kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrī gaṇapati muni viracitam umāsahasram
Uma Sahasram
ṣaḍviṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - dodhakavṛttam
The twenty-sixth Stabaka, entitled **Apītakucāmbā**, is an intensely personal hymn to the Divine Mother of Arunācala. Śrī Gaṇapati Muni identifies the Goddess of Śoṇagiri not merely as a local temple deity, but as the very Umā whom the Vedas seek and yogins contemplate. The title becomes especially meaningful in the later verses, where **Apītakucāmbā is envisioned as the Mother nourishing Guha in the form of Bhagavān Ramaṇa Maharṣi with the milk of jñāna**. Her breast-milk becomes *jñāna-rasa*, the essence of wisdom by which the sage is wholly transformed into knowledge. Muni, with affectionate intimacy, then asks that some of this nourishing grace be retained for him as well.
The Stabaka beautifully integrates **Arunācala-kṣetra, Śrīcakra symbolism, Śiva-Śakti non-duality and the spiritual identity of Ramaṇa with Guha**. Arunācala itself is interpreted as part of the Goddess’s body, while the fiery liṅga of Śiva cannot shine apart from Her Śakti. The verses move freely between temple icon, sacred mountain and living Guru. Muni’s relationship with the Mother becomes almost childlike: he complains that while She keeps Ramaṇa upon Her lap, She repeatedly sends Gaṇapati away, and he asks for nourishment, blessing and strength for his own divine work. This gives the Stabaka an unusually intimate autobiographical character.
Muni’s writing here displays remarkable mastery of **kṣetra-māhātmya, Tantra, Guru-tattva, symbolic interpretation and devotional humour**. The compact **Dodhaka metre** carries both philosophical depth and affectionate dialogue with great naturalness. Mythic Guha, the historical Ramaṇa Maharṣi, Arunācala as the fiery Śiva-liṅga, and Apītakucāmbā as the nourishing Mother are all woven into one unified spiritual vision. The Stabaka therefore stands out as both a hymn to Arunācala’s Goddess and a moving testimony to Muni’s own relationship with **the Mother, Ramaṇa Maharṣi and the living current of jñāna**.
ṣaḍviṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - dodhakavṛttam
apītakucāmbā
āgamavinmatikairaviṇīnāṃ bodhamajasramasau vidadhānaḥ ।
pātu maheśavadhūvadanāṃśo hāsaśaśī sakalāni kulāni ॥ 626 ॥
āyatalocanacumbitakarṇā dānayaśojitatoyadakarṇā ।
śoṇanageśamanaḥ priyavarṇā nāśayatājjagadārtimaparṇā ॥ 627 ॥
vedaturaṅgavilocanabhāgyaṃ vedaśironicayairapi mṛgyam ।
śokavidārisudhākiraṇāsyaṃ śoṇagirau samaloki rahasyam ॥ 628 ॥
muñca samastamanorathalābhe saṃśayam adya karāmalakābhe ।
