kāvyakaṇṭha vāsiṣṭha śrī gaṇapati muni viracitam umāsahasram
Uma Sahasram
aṣṭamaḥ stabakaḥ - anuṣṭubvṛttam
The eighth Stabaka, entitled **Caritra-trayam — “The Three Divine Exploits”**, celebrates three great manifestations of the Divine Mother traditionally associated with **Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī/Caṇḍikā, and Kauśikī-Mahāsarasvatī**. The verses recall the destruction of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, the overthrow of the mighty Mahiṣāsura, and the later destruction of Śumbha, Niśumbha and their forces. Thus the title is directly justified: the Stabaka condenses into twenty-five verses the essential substance of the **three great caritras of the Devī**, presenting Umā as the one supreme Śakti who assumes different forms whenever cosmic order must be restored.
Muni’s treatment is notable for its vivid dramatic power. Instead of merely retelling the battles, he magnifies the terror and might of the adversaries by showing even the gods and cosmic powers overwhelmed by them; this makes the Goddess’s victory appear all the more extraordinary. At the same time, fierce imagery is balanced by descriptions of Her incomparable beauty, radiance and grace. Mahākālī as cosmic sleep, Caṇḍikā born from the combined energies of the gods, Cāmuṇḍā and Śivadūtī in battle, and Kauśikī destroying Śumbha and Niśumbha are all understood as **different manifestations of the same Umā**. The closing reference to Nandā, born from Yaśodā and dwelling in the Vindhyas, further shows how Muni unifies diverse Devī traditions within one theological vision.
The Stabaka displays Muni’s mastery of **Purāṇic and Devī-Māhātmya traditions, heroic description, compact narrative and poetic wit**. In the simple but forceful **Anuṣṭubh metre**, he compresses large mythological episodes into memorable images, often using irony, comparison and hyperbole to convey the helplessness of the gods and the invincibility of the Goddess. His skill lies in transforming well-known sacred narratives into a concentrated theological statement: **all protective, destructive and liberating powers of the Goddess are ultimately expressions of Umā, the Mother of the universe**. Fittingly, this martial yet devotional Stabaka brings the **second Śatakam** to a powerful conclusion.
aṣṭamaḥ stabakaḥ - anuṣṭubvṛttam
caritratrayam
tamasāmabhito hantā caṇḍikāhāsavāsaraḥ ।
satāṃ hṛdayarājīvavikāsāya prakalpatām ॥ 176 ॥
yā nidrā sarvabhūtānāṃ yoganidrā ramāpateḥ ।
īḍyatāṃ sā mahākālī mahākālasakhī sakhe ॥ 177 ॥
viriñcinā stute mātaḥ kāli tvaṃ cenna muñcasi ।
madhukaiṭabhasaṃhāraṃ karotu kathamacyutaḥ ॥ 178 ॥
vāsavaḥ kāśanīkāśayaśolaṅkṛtadiṅmukhaḥ ।
mahogravikramādyasmādāsīdājau parāṅmukhaḥ ॥ 179 ॥
yatpratāpena santapto manye bāḍabarūpabhṛt ।
bhagavānanalo'dyāpi sindhuvāsaṃ na muñcati ॥ 180 ॥
kurvāṇe bhūtakadanaṃ yasminvismitacetasaḥ ।
eṣa evāntako nāhamityāsīdantakasya dhīḥ ॥ 181 ॥
raṇe yenātiraskṛtya tyakto rākṣasa ityataḥ ।
cirāya haridīśeṣu koṇeśaḥ prāptavānyaśaḥ ॥ 182 ॥
yanniyantumaśaktasya kurvāṇamasatīḥ kriyāḥ ।
niyanturasatāmāsītpāśino malinaṃ yaśaḥ ॥ 183 ॥
bāhuvīryaparābhūto yasya prāyeṇa mārutaḥ ।
babhūva kṣaṇadānteṣu ratāntaparicārakaḥ ॥ 184 ॥
nidhīnyena jito hitvā rājarājaḥ palāyitaḥ ।
spaṣṭaṃ babhāṇa mādhuryaṃ prāṇānāmakhilādapi ॥ 185 ॥
yasminnuttarapūrvasyā diśa ekādaśādhipāḥ ।
kuṇṭhā babhūvurātmīyakaṇṭhopamitakīrtayaḥ ॥ 186 ॥
nijaśuddhāntakāntānāmānanaireva nirjitam ।
lalajje yaḥ punarjitvā śūramānī sudhākaram ॥ 187 ॥
bālasyeva krīḍanakaiḥ pravīrairyasya khelataḥ ।
līlākandukadhīrāsīddeve dīdhitimālini ॥ 188 ॥
triyāmācarasuddhāntabhrūvilāsanivāraṇam ।
viṣṇoḥ sudarśanaṃ cakraṃ yasya nāpaśyadantaram ॥ 189 ॥
mahiṣaṃ taṃ mahāvīryaṃ yā sarvasuradehajā ।
avadhīddānavaṃ tasyai caṇḍikāyai namo namaḥ ॥ 190 ॥
mukhaṃ tavāsecanakaṃ dhyāyaṃ dhyāyaṃ nirantaram ।
mṛgendravāhe kālena mṛḍastvanmukhatāṃ gataḥ ॥ 191 ॥
kārttikīcandravadanā kālindīvīcidōrlatā ।
aruṇāmbhojacaraṇā jayati triruciḥ śivā ॥ 192 ॥
yatte kacabharaḥ kālo yadbāhurlokarakṣakaḥ ।
yuktaṃ dvayaṃ śive madhyastvasannāko na nākarāṭ ॥ 193 ॥
svadehādeva yā devī pradīpādiva dīpikā ।
āvirbabhūva devānāṃ stuvatāṃ hartumāpadaḥ ॥ 194 ॥
dhairyacāturyagāmbhīryavīryasaundaryaśālinīm ।
ratnaṃ nitambinījātau menire yāṃ surāsurāḥ ॥ 195 ॥
yadīyahuṅkṛtyanale dhūmrākṣo'bhavadāhutiḥ ।
samāptiṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ yāvannaivāvāpa vikatthanam ॥ 196 ॥
cāmuṇḍāśivadūtyau yat kale dāruṇavikrame ।
bhakṣayāmāsaturmūrtīḥ kīrtibhiḥ saha rakṣasām ॥ 197 ॥
yasyāḥ śūle jagāmāstaṃ yaśaḥ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ ।
namāmi vimalaślokāṃ kauśikīṃ nāma tāmumām ॥ 198 ॥
yaśodāgarbhajananād yaśodāṃ gokulasya tām ।
vande bhagavatīṃ nandāṃ vindhyācalanivāsinīm ॥ 199 ॥
ambikāmupatiṣṭhantāmetāścaṇḍīmanuṣṭubhaḥ ।
prasannāḥ sādhvalaṅkārāḥ siddhapadmekṣaṇā iva ॥ 200 ॥
॥ samāptaṃ ca dvitīyaṃ śatakam ॥