kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrī gaṇapati muni viracitam umāsahasram
Uma Sahasram
saptaviṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - śikhariṇīvṛttam
The twenty-seventh Stabaka, entitled **Pracaṇḍa-caṇḍī — “The Terribly Powerful Caṇḍī”**, celebrates the fierce and irresistible form of the Divine Mother who destroys evil, protects the worlds and awakens spiritual power. Śrī Gaṇapati Muni presents Her as the blazing force behind the destruction of Mahiṣa, Śumbha and other hostile powers, yet simultaneously as the beautiful Gaurī who delights Śiva. He repeatedly shows that these apparently different forms are not separate: **Durgā, Lalitā, Kālī, Gaurī and Pracaṇḍa-caṇḍī are manifestations of the same supreme Śakti**, differing only according to function, mood and the needs of the universe.
The Stabaka goes further by tracing this Śakti through several divine and heroic manifestations. Muni sees Her power operating in Narasiṃha, Paraśurāma, Rāma and other protectors of dharma, and identifies Her with the force behind Indra and the Vajra. He also gives profound yogic interpretations of fierce forms such as Chinnamastā, relating the severed head to the breaking of limitation at the crown and the awakening of Śakti through Suṣumṇā. Thus the title *Pracaṇḍa-caṇḍī* signifies not merely wrath or destruction, but the **unrestricted transformative force of consciousness that removes adharma, ignorance, obstruction and inner impurity**.
Muni’s writing here reveals an extraordinary command of **Śākta Tantra, Purāṇic mythology, Vedic symbolism, yoga, avatāra-theology and philosophical synthesis**. He moves effortlessly from battle imagery to subtle metaphysics, from cosmic power to the inner *dahara*, and from terrifying forms to the unity of Śiva and Śakti. The elevated **Śikhariṇī metre** gives these verses grandeur, sweep and intensity, perfectly matching the theme of overwhelming divine power. The concluding verse offers these Śikhariṇīs as fresh, uplifting compositions capable of delighting poets, enriching assemblies of the learned and inspiring families devoted to the Divine Mother.
saptaviṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - śikhariṇīvṛttam
pracaṇḍacaṇḍī
vidhunvandhvāntāni pratidiśamadharmaṃ pariharañ-
chriyaṃ vyātanvānassapadi śamayan duḥkhapaṭalam ।
sahasrārāmbhoje dravamasadṛśaṃ me prajanayan
pracaṇḍāyāścaṇḍyāssitahasitaleśo vijayate ॥ 651 ॥
arīṇāṃ śīrṣeṣu jvalitadavakīlīndrasadṛśaṃ
vinamrāṇāṃ śīrṣeṣvamṛtakarabimbena tulitam ।
virodhidhvāntānāṃ taruṇataraṇiprābhavaharaṃ
pracaṇḍāyāścaṇḍyāścaraṇamasatāṃ hantu vibhavam ॥ 652 ॥
bhaje bhāsāṃ śālāṃ nikhiladhiṣaṇānāṃ janibhuvaṃ
balānāmādhātrīṃ nikhilabhuvanendrasya dayitām ।
bhajante yāṃ gītairmadhusamayamādyatpikavadhū-
kalālāpā hṛdyairhayavadanapaṅkeruhadṛśaḥ ॥ 653 ॥
jvalantī tejobhirmahiṣamathane yā tava tanu-
rlasantī lāvaṇyairgiriśaramaṇe yā tava tanuḥ ।
vinā krodhaprītī na kimapi tayorbhedakamabhūt
tayorādyā durgā bhavati lalitā'nyā muninute ॥ 654 ॥
sahasraṃ bhānūnāṃ bhavati divasānāmadhipateḥ
sahasraṃ śīrṣāṇāṃ bhavati bhujagānāmadhipateḥ ।
sahasraṃ netrāṇāṃ bhavati vibudhānāmadhipateḥ
sahasraṃ bāhūnāṃ bhavati samaye haimavati te ॥ 655 ॥
prasanno vaktrendurna ca nayanayoḥ ko'pyaruṇimā
na kampo bimboṣṭhe smitamapi lasatkāśaviśadam ।
sarojābhaḥ pāṇiḥ kiṇavirahitaḥ komalatamo
jvalacchūlaṃ tvāsījjanani tava śumbhāya bhayadam ॥ 656 ॥
vadhe śumbhasyāsīttava janani yā kācana tanu-
rdadhānā'gryāḥ śaktīḥ śaśikiraṇasāropamaruciḥ ।
imāṃ dhyāyaṃ dhyāyaṃ smaraharasakhi vyākulamidaṃ
