AaLavandhAr & his Stotrams: Chathussloki and Stotra Rathnam

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

 

I agreed to share my limited knowledge on

Sri AaLavandhAr's two stotrams at the Buffalo Sathsangam

planned for Dec 28-30 .

..

I have now changed my mind , since I thought the Stotra Ratnam

in particular would be of interest to a wider set of our members ,

who could not be at Buffalo for one reason or other.

Snow permitting , I look forward to participating in this

sathsangam of Sri VaishNavAs . I hope that

the postings on Stotra Ratnam( the gem among stotrAs )

of ALavadhAr would generate a lot of reflections and discussions

amongst us , prior to the Vaikunta EkAdasi and Dhanur Maasam

season of this Daathu samvatsaram ..

 

I will plan on speaking about Swami Desikan's PadhukA Sahasram

at the Buffalo sathsangam instead of on AaLavandhAr's Stotra Ratnam.

 

The greatnes of ALavandhAr and his works

************************************************

 

ALavandhAr ( 916-1041 A.D ) was the grandson of

Nathamuni (C 824-924 A.D ) , who recovered for posterity

the Naalaaiyra Divya Prabhandham as a result of

NammaazhwAr's anugraham . ALavandhAr is also known

as Yaamunaa or Yaamunaaccharya .

 

YAmunA is the grand -preceptor ( PrAchAryA ) of RaamAnujA.

YAmunA established the principles of VisishtAdhvaitam

as an expansion of the doctrines housed in his grandfather's

treatises : NyAya TattvA and Yoga RahasyA .He elaborated

on those doctrines with authoratative scriptures such as

Sruthis, Bhagavadh Gita , AzhwAr's paasurams and

Selected SaatvikaPurAnAs .

 

AaLavandhAr's philosophical works are :Siddhitraya , Aagama

PrAmANya , MahA purusha nirNya and Githaartha Sangraha.

Last year , I had the good fortune of posting a few articles on

YaamunA's GithArtha Sangraha , which inspired both

RamAnujA and Swami Desikan to base their commentaries

along the lines of YaamunA.

 

AalavandhAr is also the author of two lyrical master pieces

(stotra GranthAs ) revered as Chathusloki and Stotra Ratnam

Latter is the forerunner of almost every stotram composed

by Acharyas such as of RamaanujA , Kuresa, Parasara Bhattar,

Swami Desikan , MaNavALa Maamuni and others. Swami

Desikan has written c ommentaries for both Chathussloki

and Stotra Ratnam because of their importance to Sri VaishNava

siddhAntham .

 

In Chathussloki ( poem of four verses ) , YaamunA focussed

on the theme of Purushakaara Prapatthi and Eka Seshithvam

principles . He based this work of his on the doctrines outlined

by Lakshmi Tantram . Eka Seshitvam refers to the practise

of considering both Sri Devi and BhagavAn together as the

means and the goal (upAyam and Upeyam ) . In this context ,

they are inseparable and hence She is known as VishNu Patnee

and He is known as Sriman NArAyaNan . Dr. S.M.S. Chari in his

excellent book , "Vaishnavism " describes in detail the relationship

between Sri Devi and her consort .

 

AaLavandhAr based the four slokAs of Chathussloki on the four

chapters of Brahma Sutram . His purpose was to demonstrate

that the attributes of BhagavAn saluted by the four chapters

are shared equally by His consort , Sri Devi.

 

The first chapter of Brahma Sutra establishes unequivocally

that Lord is the seshi of the Universe and he is the creator

of all . The second chapter dwells on His undiminishing

glories and that those kalyANa guNAs can not be negated or

explained away as nonexistent. The third chapter states that

he blesses us with all fruits of our endeavours. The final chapter

dealing with mukthi states that he is our Praapyam

or our ultimate goal .

 

AaLavandhAr in the first verse of Chatussloki , establishes

the equal status of Sri Devi with Her consort. As Isvari of

Sarva BhutAs , she enjoys an equal status and rules the

physical and the transcendental universe. She possesses

like Her Lord,Svarupam , Rupam, GuNam and Vibhavam .

 

She shares in equal measure the six auspicious GuNAs of

Her consort (BhagavAn ):: JnAnam , Bhalam , Sakthi , Iswaryam ,

Veeryam and Tejas . That is why She is known as Bhagavathi or

ShAtgunya SampoorNai . She is inseparable from Her

Lord at all times and states( AnapAyini ).

 

This Nitya Sri surpasses in some regards Her Lord a s a result of

Her motherly qualities such as DayA , KshamA (forgivenness ) ,

Vaatsalya (tender, endearing affection ) just as a mother has for

her children . Through Her innate UdhAra SvabhAva ( magnanimity ),

She showers us with Her blessings (anugrahams ) an dgrants us

Aiswaryam , Kaivalyam and Moksham , when we use our

Anjali mudra to seek these anugrahams. She has in addition

a unique role through Her PurushakAratvam . She intercedes

with Her Lord on behalf of the sinners and recommends that

the sinners be forgiven by Her Lord to become the object of His grace.

In the second slkam of Chathussloki , YaamunA states that

the Lord Himself is unable to describe completely His

consort's KalyANa guNAs. Periya VaacchAn PiLLai has

commented with great insight on this and other slokAs

of YaamunA 's Chathussloki .

 

In the third slokam, YaamunA dwells on Sri Devi's power to

bless one with the Purushaarthams of Aiswaryam , Kaivalyam

and Moksham .The glories of Lakshmi Kataksham are saluted

here. YamunA hints that the Lord has no existence outside Her.

 

In the majestic fourth slokam starting with the majestic

assembly of well-chosen words ripe with profound meanings--

"SaanthaanandaMahaa Vibhuthi Paramam Yadh

Brahma Rupam Hare: --" and ends dramatically

with the words " Aahu: svairanurupa rupa vibhavai:

Gaadhopa gutaanidhE ".

 

YaamunA asserts here that Sri Devi's Rupams and GuNAs

are tightly bonded together with that of Her Lord in an

insepaerable manner. Whenever He assumes Vyuha -Vibhava

- Haartha-Archaa rupaas , She takes the appropriate rupams

and is tightly united with Him as AnapAyini .Thus they demonstrate

Eka Seshitvam and become UpAyam and Upeyam to us all .

 

I will focus on YaamunA's Stotra Ratnam next .

 

Natha , Yaamuna MunigaL ThiruvadigaLE saraNam.

 

Sri VaishNava Daasan,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan