The 12 forms or Vyuhantra emanate from the four Vyuha forms, three from each. Kesava, Narayana and Madhava take their origin from Vyuha- Vasudeva. Govinda, Vishnu and Madhusudana come from Samkarshana. trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara are born of Pradyumna. hrsikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara emanate from Aniruddha. Every one of the 12 deities has some special features and weapons and is to be meditated upon having a fixed place on the human body where the twelve caste marks Urdhva pundra are to be worn.
Description of the 12 vyuhantras.
Kesava is of golden hue and has four chakras (discus) as weapons in his four hands.
Narayana has the blue colour of the cloud and four conches.
Madhava is represented as being gem coloured and wielding four maces.
Govinda is moon coloured and bears four bows.
Vishnu has the colour of the lotus filament and holds four ploughshares in his hands.
Madhusudana is lotus coloured and is characterised by the possession of four pestles.
Trivikrama sparkles like fire and wears four swords.
Vamana has the hue of the rising sun and is bedecked by four vajras (thunderbolts).
Sridhara, lotus coloured bears four shields.
Hrsikesa is like lightning and has four hammers.
Padmanabha has the lustre of the sun and wields five weapons.
Damodara with the colour of insect Indragopa (Silk worm) is represented as having four nooses in four hands.
Sri Vedanta Desika in a poem named Pannirunamam describes the forms colour and the weapons of the twelve deities and the parts of the human body over which they preside on the painted caste marks. Figures answering to the above description are found carved at the top of the wall near the western entrance of Chandra puskarini in the temple of Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam.
The four vyuhas are meditated upon in four divine planes with attributes and qualities suited to each. The four planes which are like the four states in the life of the human beings are;
1. Jagrat or the waking state when the senses are functioning.
2. Svapna or dream state, when the mind alone is active.
3. Suspati or the state of dreamless sleep, when even the mind does not function.
4. Turiya or the fourth where even the breathing is suspended as in the state of unconsciousness.
The differences arising from planes like the waking state have been summarized by Parasara Bhattar in the Sri Rangaraja Stava:
Jagrat-svapna-atyalasa-turiya
praya-dhyatr-kramavad upasyah
swamin1 tattad-guna-paribarhah
caturvyuham vahasi caturdha.
O Lord! Of those that meditate on Thee, some are like those in the waking state, some like those that dream in sleep, others like those that sleep without dreams, and others still are like those that have fallen into a swoon. In the same way. O Lord, thou art in four forms and dividest thyself into four forms and are meditated upon with attributes and weapons suited to each.
Jagrat, Svapna, Susupti and turiya are states in man in the ordinary world, according to the greater or lesser activity found in each. The Turiya state is like that in a swoon when even the breath is suspended, wheras in the Susupti state the man just breathes. In the Svapna his external senses cease to act, only the mind is active. In the Jagrat state both the mind and the external senses act.
These four parts with four Vyuhas in each correspond to the four stages of development that may be found in the worshipper who meditates on them. On the lowest stage of meditation, there is no full control of the external senses and the mind. In the second stage of development, control of the external senses has been obtained, but not of the mind. In the next stage the mind too has been controlled and the man who meditates is seen just breathing in and breathing out with no other activity or sign of life. In the last or perfect development of meditation, he is like one in a swoon, not even breathing in or out.
In the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam, the pillars of Arjun Mandapa (in front of the Sanctum Sanctorium) and of Revati Mandapa to the east have been so carved as to represent the four stages mentioned above and are therefore suggestive of the Vishaka stamba described in the Lakshmi Tantra.
The Vishaka stamba consists of four parts called respectively Jagrat waking state, Svapna the dream state, Susupti the dreamless sleep and Turiya the fourth stage. continuing from the bottom upwards, in the parts called Jagrat sthana, which is somewhere above the base of the column, there are four divine forms on the four sides called respectively Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha facing the east, the south, the west and north and shining like branches around that part of the column. This collection of four forms is called Jagrat Vyuha. The activity of this Vyuha is creation, maintenance and destruction of the world. The four forms are bright in colours white, red and the like. They have also arms or weapons.
Above this part of the column is the part called Svapna sthana. Here too there are four divine forms Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha shining like branches and facing as before the east, the south, the west and the north. this collection of four Vyuhas in the second part of the column from below is called Svapna Vyuha. These four forms have no activities like creation etc but have only the will to do so. their colours too are not so bright as those of the lower vyuhas, they have weapons, but no banners and other accessories.
Above the swapna sthana which is the second part from below is the third part of Susupti sthana. here too they are four divine forms with the same names and the same order, this collection of four is called Susupti vyuha. These forms have neither activities nor even the will or the desire to act. They have just the experience of their own bliss and nothing else. In the form of Vasudeva which is like a branch of the column shooting on the eastern side there is no such thing as a body with limbs and the like, and it shines with all the six qualities. the other three forms Sankarshana and the like on the other three sides have a body with hands feet and the like. But they have no weapons. these forms have no colours.
