Chatusloki .By Alavandar.Slokas on Mahalakshmi. Meanings in English.

Processional deity  of Padmavati Thayar -Trichanur Temple.

Ranganayaki Thaayaar -SriRangam Temple/ரங்கநாயகி தாயார் -ஸ்ரீரங்கம் கோவில் 

                                  

Chatusloki consists of four  Sanskrit slokas dedicated to Mahalakshmi.They were written by Sri Alavandar the Sri Vaishnavaite acharya of 11th century AD. He preceded Sri Ramanujar.

Chatusloki is the very first set of slokas on Mahalakshmi in our tradition.These slokas can be recited by all .Till such time only the Vedic slokas  known as SriSuktum in praise of Sri was prevalent

.Chatusloki  which is in praise of Sri or Lakshmi ,  are concise in form but also explain in great clarity the auspicious qualities of Sri as are found in earlier scriptures.

Thaniyan  are slokas ,that state the meritorious qualities of the author of religious scriptures .They are not part of the main scripture.

The following Thaniyan is a popular Thaniyan on Sri Yamunacharya or Sri Alavandar by Sri Ramunajar.

ஸ்வதயம் இஹ ஸர்வேக்ஷம்  த்ராயந்தர் தம்  சூதர்க்கிரஹம்

ஸ்தோத்திராயமச யோகிந்தர் தம் வந்தே யமுனாஹையம் .

 Swadhayan iha sarveksham trayanthar thum soodhargraham

Stotrayamasa yogindhar thum vande yamunahyam.

                                          Meaning

-Sri Alavandar who is best amongst yogis has understood and enjoyed the deep meanings and philosophies found at the end of three Vedas ,Rig, Yajur and Sama,

Philosophies whose accurate meanings are very difficult to understand.

He not only tasted with relish the deep eternal meanings but also made others develop a taste to relish the essence of Vedas by writing devotional books.

I bow before Yamunachari ,the great man who is full of such meritorious qualities.

Sri Alavandar has written 8 books as per Swami Desikan.They are--

1.Agamaramanyam--.In this book Alavandar refutes the objections raised by all those people envious of the rapid spread of Sri Vaishnavism in10 and 11th cent AD ,They protested against the rituals followed in Sri Rangam temple demanding that they be stopped arguing that since the deity Sri Ranganathar was a gift by Rama to Vibeeshan ,Sri Ranganathar ,the principal deity  of the temple was from North and hence his worship and rituals should be discontinued.                                        Alavanadar successfully established with suitable evidence the sanctity and relevance of following Pancharatra rules in daily rituals conducted in the temple, which are said to be given by Bhagwan himself, to  this  temple.

2. Mahapurusha Nirnayam --In this he establishes that 'Purusha mahantam Vedahamenth' in Purusha Suktam refers to Sriman Narayana by giving suitable replies to objections raised by Saivaites.

3.-Samsitsidhee,--He wrote this in his 16 th year whilst in a debate with Adavaitin scholar Akki aazwar in Chola kings court regarding the interpretation of  slokas in scriptures   and won the debate and therefore a region to rule.

4,5-- The   Atmasidhee and Eeshwara sidhee  refutes the 3 Sidhees of Advaita Philosophy.

6.Geetarth Sangaram---He has given the essence of Gita in just 33 slokas.

7.Stothra ratna--Are slokas in praise of Bhagwan MahaVishnu.They are exquisitely worded and sublime and laid the base for  Sri Desikan to develop and expand  his innumerable slokas  few  centuries later.

.

8.Chatusloki--4 Slokas in praise of MahaLakshmi . 

Alavandhar is also credited with integrating Sanskrit letters like ksha, saa,sha and haa into Tamil and introduced writing Sanskrit language in Tamil.The source of this inspiration was Malayalam language whose flexibility and integration showed him the way .He studied that language in Trivandram and then introduced the changes in Tamil . 

            

                                  | |श्री ||

                                ||   ஸ்ரீ ||

                                ||   Shri||

                                     

                           
     அஸ்மத் குருப்யோ நம :

      ஸ்ரீமதே நிகமாந்த மஹாகுருவே நம :

      ஸ்ரீமதே பகவத் ராமாநுஜாய நம :

      ஸ்ரீமத் யாமுன முநியே நம :

  Asmath Gurubyo Namaha:

 Srimathe Nigamaantha Mahaguruve Namaha:

  Srimathe Bhagavat Ramanujaya Namaha:

  Srimath Yamuna Muniye Namaha:

   தனியன் :நமோ நமோ யாமுநாய  யாமுநாய நமோ நம :

    நமோ நமோ யாமுநாய யாமுநாய நமோ நம :

 Thanian---Namo Namo Yaamunaya Yaamunaya NamoNamaha:

  Namo Namo Yaamunaya Yaamunaya Namo Namaha:

                                                                      
                                              

                    ஸ்ரீ ஆளவந்தார் அருளிச் செய்த 
                                                                                
                        ஸ்ரீ சது:ஸ்லோகி

                    Sri Alavandar's

                     Sri Chatusloki

                         चतु :श्लोकी .

श्लोक 1

. कान्तस्ते पुरूषोत्तम : फणिपति :शय्यासनं  वाहनम्

    वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरो ,यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी |

    ब्रह्मेशादि सुरव्रज :सदयित :त्वत्ध्धास दासिगणा :

    श्रिरित्येव च नाम ते भगवति !ब्रूम :कथं त्वां वयम् ?

  ஸ்லோகம் :1

       
           காந்தஸ்தே  புருஷோத்தம : பணிபதி : ஷையாஸனம் வாஹனம்

           வேதாத்மா விஹகேஷ்வரோ  யவநிகா மாயா   ஜகன் மோஹிநீ  |

            ப்ர்ஹ்மேஷாதி ஸுரவ்ரஜஸ் ஸதயிதஸ்    த்வத்தாஸதாஸீகண :

            ஸ்ரீரித்யேவா   ச  நாம தே பகவதி !ப்ரும்:கதம் த்வாம் வயம் ?

                                                  

Sloka-1

        .Kanthasthe  Purushothama ,pannipadhi saiyasanum vahanum,

        Vedathma vihagesvaro yavanika maya jaganmohini|

        Brahma Esa adhi Sooravrajas sa dhayithas: tvath dhaasa dhaasigana:

       Sreerith yeva sa naama tey Bhagavathi !brumha: katham tvam vayam?

Meaning--

MahaLakshmi ! You are blemishless and full of auspicious qualities like intelligence, strength, wealth,extra ordinary abilities,changeless self and brilliant luminosity.

Purushotama the Bhagwan Sriman Narayana who is superior to all men is Your husband , He is the desire of Your heart.

Adi Seshan who is leader of all hooded serpents  and who is also the leader of all Nityasuris is Your sacred bed as well as Your seat of throne.

Garuda ,the personification of all Vedas and leader of all birds that fly, is Your vehicle as well as Your throne!

The amazing deeds the primieval Prakruti is capabable of doing and which induces all the people of this world to be desirious of contrasts, is within You.

A curtain of  illusion covers the realisation of this eternal being .Those who transcend this illusion will attain Mukthi.

Brahma and Siva along with their consorts and family as well as all  the Devas are your companions.

Sri is Your sacred and auspicious  name and You are full of infinitely good qualities ,

This being the fact ,how is it possible for us mere mortals to worship  and praise You in a befitting manner?

Note-Nityasuris --Atmas in eternal service to Narayana

श्लोक  2.

          यस्यास्ते महिमानम् आत्मन इव त्वद्व् ल्लभोपि प्रभु :

            नालं मातुम इयत्या निरवधिं नित्या नुकूलं  स्वत :

           तां त्वां दास इति प्रपन्न इति च स्तोष्याम्यहं   निर्भय :

           लोकैकेश्वरि !लोकनाथदयिते !दान्ते  दयां ते  विदन् ||

ஸ்லோகம் :2

யஸ்யாஸ்தே   மஹிமாநமாத்மந  இவ த்வத்வல்லபோபி   ப்ரபு :

நாலம் மாதுமியத்தியா நிரவதிம் நித்யாநுகூலம் ஸ்வத :|

தாம் த்வாம் தாஸ இதி ப்ரபந்ந இதி ச ஸ்தோஷ்யாம்யஹம் நிர்பயோ

லோகைகேஷ்வரி !லோகநாததயிதே !தாந்தே !தயாம் தே விதந் ||

Sloka:2

.Yesyaasthe mahimanam atmana iva tvath vallabhobi prabhu:

Naallum maadhum iyathiya niravadhim nithya anukulum swath:|

Thaam thvaam dhasa ithi prapanna ithi sa stosh yaamyahum nirbhayo

Lokai keshvari !Lokanatha dhayidhe! Dhaanthe! Daiyaam te vidhan||

Meaning-

O MahaLakshmi ,the consort of Narayana ,who is the incomparable leader of all worlds,

Your beloved Narayana's  greatness is immeasurable and is beyond words and hearts.