mano me viśrāntiṃ bhajati bhajatāṃ kalpalatike ॥ 657 ॥
yadi tvaṃ saṃhāre paṭurasi savitri trijagata-
stadetattvāṃ yāce sarasiruhagarbhādivinute ।
ime me pāpmāno bhagavati nadanto bahuvidhā-
stadeṣu prakhyātaṃ pratibhayatamaṃ darśaya balam ॥ 658 ॥
bibhedoraḥ krodhātkanakakaśiporabdhitanayā-
kucagrāvōllīḍhairatiśitaśikhairyaḥ kila nakhaiḥ ।
tvayā dattā śaktirnarahariśarīrāya jagatāṃ
vinetre puṃse'smai janani raṇaraṅgasthalarame ॥ 659 ॥
ajeyastrailokyaprakaṭitapatākaḥ palabhujaṃ
biḍaujā yatkārāgṛhaparicayī paṅktivadanah ।
sahasrāraṃ sākṣāddhṛtanaraśarīraṃ tamajayat
tavaivāveśena priyaparaśuramba dvijaśiśuḥ ॥ 660 ॥
tvadīyā sā śaktissakalajagadante'pyanalasā
purā kāryasyānte tanayamayi hitvā nṛparipum ।
avikṣatkākutsthaṃ daśamukhakulonmāthavidhaye
sahasrāṃśuṃ hitvā śaśinamiva ghasre galati bhā ॥ 661 ॥
hṛte lokavrāte bhagavati bhavatyaiva sa purā-
mariḥ kīrtiṃ labdhuṃ caturamatirāyāti samaye ।
tvayā lokatrāṇe janani racite rākṣasavadhād
yaśo'vāptuṃ viṣṇurmilati ca kuto'pyeṣa nipuṇaḥ ॥ 662 ॥
svarūpaṃ te vajraṃ viyati rajasāṃ sūkṣmamahasā-
mupādhiste stomo bhavati capalā kā'pi tanubhā ।
aruddhā te vyāptirbalamakhiladattaṃ balanidheḥ
sahasrāṃśaḥ svasya prabhavasi samastasya ca śive ॥ 663 ॥
yataḥ kālavyājātpacasi bhuvanaṃ vaidyutamahaḥ-
prabhāvātkālīṃ tvāmayi vidurataḥ paṇḍitavarāḥ ।
prabhoḥ śastraṃ bhūtvā dahasi yadarīnvajravuṣā
pracaṇḍāṃ caṇḍīṃ tadbhagavati bhaṇantyakṣayabale ॥ 664 ॥
ayi tvāmevendraṃ kathayati muniḥ kaścidajare
tvayā śastrāḍhyaṃ taṃ bhaṇati tu parastattvavidṛṣiḥ ।
yuvāṃ mātāputrau bhagavati vibhājyau na bhavata-
stato dhīnāṃ dvedhā vibudhajanagoṣṭhīṣu gatayaḥ ॥ 665 ॥
vikurvāṇā viśvaṃ vividhaguṇabhedaiḥ pariṇamad
vidhunvānā bhāvān bhuvanagatirodhāya bhavataḥ ।
vitanvānā śarvaṃ calavadacalaṃ kācidavituṃ
vicinvānā jantoḥ kṛtalavamapīśā vijayate ॥ 666 ॥
prabhā bhānoryadvadbhavasi sakalasyāpi tapanī
pracaṇḍā śaktiḥ satyakhilabhuvaneśasya tapataḥ ।
sudhāṃśorjyotsneva pramadayasi cetaḥ praviśato
bhavantī bhūtāderdaharakuharaṃ modalaharī ॥ 667 ॥
pracaṇḍā gaurī vā tvamasi vasurudrārkavinute
sa bhīmaḥ śambhurvā vibhurabhayadaḥ pādasuhṛdām ।
tayorekaṃ rūpaṃ tava sahavibhoḥ khelati maha-
tyamuṣminnākāśe dhavalamahasi krīḍati param ॥ 668 ॥
vibhaktā yā dvedhā tvamasi gagane śītamahasa-
stathā ramye bimbe jvalitalalitastrītanuvidhā ।
tayornūhīśāne janani katamā me jananabhūḥ
purājanmanyāsīdvikaṭamathavograiva suṣuve ॥ 669 ॥
dṛśorbhedād dṛṣṭerna bhavati bhidā kā'pi karayo-
rna bhedādbhinnaṃ syātkṛtamabhivimānaikyavaśataḥ ।
bhidā tanvorevaṃ na bhavati bhidāyai tava śive
viyaddeśe caṇḍyāṃ sitamahasi gauryāṃ ca bhavati ॥ 670 ॥
tava cchinnaṃ śīrṣaṃ vidurakhiladhātryāgamavido
manuṣyāṇāṃ maste bahulatapasā yadvidalite ।
suṣumnāyāṃ nāḍyāṃ tanukaraṇasamparkarahitā
bahiśśaktyā yuktā vigataciranidrā vilasasi ॥ 671 ॥
utāho tanvaṅgyāṃ bhṛgukulavidhātryāṃ pitṛgirā
tanūjenacchinne śirasi bhayalolākṣi naline ।
nyadhāstejo bhīmaṃ nijamayi yadakṣudramanaghaṃ
tadāhustvāmamba prathitacarite kṛttaśirasam ॥ 672 ॥
hutaṃ dhārājvālājaṭilacaṭule śastradahane
tapasvinyāḥ kāyaṃ bhagavati yadā'mba tvamaviśaḥ ।
tadā tasyāḥ kaṇṭhapragaladasṛjaḥ kṛttaśirasaḥ
kabandhena prāpto bhuvanavinutaḥ ko'pi mahimā ॥ 673 ॥
nidhestvatto hṛtvā bhagavati na lajje bhuvi sṛjan
rasakṣoṇīrvāṇīstvadamalayaśassaurabhajuṣaḥ ।
nṛpodyānātsūnotkaramapaharan bhaktinaṭanaṃ
vitanvānastasmai muhurupaharaṃtsevaka iva ॥ 674 ॥
dadhānāssantoṣaṃ manasi sukavīnāmatitarāṃ
dadānāḥ pratyagraṃ vibudhasadase bhāvamalaghum ।
kulānāmutsāhaṃ sapadi vidadhānāśśivavadhū-
parāṇāṃ śobhantāṃ jagati śikhariṇyo gaṇapateḥ ॥ 675 ॥