kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrī gaṇapati muni viracitam umāsahasram
Uma Sahasram
ekonatriṃśaḥ stabakaḥ- madalekhāvṛttam
The twenty-ninth Stabaka, entitled **Navavidha-bhajanam — “Ninefold Devotion”**, presents devotion to Umā through several complementary modes: hearing Her sacred deeds, praising them, remembering Her, contemplating Her form, serving and worshipping Her feet, bowing to Her, surrendering oneself, and cultivating unwavering love toward Her. The verses repeatedly return to the Mother’s lotus feet as the most accessible and powerful centre of devotion, capable of destroying sin, purifying life, granting strength, prosperity and ultimately liberation. The title is therefore fully justified, because Muni shows that **bhajana is not a single act but a many-sided discipline engaging speech, memory, mind, body, emotion and surrender**.
A central insight of the Stabaka is that devotion transforms the ordinary tendencies of the mind. Hope, desire, attachment, affection and love need not simply be suppressed; when redirected toward Śarvāṇī they become forces of spiritual elevation. Muni expressly concludes that the same inner movement called *rati* assumes different forms and produces different fruits according to its object. Hence worldly attachment yields limited results, while devotion to the Mother’s feet leads to both **bhukti and mukti — fulfilment in life and final liberation**. In this sense, the Stabaka is also a concise psychology of devotion.
Muni’s style here is direct, practical and often conversational. He addresses his own tongue, mind, hope and desire almost as independent persons, commanding them to turn toward the Goddess. In the compact **Madalekhā metre**, these exhortations acquire a memorable, aphoristic rhythm. His mastery lies in combining **bhakti-śāstra, psychological insight, ethical discipline and intimate devotional speech** without heaviness. The concluding verse fittingly offers these Madalekhās through Heramba himself, charged with overflowing devotion, for the delight of the Divine Mother.
aṣṭamaṃ śatakam
ekonatriṃśaḥ stabakaḥ- madalekhāvṛttam
navavidhabhajanam
āyuṣyā bhuvanānāṃ cakṣuṣyāstripurāreḥ ।
kurvantu pramadaṃ naḥ pārvatyāḥ smitaleśāḥ ॥ 701 ॥
nātyarghāṇi nirarthaṃ netavyāni dināni ।
ambāyāścaritāni śrotavyānyanaghāni ॥ 702 ॥
udyogaṃ kuru jihve saṃhartuṃ duritāni ।
pūtānyadrisutāyāḥ kīrtyantāṃ caritāni ॥ 703 ॥
śrīsaktirvinivāryā cintā kā'pi na kāryā ।
nityaṃ cetasi dhāryā dīnānāṃ gatirāryā ॥ 704 ॥
jñātuṃ yā gadituṃ yā śrotuṃ yā śvasituṃ yā ।
draṣṭuṃ yā'ntaraśaktistiṣṭhātra smṛtireṣā ॥ 705 ॥
vibhrājīnaśatābhaṃ bibhrāṇaṃ śirasīndum ।
smartavyaṃ jagadambārūpaṃ vā dhutapāpam ॥ 706 ॥
yeṣāṃ syātparitaptaṃ prāyaścittamaghena ।
rudrāṇīpadasevā prāyaścittamamīṣām ॥ 707 ॥
taddīptaṃ padayugmaṃ seve yatra bhavanti ।
aṅgulyo daśa bhānorbhānūnāṃ śatakāni ॥ 708 ॥
no cet kupyasi kiñcid yāce vācam atīte ।
sevāṃ mātarurīkurviṣṭaṃ me kuru mā vā ॥ 709 ॥
śarvāṇīcaraṇārcāpīṭhaṃ pīvarakāṇām ।
vadhyasthānamidaṃ syādugrāṇāṃ duritānām ॥ 710 ॥
skandāmbāpadapīṭhaspṛṣṭaṃ cedbalamāptam ।
ekaikaṃ sumamaṃhasvekaikaṃ kuliśaṃ syāt ॥ 711 ॥
ambhojopamamaṅghriṃ śambhoḥ paṭṭamahiṣyāḥ ।
aṃhassaṃhatimugrāṃ saṃhartuṃ praṇamāmaḥ ॥ 712 ॥
ye kālīpadaveṣaṃ nālīkaṃ praṇamanti ।
naiṣāṃ kiñcidaśakyaṃ nālīkaṃ mama vākyam ॥ 713 ॥
vāsaste'tra samāptaḥ paṅketo vraja dūram ।
kālīṃ śaṅkaranārīṃ kāle'smin praṇamāmaḥ ॥ 714 ॥
āśā re tadavasthā bhūbhāganaṭataste ।
kāmānāṃ kva nu pāraḥ kāmārernama nārīm ॥ 715 ॥
dhanyāste tuhinādreḥ kanyāṃ ye praṇamanti ।
anyānunnataśīrṣān manye vanyalulāyān ॥ 716 ॥
pādāmbhojamumāyāḥ prājñāssaṃpraṇamantaḥ ।
gṛhṇanti śriyamasmin rājantīṃ nijaśaktyā ॥ 717 ॥
mandārādrisutāṅghrī dātārau sadṛśau staḥ ।
utkaṇṭhaiḥ phalamādyādanyasmānnatakaṇṭhaiḥ ॥ 718 ॥
kālasyāpi vijetuḥ śarvāṇyāścaraṇasya ।
eṣo'haṃ kavilokakṣmāpālo'smi bhujiṣyaḥ ॥ 719 ॥
rakte darśaya rāgaṃ rudrāṇīpadapadme ।
cetaḥ puṣyati śobhāṃ sārassāravato'gre ॥ 720 ॥
saṃśodhyāgamajālaṃ sārāṃśaṃ pravadāmaḥ ।
skandāmbāpadabhaktirbhuktyai cātha vimuktyai ॥ 721 ॥
vātsalyaṃ gatihīneṣvāyuṣyaṃ sukṛtasya ।
bhūyobhiḥ saha sakhyaṃ śrīhetuṣviha mukhyam ॥ 722 ॥
ślāghyaṃ puṣyati kāmaṃ premā svapramadāyām ।
śarvāṇīpadabhaktirnityāya pramadāya ॥ 723 ॥
ekaivaṃ bahubhedā bhinnatvādviṣayāṇām ।
ratyākhyā drutirantaḥ sā sūte phalabhedān ॥ 724 ॥
harṣaṃ kañcana māturmatto bhaktibhareṇa ।
tanvanneṣa vidhattāṃ herambo madalekhāḥ ॥ 725 ॥