Narayana has been worshiped since time immemorial and His greatness has been extolled by devotees and Nityasuris and they continue to do so and yet all of them are unable to fathom even a fraction of His greatness .

Devi! You too posses such immeasurable infinite greatness and powers ,which does not cause harm to any one but is beneficial to one and all.

Your maternal instincts of kindness, compassion and lack of hesitation in forgiving instantly the mistakes in all serves to soften Bhagwan Narayana's harsh quality of meting out punishments .

[e.g Sita  asked Rama to forgive Kaksura ,the asura in form of crow ,who had hurt her .She also forbade Hanuman from annihilating Rakshashis who had tortured Her in Her year long internment at Ashokavanam at Lanka .Whilst   Rama the avatar of Sriman Narayana allowed Vanaras to beat Vibeeshan with sticks when he came seeking Rama's refuge and took some time in granting it ,Sita who is avatar of MahaLakshmi. instanly forgave all the Rakshasis who had often threatened to eat her if she didnot aquasise to Ravana's lust, even though they did not seek refuge in her]

 Devi! You are the beloved of the leader of all worlds .Your easy accessibility to all those who have controlled their senses  is owing to Your motherly compassion .

I fearlessly take refuge in You and worship You in the manner in which all true devotees of Bhagwan Narayana can easily approach Him ,owing to His kindness and fondness towards all His devotees.

श्लोक 3.

         ईषत् त्वत्करुणनिरीक्षण सुधा सन्धुक्षणाद रक्ष्यते

         नष्टं प्राक् तदलाभत  : त्रिभुवनं सम्प्रत्यनन्तोदयम् |

         श्रेयो न हयरविन्द लोचनमन :कान्ता प्रसादाद् ऋते

       संसृत्यक्षरवैष्णवाध्वसु  नृणां सम्भाव्यते कर्हिचित् |\

ஸ்லோகம் :3

ஈஷத் த்வத்கருணாநிரீக்ஷண ஸுதா ஸந்துக்ஷணாத் ரக்ஷயதே

நஷ்டம்  ப்ராக் ததலாபதஸ் த்ரிபுவனம் ஸம்ப்ரத் யநந் தோதயம் |

ஷ்ரேயா ந ஹயரவிந்தலோசநமன : காந்தா ப்ரஸசதாத் ருதே

ஸம்ஸ்ருத்யக்ஷர  வைஷ்ணவாத் வஸு ந்ருணும் ஸம்பாவ் யதே  கர்ஹிசித்||

 Sloka--3

Yeeshadh tvathkaruna niri kshana soodha sandhu kshanaadh rakshayathe

Nashtum prakthalabhathas: tribhuvanum samprath yanun thodayam|

Sreyo na hayaravindha losana mana kaantha prasadath  ruthe'

Samasruthya akshara vaishnavaathsoo nrinum sambhav yathe gharhichith||

Meaning--

Mother of all worlds ! Engulf us in your compassionate blessings which is but a drop  of Your infinitely  nectarine vision , which is seeped with good fortunes and which You have showered on us all now .

Previously as this world was bereft of Your auspicious and kind vision ,famine ,greed ,immorality and falsehood stalked this earth.

But now the world is brimming with auspicious wealth and fortunes owing to Your protection.

Devi! The beloved of the lotus eyed Narayana,if You do not bless a person ,he or she  cannot even imagine gaining and enjoying the various sensual pleasures of this world ,neither can one attain Kaivalyam after ones death nor reach Vaikuntum by attaining Moksham.

Explanations-

Explanation 1.   As per Sri Suktum and Vedas good fortunes means and includes the following--Good spouse, house, children, friends, cereals, wealth,disease free body , absence of enemies, good thoughts, good desires , energy and activity without sloth and laziness , pure speech, healthy cattle, good stature and form, good food and good qualities.

Explanation 2 . As per Vishnu Purana --before this world came under  protection of MahaLakshmi ,it was stalked by famine and ill will  owing to the reign of Moodevi .Moodevi is the elder sister of Sri or MahaLakshmi Thaayar.She came out of the Milky ocean when it was churned by Deva's and Asuras for amruthum.She came out  before MahaLakhmi appeared.She came along with poison  which was drunk by Siva to save this world .In the reign of this Moodevi  world witnessed famine, hunger and dirt.

