiprabhedādabhidhānabhedaḥ ॥ 30 ॥
brahmāguṇaṃ gamyatamaṃ cakāsti
trailokyamindraḥ saguṇaḥ praśāsti ।
pūrvasya rūpaṃ bhavati tripāda
manyasya viśvena sahaikapādam ॥ 31 ॥
yaścāguṇo yaḥ saguṇaśca devo
bhāvaḥ sa keṣāmapi paṇḍitānām ।
modaḥ sadā pūrṇaraso’pareṣāṃ
bodhaḥ pareṣāṃ viduṣāṃ matena ॥ 32 ॥
bhāvaḥ sa no cedasato matiḥ kā
bodho na cet kīdṛgivāsya sattā ।
bhāvaḥ prabodhaśca na cedvadantu
modo bhavedeṣa kathaṃ sakhāyaḥ ॥ 33 ॥
pāṣāṇasatteva vinaiva bodhaṃ
tasyāpi satteti na sādhuvādaḥ ।
pāṣāṇasattā’pi vihāya bodhaṃ
kenānubhūtā sudhiyo bhaṇantu ॥ 34 ॥
śuktau yathā vā rajatasya bodho bodho’pyasaṃtsambhavatīti vādī ।
satyeva taddeśagatāmasattāṃ
bodhe samāropayatītarasya ॥ 35 ॥
modasya bhāso na vinā’nubhūtiṃ
bodhaṃ vinā kasya kuto’nubhūtiḥ ।
bodhaḥ prapūrṇaśca sukho nisargāt
tadyoganidrānubhave prasiddham ॥ 36 ॥
vastusvarūpaṃ paramaḥ prakāśo
bodhaḥ sa eva pramadaḥ sa eva ।
bhāvaḥ sa evānubhavaikagamyaḥ
svarbhūmipālaśca sa eva namyaḥ ॥ 37 ॥
sūkṣmo virājannakhilasya rājā
śabdāyate sūkṣmamayaṃ prakāśaḥ ।
tasminnakhaṇḍe paramānubhūtiḥ
kācit prapūrṇā lasati prakāśe ॥ 38 ॥
sattā vibhā nādaparā na kācit
cittiśca śabdāditarā na kāpi ।
modaśca nākhaṇḍanijānubhūteḥ
anyā na kācidyadi cintayāmaḥ ॥ 39 ॥
sthūlāḥ prakāśaśca rasaśca śabdaḥ
sthūlaprapañce pṛthagatra bhāntu ।
vastvekameva tritayaṃ tadetat
sūkṣmatvakāle yadi cintayāmaḥ ॥ 40 ॥
śuddhasvarūpe na rasāntarāṇāṃ
jñānāntarāṇāṃ ca bhavetpraveśaḥ ।
viśvāntare sarvarasānubhūtiḥ
sarvajñatā ca praguṇe vibhātaḥ ॥ 41 ॥
eko rasaḥ sarvarasānubhūtau
sarvajñatāyāmabhidā ca vittiḥ ।
nityātmaniṣṭheṣvapi sampradṛṣṭe
tat kiṃ dvayaṃ viśvapatāvasādhyam ॥ 42 ॥
bhāvena sa prāṇiti nānilena buddhyā
vijānātyakhilāni nākṣaiḥ ।
sammodate pūrṇatayā na bhogaiḥ
īṣṭe svaśaktyā na camūbalena ॥ 43 ॥
tasya svarājaḥ sahajaṃ catuṣkaṃ
sattāmatirvyāpakatā ca śaktiḥ ।
ekaṃ parastādavibhaktametat
dṛṣṭiprabhedādbhuvane’tra bhaktam ॥ 44 ॥
sattā ca sanvāṅmayamudgataṃ ced
vittiśca vettā yadi kāpyahantā ।
modaśca modī yadi bhogyamanyat
śaktiśca śakto yadi kāryajālam ॥ 45 ॥
bhoktā divaḥ paktṛtamaḥ pṛthivyā
ākāśadeśena mahāśarīrī ।
śakteradhīśaḥ śamano’surāṇāṃ
gṛhṇātu me vāgupahāramindraḥ ॥ 46 ॥
sūryasya bhāsā pratapannabhasto
jvālābhiragreḥ pradahan pṛthivyām ।
vidyutpratāpena pacantsamantāt
gṛhṇātu me vāgupahāramindraḥ ॥ 47 ॥
rājyāya tanvanbhuvaneṣu śāstraṃ
vajraṃ dadhāno jvaladugramastram ।
svābhāvikaḥ sarvajagannṛpālo
gṛhṇātu me vāgupahāramindraḥ ॥ 48 ॥
indrasya dṛṣṭiḥ saratādito naḥ
taptānanāthānabhilakṣya dīnān ।
nīcaiḥ śayāte paribhūyamānau
deśaśca vaṃśaśca sameṣu yeṣām ॥ 49 ॥
etāḥ kavīnāmadhipasya pūtāḥ trātāramātmānamaśeṣajantoḥ ।
nāthaṃ surāṇāṃ nayanaṃ munīnām
indraṃ bhajantāṃ harimindravajrāḥ ॥ 50 ॥