Kavyakantha Sri Ganapati Muni's
Uma Satakam
Caturthaṃ Daśakam - Śārdūlavikrīḍitavṛttam
Uma Satakam – A Brief Introduction
Uma Satakam is a profound hymn of one hundred verses composed by Kāvyakaṇṭha Vāsiṣṭha Śrī Gaṇapati Muni in praise of Divine Mother Umā, the supreme Śakti and consort of Lord Śiva. In this stotram, Umā is adored not only as the compassionate Mother of the universe, but also as the inner power of consciousness, the source of wisdom, purity, protection, and liberation.
The hymn presents Umā in many divine forms — as Pārvatī, Gaurī, Caṇḍī, Kālikā, Ambikā, Renukā, and the Mother of Gaṇapati and Skanda. She is worshipped as the one who dwells in Kailāsa, Arunachala, Kāśī, the heart-lotus of the sādhaka, and the subtle spiritual centres within the body. Thus, the stotram beautifully unites devotion, mantra-śāstra, yoga, tantra, and Vedantic insight.
A central theme of Uma Satakam is the Mother’s grace that destroys sins, removes inner impurities, steadies the restless mind, and leads the devotee across the ocean of saṃsāra. The poet repeatedly confesses human weakness — desire, anger, greed, delusion, ego, and instability of mind — and prays for the compassionate glance of the Goddess as the true medicine for worldly suffering.
The hymn also glorifies the sacred feet of Umā as the supreme refuge. Even a moment of meditation upon Her feet is described as greater than worldly wealth, poetic skill, or heavenly attainments. For the sincere devotee, Her grace becomes the path, the protection, the purification, and the final goal.
The importance of Uma Satakam lies in its rare blend of poetic beauty and spiritual depth. It is both a devotional prayer and an inner sādhana-text. It guides the seeker from external worship to inner contemplation, from emotional surrender to yogic awakening, and from the burden of karma to the freedom of divine grace.
Reciting or contemplating Uma Satakam with devotion is believed to bring purity of mind, removal of obstacles, protection from suffering, steadiness in spiritual practice, awakening of devotion, and the blessing of the Divine Mother’s compassionate glance. Above all, it helps the sādhaka surrender to Umā as the supreme Mother who alone can transform weakness into strength, restlessness into meditation, and bondage into liberation.
॥ Kāvyakaṇṭha Vāsiṣṭha Śrīgaṇapatimuni viracitam Umāśatakam ॥
Caturthaṃ Daśakam - Śārdūlavikrīḍitavṛttam
kālāmbhodharacārusāndrakabarī pūrṇendubimbānanā
tāṭaṅkadyutidhautagaṇḍaphalakā tāmbūlaraktādharā ।
prāleyadyutibālakena racitottaṃsā harāṅkāsanā
śāntā nūtanapallavābhacaraṇ ā bhūtyai śivā cintyate ।। 31 ।।
śrīpādaṃ tava śailarājaduhitaḥ bhāsvatkarāsphālana-
prodbuddhāmbujasundaraṃ śrutivadhūcūḍātaṭīlālitam ।
vandantāṃ tridivaukaso vaśamitaḥ saṃvāhayatv īśvaro
yogī dhyāyatu vandivad bhagavati prastauti so’yaṃ janaḥ ।। 32 ।।
yasyāś cāmaradhāriṇī sarasijaprāsādasañcāriṇī
vāgdevī hṛdayeśvaraprabhṛtayo nākaukasaḥ kiṅkarāḥ ।
devaḥ kairavabandhukorakadharo līlāsahāyaḥ sakhā
tasyāḥ pādasarojavandipadaviṃ prāpto’smy ahaṃ bhāgyataḥ ।। 33 ।।
pādasya kriyate kṣaṇān katicana dhyānaṃ jagaddhātri te yat tasye bhaghaṭākulāṅganamahīśrīr nānurūpaṃ phalam ।
nodgāro madhumādhurīmadamuṣāṃ svābhāviko vā girāṃ
sādhīyas tu phalaṃ yad īśvari punar dhyātuṃ matir jāyate ।। 34।।
devi tvaccaraṇāravindayugaladhyānasya kecit phalaṃ
manyante rathavājisāmajavadhūsaudhādirūpāṃ śriyam ।
pīyūṣadravasāravaibhavamuṣāṃ vācāṃ pare pāṭavaṃ
prājñāḥ sādhanam āditaḥ pariṇatau prāhuḥ phalaṃ tat svayam ।। 35।।
lobhaḥ kutracid asti kutracid asau roṣaḥ paraṃ bhīṣaṇaḥ
kutrāpy eṣa manobhavo’timaline svānte niśānte mama ।
etasyāpy ahahādrirājatanūje koṇe tvadīyaṃ padaṃ
kheṭīmastakalālitaṃ śucitamaṃ vāñchāmi kartuṃ khalaḥ ।। 36 ।।
kandarpeṇa nivāritaṃ prahasatā lobhena nirbhartsijaṃ
mātsaryeṇa tiraskṛtaṃ madamahānāgena cā’bhidrutam ।
durbhrāntyā galahasti taṃ bata punaḥ krodhena dhūtaṃ balā-
d apy etat padam amba te viśati me ceto’sya varṇyā kṛpā ।। 37।।
uddīpyannakharāṃśujālajaṭilas tvatpādakaṇṭhīravo
yāvanmīlitalocanaḥ śaśikalācūḍāmaṇer vallabhe ।
tāval lobhakiti prakhelati mudaṃ puṣṇāti kāmad vipo
roṣadvīpipatiś ca garjatitarāṃ manmānase kānane ।। 38 ।।
cāñcalyaṃ hṛdayasya naśyati kathaṃ yuṣmatprasādaṃ vinā
tvaṃ vā devi kathaṃ prasīdasi yadi sthairyād apetaṃ manaḥ ।
anyonyāśrayadoṣa eṣa sumahān anyaṃ vidhiṃ sthāpaya-
ty asmākaṃ varade tavota karuṇāṃ nirhetukāṃ jantuṣu ।। 39 ।।
bhaktir me tvayi bhargapatni mahatī dhyātuṃ ca vāñchāmi te
pādāmbhojayugaṃ tathāpi calatāṃ ceto na me muñcati ।
kāmāḥ santi sahasraśo nagasute paścād bravīmy agrataḥ
cittasya sthiratāṃ pradehi karuṇā yady asti te vastutaḥ ।। 40।।