Explanation 3.Unlike Saktas who worship Lakshmi alone and unlike Saivaites who consider worshipping Lakshmi as futile .,Sri Vaishnavaites relying upon Vedic authorities establish the fact that MahaLakshmi Thaayar enjoys powers which are equal to her consort MahaVishnu.Powers that include the power to create and the power to grant liberation or Moksham.

This capacity and quality of MahaLakshmi Thaayar which is at par with MahaVishnu/Narayana and runs concurrently along with Narayana  is stated in Vedas, Katha Upasnishad and Sri Suktam.

श्लोक 4.  
          शान्तानन्त महाविभूति परमं यद् ब्रह्म रूपं हरे :

          मूर्तं ब्रह्म ततोपि  तत्  प्रियतरं रूपं यद् अत्यदभुतम् |

          यान्यन्यानि यथासुखं विहरतो रूपाणि  सर्वाणि तानि 

         आहु :स्वै: अनुरुपरुप विभवै :गाटोपगूटानि   ते ||   

         
ஸ்லோகம் :4

:ஷாந்தா நந்த  மஹாவிபூதி  பரமம் யத் ப்ரஹ்ம ரூபம் ஹரே

மூர்த்தம் ப்ரஹ்ம ததோபி தத்ப்ரியதரம் ரூபம் யதத்யத்புதம் |

யாந்யந்யாநி  யதாஸுகம் விஹரதோ ரூபாணி ஸர்வாணி  தாநி 

ஆஹுஸ் ஸ்வைரநுரூப ரூப விபவைர் காடோப கூடாநி தே ||    



.Sloka.4:

 Shantha nantha mahavibuthee paramam yath bramha rupam harey    

Moorthum bramha thathopi  thuth priyatharum rupam yadhath yathbhuthum|

Yanyanyaani yathasookum viharatho rupaanni sarvaani thaani

 Aahoos svai anurupa rupa vibhaivar gaatopa gootani te||

Meaning--

The sacred form of Hari is devoid of six waves  such as hunger, thirst, desire, sorrow ,disease and death which all those caught in the ocean of birth ,death and re -birth are subject to.

He is faultless .Neither is He measurable by time , space and material nor is He bound by it.

He is the absolute ruler of the universe and in dweller of all beings both in this world and in Vaikuntam

Nothing is above Brahman , who is full of all kinds of greatness.

His sacred form is beautiful, majestic, gigantic and amazing.

He is eternally blissful  and at all times enjoying His sports.

He also takes several forms in this world like Varaha,Rama avatar and so on, from time to time.

Devi has all the above nature and qualities of Hari .

Since She is inseparable from BhagwanNarayana,She also takes corresponding avatars .                                                                                                                           [Like Sri took avatar of Sita as the spouse of Rama when Narayana  took the avatar of Rama and as Rukmini  as spouse of Krishna when Narayana took the avatar of  Krishna]

 

In conclusion ,Sri or MahaLakshmi Thaayar's power and splendour is equal to that of Narayana.Without her interceding on our behalf Moksha cannot be attained.

Owing to Her motherly qualities of kindness and forgiveness ,Her blessings are available to all. She intercedes on our behalf on one hand and on the other gives us  a chance to reform so that we  may reach His sacred feet ,smoothly.

eg--The crow Kakasura that bit Sita inviting the wrath of Rama , had nowhere to hide from Rama's arrow, fell on  Sita's feet who immediately forgave it and stopped Rama from killing it.

Though Sri is as capable as her consort to destroy enemies ,She refrains from doing so ,like  a truly obedient wife who needs her husband's assent to undertake  any harsh missions.

eg--Though Sita was capable of burning to ashes Ravana , She tells Ravana that She will not do it as She didn't have the permission of Her husband and Her lord to do so.

                       *           *************************************************************************************       Note :Thaayar means mother in Tamil.

The following is the link to my post  on-Sri Suktum

https://kcsujata.blogspot.com/2018/11/sri-suktum-meanings.html

The following is the link to my post on  Saranagathi gadyam of Ramanuja

https://kcsujata.blogspot.com/2017/11/saranagati-gadyam-by-ramanuja-prose.html

Acknowledgements are due to Mahamahopadya Sri S.Paiyam padi Chetloor V.Srivatsanga chariar.

My translation in English is based wholly on the Tamil translation of Chatusloki by the above mentioned Sri Vaishnavaite scholar