dṛkpathamāpa nagendratanūjā so'hamitaḥ paramantaraṃrājā ॥ 629 ॥
śilpavidaḥ pratimāṃ praviśantī svalpavidāṃ taraṇāya cakāsti ।
śoṇadharābhṛti samprati labdhā hanta cirādiyameva mamāmbā ॥ 630 ॥
bhāratabhūvalaye'tra viśāle santvanaghāni bahūni gṛhāṇi ।
āsyavigītasudhākarabimbā śoṇagirau ramate'tra madambā ॥ 631 ॥
vāritasaṃśritapātakajālā vāridhivīciniraṅkuśalīlā ।
vārijapatraviḍambananetrā vāraṇarājamukhena saputrā ॥ 632 ॥
āyatavakraghanāsitakeśī toyajabāṇariporhṛdayeśī ।
kāśasumācchayaśāḥ paramaiṣā pāśabhidastu tavenduvibhūṣā ॥ 633 ॥
paṅkajasambhavapūjitapādā paṅkavināśanapāvananāmā ।
kiṅkarakalpalatā parameyaṃ śaṅkaranetrasudhā śaraṇaṃ naḥ ॥ 634 ॥
cañcaladṛgvinatāmaravallī pañcapṛṣatkaśarāsanajhillī ।
kāñcanagarbhamukhapraṇuteyaṃ pañcamukhapramadā śaraṇaṃ naḥ ॥ 635 ॥
amba vidhūya bhaṭānmadānādīn nūpuranādabibhīṣikayaiṣaḥ ।
hanta jahāra balena mano me śoṇanagāṅghrinivāsini te'ṅghriḥ ॥ 636 ॥
karṇapuṭe kuru mugdha mamoktiṃ muñca dhanādiṣu mānasasaktim ।
śoṇagirīndravadhūpadabhaktiṃ śīlaya śīlaya yāsyasi muktim ॥ 637 ॥
jīrṇatare jarayā'khiladehe buddhibalaṃ ca vilumpati mohe ।
hanta savitri tapanmatirante sevitumicchati nā caraṇaṃ te ॥ 638 ॥
tantravido navayoni tu cakraṃ śoṇadharādhararūpamuśanti ।
ardhamamuṣya vapurmadānārerardhamagendrasute tava gātram ॥ 639 ॥
astu nageśvaranandini liṅgaṃ taijasametadihāpi tavāṃśaḥ ।
vītaguṇasya vinā tava yogaṃ devi śivasya kutaḥ khalu tejaḥ ॥ 640 ॥
sthāpitamūrtiriyaṃ tava namyā pūjayituṃ jagadīśvari ramyā ।
śoṇanagārdhamidaṃ tava rūpaṃ kīrtayituṃ nagaje dhutapāpam ॥ 641 ॥
śoṇanagārdhatano'niśamaṅke dhārayase'yi guhaṃ ramaṇākhyam ।
āgatamapyayi hā muhuramboccāṭayase gaṇapaṃ nanu kasmāt ॥ 642 ॥
aṅkajuṣe ramaṇāya nu dātuṃ mānavaveṣadharāya guhāya ।
śoṇanagārdhatano bahu dugdhaṃ mātarapītakuceha vibhāsi ॥ 643 ॥
pūrṇasamādhivaśāt svapiṣi tvaṃ pītamapītakuce'mba na vetsi ।
aṅkajuṣā ramaṇena sutena prekṣya yatheṣṭamuroruhadugdham ॥ 644 ॥
jñānarasāhvayamamba nipīya stanyamasau ramaṇo munirāṭ te ।
jñānamayo'bhavadīśvari sarvaḥ puṣyati yena tanuṃ hi tadātmā ॥ 645 ॥
prītipadāya payodharakumbhāt pārvati dhīmayadugdhamapītāt ।
astu guhāya śive bahu dattaṃ kiñcidiveśvari dhāraya mahyam ॥ 646 ॥
prauḍhamimaṃ yadi vetsi tanūjaṃ śailasute madavāri dadhānam ।
māstu payo vitarānaghamannaṃ yena dadhāni maheśvari śaktim ॥ 647 ॥
svārjitameva mayā yadi bhojyaṃ sammada eva mamākhilamātaḥ ।
āśiṣamagryatamāmayi dattvā preṣaya yāni jayāni dharitrīm ॥ 648 ॥
vidyuti vidyuti vīkṣyavilāsā vīkṣitakarmaṇi lakṣyarahasyā ।
pārvaṇacandramukhī lalitāṅgī taijasaliṅgasakhī śaraṇaṃ naḥ ॥ 649 ॥
mātarapītakuce'ruṇaśailādhīśvarabhāmini bhāmahanīye ।
sādhu vidhāya samarpayate te dodhakamālyamidaṃ gaṇanāthaḥ ॥ 650 ॥