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 Ramanujar.
The following Thaniyan is a popular Thaniyan on Sri Yamunacharya or Sri Alavandar by Sri Ramanujar.
Swadhayan iha sarveksham trayanthar thum soodhargraham
stotrayamasa yogindhar thum vande yamunahyam.
stotrayamasa yogindhar thum vande yamunahyam.
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.
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--
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 the sanctity and relevance of following Pancharatra rules which are said to be given by Bhagwan himself, to this temple.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.
Samsitsidhee,--He wrote this in his 16 th year whilst in a debate with Adavaiti scholar Akki aazwar in Chola kings court regarding the interpretation of slokas in scriptures and won the debate and therefore a region to rule.
the Atmasidhee and Eeshwara sidhee refutes the 3 sidhees of Advaita Philosophy.
Geetarth Sangaram---He has given the essence of Gita in just 33 slokas.
.Stothra ratna--Are slokas in praise of Bhagwan Maha Vishnu.They are exquisitely worded and sublime and laid the base for Sri Desikan to develop and expand in his innumerable slokas few centuries later.
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 Tami.
Asmath gurubyo namaha
Srimathe Nigamaantha mahaguruve namaha
Srimathe Bhagavat Ramanujaya namaha'
Srimath Yamuna muniye namaha:
Thanian---Namo Namo Yaamunaya YaamunayaNamoNam:
Namo Namo Yaamunaya Yaamunaya Namo Nam:
Sri Alavandar's Sri Alavandar's चतु :श्लोकी .
कान्तस्ते पुरूषोत्तम : फणिपति :शय्यासनं वाहनम्
वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरो ,यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी |
ब्रह्मेशादि सुरव्रज :सदयित :त्वत्ध्धास दासिगणा :
श्रिरित्येव च नाम ते भगवति !ब्रूम :कथं त्वां वयम् ?
वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरो ,यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी |
ब्रह्मेशादि सुरव्रज :सदयित :त्वत्ध्धास दासिगणा :
श्रिरित्येव च नाम ते भगवति !ब्रूम :कथं त्वां वयम् ?
Kanthasthe purushothama ,pannipadhi saiyasanum vahnaum,
Vedathma vihakesvaro yavanika maya jaganmohini
Brahmesaadhi sooravraja sadhayidha tvaththasa dhasigana
Sreeth yeva sa naama dey Bhagavathibrumha kadham tvam vayam.
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 capable 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 infintely good qualities ,
This being the fact ,how is it possible for us mere mortals to worship and praiseYou in a befitting manner?
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 capable 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 infintely good qualities ,
This being the fact ,how is it possible for us mere mortals to worship and praiseYou in a befitting manner?
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 ||
Yesyaasthe mahimanam atmana iva tvath vallabhobi prabhu
naallum maadhum iyathiya niravadhim nithya anukulum swathaha
thaam thvum dhasa ithi prapanna ithi sa stosh yaamyahum nirbhayo
lokai kesvari !lokanatha thayidhe!thaanthe daiyaam dhe vidhan|
naallum maadhum iyathiya niravadhim nithya anukulum swathaha
thaam thvum dhasa ithi prapanna ithi sa stosh yaamyahum nirbhayo
lokai kesvari !lokanatha thayidhe!thaanthe daiyaam dhe vidhan|
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 . Sita is avatar of MahaLakshmi.]
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.
ईषत् त्वत्करुणनिरीक्षण सुधा सन्धुक्षणाद रक्ष्यते
नष्टं प्राक् तदलाभत : त्रिभुवनं सम्प्रत्यनन्तोदयम् |
श्रेयो न हयरविन्द लोचनमन :कान्ता प्रसादाद् ऋते
संसृत्यक्षरवैष्णवाध्वसु नृणां सम्भाव्यते कर्हिचित् |\
yeeshadh tvathkaruna niri kshana soodha sandhu kshanath rakshayadhe
nashtum prakthalapada tribhuvanum samprath yanunthodayam
Sreyo na hayaravindha losana mana kaantha prasada trudhe'
samasruthya ksara vaishnavaathsoo nrinum sambhav yadhe gharhichith|
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
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 . Sita is avatar of MahaLakshmi.]
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.
ईषत् त्वत्करुणनिरीक्षण सुधा सन्धुक्षणाद रक्ष्यते
नष्टं प्राक् तदलाभत : त्रिभुवनं सम्प्रत्यनन्तोदयम् |
श्रेयो न हयरविन्द लोचनमन :कान्ता प्रसादाद् ऋते
संसृत्यक्षरवैष्णवाध्वसु नृणां सम्भाव्यते कर्हिचित् |\
yeeshadh tvathkaruna niri kshana soodha sandhu kshanath rakshayadhe
nashtum prakthalapada tribhuvanum samprath yanunthodayam
Sreyo na hayaravindha losana mana kaantha prasada trudhe'
samasruthya ksara vaishnavaathsoo nrinum sambhav yadhe gharhichith|
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
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 ||
Shantha nanda mahavibuthee brahmam yath bramharupam harey
Moorthum bramha thadhos pidhut priyadharum rupam yath adhyuthbhudum
Yanayan yani yadhasooghum viharadho rupanni sarvani dhani
Aahoo svai anurupa rupa vibhavai kaadopa koodanidhe
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.]
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.
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