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Chatussloki - Yamunacharya

Introduction and Translation Lakshmi Devnath

Yamunacharya also known as Alavandar was the second in the Acharya lineage of the Visishtadvaita line of guru-s. The first was of course his illustrious grandfather Nathamuni – ‘The Discoverer of the Divya Prabandham.’ Yamuna wrote eight works in Sanskrit out of which only five remain. Amongst them is the Sristuti – a hymn in praise of Goddess Lakshmi. Also known as the Chatussloki for it has four verses, this short work explains the vital position of Lakshmi as the Consort of Lord Narayana and the Mediator between Him and His devotees and therein lies its importance. This work also happens to be the first of ‘praise poetry’ (stuti) in South India. This poem boasts of a lucid commentary in Sanskrit by Vedanta Desika and another one in Manipravala by Periavacchan Pillai. The Chatussloki of Yamuna forms the bedrock of all later expositions of the concept of Lakshmi.

Kaantaste Purushottamah

Phanipatih sayyaasanam

vaahanam

Vedaatmaa Vihagesvaro

yavanikaa Maayaa

Jaganmohinee |

Brahmeshaadisuravrajah

sadayitastvaddaasadaasee-ganah

Srirityeva ca naama te

Bhagavati Broomah katham

tvaam vayam ||

Yamuna begins his hymn to the Goddess by describing Her glory. He addresses her as "Oh Bhagavati" and proceeds to describe Her glory. He begins, "You are the beloved of Purushottama (an appellation for Vishnu). Adisesha, the King of serpents is both Your couch as well as bed. Your vehicle is the King of birds who is also an embodiment of the Vedas-Garuda. The veil which makes You invisible to the rest of the world is maya. Brahma, Siva and a host of other deities along with their wives are in attendance on you. However, your name Sri is the very embodiment of several auspicious attributes.

From Mahavishnu came Brahma and from him the Prajapatis. Ananta is one of the Prajapati-s. About Ananta’s powers, the Vishnu Purana says, "He has thousand heads and the Svastika mark, that is clearly visible, is his ornament. Patala is Ananta’s world and at its bottom there is a spot also called Ananta. That spot is 30,000 yojana-s (measure of distance) in extent. Ananta is also known as Sankarshana. He bears the whole world on his hoods as if it were a mustard seed. Other serpents bow at the feet of Ananta who is supremely beautiful with divine lustre."

Yasyaaste

Mahimaanamaatmana iva

tvadvallabhopi Prabhuh

Naalam maatumiyattayaa

niravadhim nityaanukoolam

svatah |

Taam tvaam daasa iti prapanna

iti ca stoshyaamyaham

nirbhayo

Lokaikeshvari Lokanaathadayite

Daante dayaam te vidan ||

In this verse Goddess Lakshmi is addressed by the poet as Lokaikeshvari – the Empress of the world and Lokanaathadayite – the beloved of the Emperor. Yamuna, in this verse, categorically establishes the position of Lakshmi in Srivaishnava theology. He proceeds to say, "Just as the Lord does not know to assess His glory so also, albeit You being His beloved, He is incapable of measuring Your glory. Your glory is limitless and without boundaries and by nature You work in consonance with the Lord. Knowing Your compassion, Oh Empress, I become Your servant. I surrender to You without fear and praise you.

Pralaya (Dissolution) – Literally means a process-pra and total melting – laya. Traditional texts say that at the end of each age called kalpa – that is equivalent to a day of Brahma the world is dissolved.

Eeshattvatkarunaanireekshanasu-dhaasandhukshanaadrakshyate Nashtam praak

tadalaabhatastribhuvanam sampratyanantodayam

Sreyo na hi

Aravindalochanamanah – kaantaaprasaadaadrte

Samsrtyaksharavaishnavaadhvasu nrinaam sambhaavyate karhichit ||

Sri Yamunacharya, in this verse dwells on the protective aspect of Sri. He says, "A little compassionate glance from You is enough to protect us from disaster." He speculates on a poetic note, "Could it be that, during the pralaya kala, (time of dissolution) the whole world got dissolved only because of the absence of Your `look’? Now, the universe has bloomed again due to Your grace". He emphatically asserts, "Sreyo na," meaning, no beneficial effects are possible without the grace of the beloved of the Lotus eyed Lord for men either in this material world, or in the state of Kaivalya, (aloofness) or in the state of liberation.

Garuda the son of Vinata is known as Garutman, Vainateya, Khagesvara, Suparna and so on. The Adi Parva of the Mahabharata describes his blazing effulgence at birth. Several stories abound on the valor of Garuda. The Garuda Purana, one of the eighteen Mahapurana-s, has eight thousand sloka-s.

Shantaanantamahaavibhuti paramam yadbrahma roopam Hareh

Moortam Brahma tatopi tatpriyataram roopam yadatyadbhutam |

Yaanyanyaani yathaasukham viharato roopaani sarvaani taani

Aahuh svairanuroopa roopa vibhavair gaadhopagoodhani te ||

Sri Yamunacharya concludes his short but pithy poem on the Goddess by describing yet another facet of Her personality-adaptability. He says, "Whatever be the vast glorious form of the Lord, be it Shanta-peaceful, Ananta-endless, the Moortha Brahma or any forms that He takes during His avatara-s, You assume a form most suited to His role and blend with Him in absolute perfection."

Pralaya is of four kinds: 1.Nityapralaya-destruction going on daily for all animate and inanimate objects born on earth i.e., sleep. 2.Brahmapralaya or naimittikapralaya happens at the end of a kalpa or a day of Brahma that is equivalent to a thousand yuga-s. 3.Prakritipralaya – This is the great deluge of prakrti (nature) at the end of a thousand Chaturyuga-s (four yuga-s). 4. Atyantikapralaya – This is final dissolution leading to the realization of God through Jnana.

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