The upper most or fourth part of the column known as Turiya sthana has also similar four forms with the same names as in the former parts. this collection of four is the Turiya vyuha. They have no bodies with limbs and the like but resemble the Vasudeva form of the Susupti Vyuha. They have no activities no will, no weapons, and no lines on the palm resembling weapons. all the six qualities shine in the form called Vasudeva and the other three have only two of the three qualities.
Description of the 12 vyuhantras.
Kesava is of golden hue and has four chakras (discus) as weapons in his four hands.
Narayana has the blue colour of the cloud and four conches.
Madhava is represented as being gem coloured and wielding four maces.
Govinda is moon coloured and bears four bows.
Vishnu has the colour of the lotus filament and holds four ploughshares in his hands.
Madhusudana is lotus coloured and is characterised by the possession of four pestles.
Trivikrama sparkles like fire and wears four swords.
Vamana has the hue of the rising sun and is bedecked by four vajras (thunderbolts).
Sridhara, lotus coloured bears four shields.
Hrsikesa is like lightning and has four hammers.
Padmanabha has the lustre of the sun and wields five weapons.
Damodara with the colour of insect Indragopa (Silk worm) is represented as having four nooses in four hands.
Sri Vedanta Desika in a poem named Pannirunamam describes the forms colour and the weapons of the twelve deities and the parts of the human body over which they preside on the painted caste marks. Figures answering to the above description are found carved at the top of the wall near the western entrance of Chandra puskarini in the temple of Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam.
The four vyuhas are meditated upon in four divine planes with attributes and qualities suited to each. The four planes which are like the four states in the life of the human beings are;
1. Jagrat or the waking state when the senses are functioning.
2. Svapna or dream state, when the mind alone is active.
3. Suspati or the state of dreamless sleep, when even the mind does not function.
4. Turiya or the fourth where even the breathing is suspended as in the state of unconsciousness.
The differences arising from planes like the waking state have been summarized by Parasara Bhattar in the Sri Rangaraja Stava:
Jagrat-svapna-atyalasa-turiya
praya-dhyatr-kramavad upasyah
swamin1 tattad-guna-paribarhah
caturvyuham vahasi caturdha.
O Lord! Of those that meditate on Thee, some are like those in the waking state, some like those that dream in sleep, others like those that sleep without dreams, and others still are like those that have fallen into a swoon. In the same way. O Lord, thou art in four forms and dividest thyself into four forms and are meditated upon with attributes and weapons suited to each.
Jagrat, Svapna, Susupti and turiya are states in man in the ordinary world, according to the greater or lesser activity found in each. The Turiya state is like that in a swoon when even the breath is suspended, wheras in the Susupti state the man just breathes. In the Svapna his external senses cease to act, only the mind is active. In the Jagrat state both the mind and the external senses act.
These four parts with four Vyuhas in each correspond to the four stages of development that may be found in the worshipper who meditates on them. On the lowest stage of meditation, there is no full control of the external senses and the mind. In the second stage of development, control of the external senses has been obtained, but not of the mind. In the next stage the mind too has been controlled and the man who meditates is seen just breathing in and breathing out with no other activity or sign of life. In the last or perfect development of meditation, he is like one in a swoon, not even breathing in or out.
In the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam, the pillars of Arjun Mandapa (in front of the Sanctum Sanctorium) and of Revati Mandapa to the east have been so carved as to represent the four stages mentioned above and are therefore suggestive of the Vishaka stamba described in the Lakshmi Tantra.
The Vishaka stamba consists of four parts called respectively Jagrat waking state, Svapna the dream state, Susupti the dreamless sleep and Turiya the fourth stage. continuing from the bottom upwards, in the parts called Jagrat sthana, which is somewhere above the base of the column, there are four divine forms on the four sides called respectively Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha facing the east, the south, the west and north and shining like branches around that part of the column. This collection of four forms is called Jagrat Vyuha. The activity of this Vyuha is creation, maintenance and destruction of the world. The four forms are bright in colours white, red and the like. They have also arms or weapons.
Above this part of the column is the part called Svapna sthana. Here too there are four divine forms Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha shining like branches and facing as before the east, the south, the west and the north. this collection of four Vyuhas in the second part of the column from below is called Svapna Vyuha. These four forms have no activities like creation etc but have only the will to do so. their colours too are not so bright as those of the lower vyuhas, they have weapons, but no banners and other accessories.
Above the swapna sthana which is the second part from below is the third part of Susupti sthana. here too they are four divine forms with the same names and the same order, this collection of four is called Susupti vyuha. These forms have neither activities nor even the will or the desire to act. They have just the experience of their own bliss and nothing else. In the form of Vasudeva which is like a branch of the column shooting on the eastern side there is no such thing as a body with limbs and the like, and it shines with all the six qualities. the other three forms Sankarshana and the like on the other three sides have a body with hands feet and the like. But they have no weapons. these forms have no colours.
The upper most or fourth part of the column known as Turiya sthana has also similar four forms with the same names as in the former parts. this collection of four is the Turiya vyuha. They have no bodies with limbs and the like but resemble the Vasudeva form of the Susupti Vyuha. They have no activities no will, no weapons, and no lines on the palm resembling weapons. all the six qualities shine in the form called Vasudeva and the other three have only two of the three qualities.
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