kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrī gaṇapati muni viracitam umāsahasram
Uma Sahasram
catustriṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - hariṇīvṛttam
The thirty-fourth Stabaka, entitled **Prārthanā — “Prayer”**, is one of the most deeply personal sections of *Umā Sahasram*. After invoking the protective power of the Mother and the efficacy of Her mantra, Śrī Gaṇapati Muni turns almost entirely to direct prayer. He appeals to Umā as the guardian of the nation, the protector of the mind, the saviour of families afflicted by misfortune, and the source of rain and prosperity. The title is therefore fully justified: these verses are not merely praise but an extended, intimate **appeal for guidance, protection, purpose, spiritual strength and the welfare of Bhārata**.
A striking autobiographical current runs through the Stabaka. Muni speaks of **Ramaṇa Maharṣi as Guha**, questions the Divine Mother about his own birth and mission, laments the apparent loss of former spiritual powers, confesses past faults, and repeatedly asks why the Mother remains silent. He does not seek liberation, siddhis, wealth or poetic fame as ends in themselves; instead he asks to know **why he has taken birth, what work he must accomplish, how he should serve Bhārata, and what sādhana the Mother now requires of him**. The prayer culminates in the powerful benediction: may Bhārata flourish free from sorrow, may Gaṇapati Muni work for its welfare, may Ramaṇa remain its great spiritual guide, and may the Divine Mother bless them both.
Muni’s literary mastery is especially evident in the **Hariṇī metre**, whose flowing movement perfectly accommodates confession, questioning, longing and prayer. The verses reveal not only a scholar and yogin but a devotee speaking to the Goddess with the freedom of a son addressing his Mother—sometimes reverential, sometimes anguished, sometimes almost demanding an answer. The Stabaka therefore stands out for its rare fusion of **personal spiritual crisis, national dharma, Guru-bhakti, self-surrender and poetic intensity**, making *Prārthanā* one of the most emotionally revealing portions of the work.
catustriṃśaḥ stabakaḥ - hariṇīvṛttam
prārthanā
viditamahimā viśvādhānādanekavidhādbhutāt
prathitacaritaḥ śarvālokapratāpavivardhanāt ।
prakaṭitaguṇaḥ pāpadhvāntaprasāranarodhanāt
pradiśatu śivāhāso bhāsāṃ nidhiḥ kuśalāni me ॥ 826 ॥
hṛdi karuṇayā pūrṇā bāhvorbalena mahīyasā
padakamalayorlakṣmyā bhaktairjanairupajīvyayā ।
mukhasitakare lāvaṇyena triṇetradṛśāṃ balaṃ
bahu vidadhatā kālī mātā'vatātpadasevinam ॥ 827 ॥
jagadadhipayā siddhaṃ dogdhryā'thavota rasajñayā
munijananutaṃ devīmantraṃ japedyadi mānavaḥ ।
amṛtajaladībhūtaḥ pūtaḥ prayogaviśeṣavit
sa iha vasudhāloke dhārā girāmabhivarṣati ॥ 828 ॥
imamabhimukhībhūtā śātodarī kamalālayā
hayagajaghaṭāpūrṇā'bhyarṇaṃ sametya niṣevate ।
savibudhamidaṃ viśvaṃ tasya prayāti punarvaśaṃ
prathitayaśasāṃ siddhīnāṃ cāpyamuṃ bhajate'ṣṭakam ॥ 829 ॥
suvimaladhiyastasya krodhād dṛgambudhutadyutī
ripujanavadhūgaṇḍābhogo bhaveduta pāṇḍuraḥ ।
sapadi bhuvanavyāptaṃ cāptaiḥ pramāṇapurassaraṃ
bhaṇitamajaraṃ bhadraṃ jyotiḥ paraṃ hṛdi bhāsate ॥ 830 ॥
adayamaribhiḥ krānte rāṣṭre tvamīśvari rakṣikā
sumaśaramukhairdhūte citte tvamīśvari rakṣikā ।
prabaladuritairgraste vaṃśe tvamīśvari rakṣikā-
'pyasṛjati jalaṃ meghe moghe tvamīśvari rakṣikā ॥ 831 ॥
bhagavati nijau sākṣātputrau bṛhaspatipāvakau
gaṇapatiguhāvetau veṣāntaravyavahārataḥ ।
bharatadharaṇīkhaṇḍe hetoḥ kutaḥ kṛtasambhavau
kalakalayute kāle devi vyadhāḥ kathaya drutam ॥ 832 ॥
samayamayi te dhṛtvā pādāmbujaṃ ramaṇaḥ suto
girivaraguhāsvantaḥ śānto nayedyadi nādbhutam ।
sthalavirahataḥ svīyasthāne kimatra samāgato
na vadasi kutaḥ kāryaṃ tasmai kulācalakanyake ॥ 833 ॥
paribhaṇati cecchiṣyavyūhe mahādbhūtasaṅgatīr-
janani ramaṇo yogīśānastato bahu no phalam ।
amitatamayā dṛṣṭeḥ śaktyā kadā saraṇiṃ naye-
dapathapatitaṃ dhātrīlokaṃ tadeva vadāmbike ॥ 834 ॥
ahamiha kuto hetorjāto viṣaṇṇatame sthale
caraṇakamalacchāyāṃ māyādhirājñi vihāya te ।
paramakaruṇo ghoraḥ śāpaḥ kimeṣa savitri te
kimapi bhuvi vā kāryaṃ kartuṃ niyojitavatyasi ॥ 835 ॥
vrajati vilayaṃ sneho dūrapravāsavaśāditi
pravadati budhaḥ kaścitsatyaṃ prabhāti tadambike ।
bhagavati nije kukṣau jātaṃ divo dharaṇīgataṃ
smṛtisaraṇito dūre hā hā karoṣi ruṣā yathā ॥ 836 ॥
mama tu vimalā hṛdyā vidyā maheśvari yā'bhavan-
manasi ca parā citrā śaktiścirantani yā'bhavat ।
vacasi ca mahadbhāgyaṃ ślāghyaṃ yadīḍyatame'bhavat
tadayi galitaṃ matto vittatrayaṃ bhavato bhuvi ॥ 837 ॥
kṛtamayi mayā pāpaṃ ghoraṃ sukarmasu saṅgināṃ
yadahamadayo vighnaṃ nṛṇāṃ muhurmuhurācaram ।
atikaṭu phalaṃ tasyāśnāmi śrito naravigrahaṃ
pramathanṛpaterjāye māye jananyava māmimam ॥ 838 ॥
na bhavasi dṛśormārge lokādhirājñi kuto giro
na ca bahukṛpe svapne vā tvaṃ prayacchasi darśanam ।
apanayasi no sandehaṃ vā parokṣakṛpāvaśā-
dapi suranute lagnā kāryāntare kimutādayā ॥ 839 ॥
niravadhiśive māhātmyaṃ te bhaṇanti maharṣayo
manasi karuṇā na nyūnā te yathā prathitāḥ kathāḥ ।
tadidamakhilaṃ mithyā syādityasādhyamudīrituṃ
yadasi vimukhī putre kiṃ vā bhavediha kāraṇam ॥ 840 ॥
bhuvanabharaṇaṃ nālpaṃ kāryaṃ na devi tava kṣaṇo
guru ca bahulaṃ kṛtyaṃ nityaṃ tavāsti na tanmṛṣā ।
na tava kaṭhinaṃ maunaṃ nindyaṃ tathāpi na pārvati
smara sakṛdimaṃ dīnaṃ putraṃ tadeva mamādhikam ॥ 841 ॥
na bhavati sudhādhārāvarṣādayaṃ muditastanau
madhumadamuṣāṃ vācāṃ sargānna cāpyayamuddhataḥ ।
tava padayuge niṣṭhālābhānna tṛpyati cāpyayaṃ
bhagavati cirātsandeśaṃ te sutaḥ prativīkṣate ॥ 842 ॥
kimiha bhuvane kartavyaṃ me kimarthamihāgato-
'smyavani jagatāṃ kaṃ vopāyaṃ śraye nijaśaktaye ।
kimapi kimapi svānte dhvānte yathā paridṛśyate
sphuṭamabhayade vaktuṃ kiñcicchramaṃ tvamurīkuru ॥ 843 ॥
na mama parame muktāvāśā na vā vibhavāṣṭake
na ca gajaghaṭāpūrṇāyāṃ vā maheśvari sampadi ।
na ca madhumucāṃ vācāṃ sarge nirargalavaibhave
munibhuvi kuto jātaḥ so'haṃ tadeva samīryatām ॥ 844 ॥
prathamamanaghaṃ vāñchāmyannaṃ sadārasutātithe-
rbhagavati tataḥ pādadvandve tavāviccalāṃ sthitim ।
atha surajagadvārtājñānaṃ savitri tata ḥ paraṃ
munibhuvi bhave hetuṃ jñātuṃ mṛgākṣi puradviṣaḥ ॥ 845 ॥
yadi tava kṛpā putre bhakte padāmbujavandini
vrataśatakṛśe śīrṣāmbhojāmṛtaṃ tvayi juhvati ।
bharatadharaṇīsevālole bhavapriyabhāmini
svayamupadiśāmuṣmai yogyaṃ vidhānamanāvilam ॥ 846 ॥
janani jagatāṃ svalpe kāme'pyayaṃ tvayi lambate
purabhidabale madhye kāme'pyayaṃ tvayi lambate ।
bahulakaruṇe śreṣṭhe kāme'pyayaṃ tvayi lambate
bhagavati pare vīte kāme'pyayaṃ tvayi lambate ॥ 847 ॥
tanubhuvi mayi prītyā vā'mba trilokavidhāyike
padayugarate vātsalyādvā purāripurandhrike ।
svavimalayaśogānāsakte kṛpāvaśato'thavā
paruṣamajare maunaṃ tyaktvā sphuṭīkuru me gatim ॥ 848 ॥
jayatu bharatakṣoṇīkhaṇḍaṃ viṣādavivarjitaṃ
jayatu gaṇapastasya kṣemaṃ vidhātumanā muniḥ ।
jayatu ramaṇastasyācāryo maharṣikulācalo
jayatu ca tayormātā pūtā maheśavilāsinī ॥ 849 ॥
gaṇapatimunereṣā bhāṣāvidāṃ hṛdayaṅgamā
sukavisuhṛdaḥ śabdairatyujjvalā hariṇītatiḥ ।
lalitacaturairbhāvairyāntī surūpavanāntaraṃ
madayatu manaḥ kāmārāterniśāntamṛgīdṛśaḥ ॥ 850 ॥