SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 82 - catur-AtmA.

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775. catur-AtmA – a) He Who has four forms in His vyUha incarnation

b) He Who has four manifestations in His vibhava incarnations of kRshNa

and rAma

c) He Who has a four-fold manifestation in His functions of creation,

preservation and destruction.

d) He Who is skilled in keeping His AtmA pure from attachment etc.

(catura -cAturya AtmA)

e) He Who is behind the functions of manas, citta, buddhi, and ahankAra.

f) He Who manifests Himself in four forms to support the jIva in its

four states - viSva, taijasa, prA`jna, and turIya.

g) He Whos is the antaryAmi of the four types of devotees - Arta,

arthArthI, etc.

h) He Who created the fit being - the four-faced brahmA (catura =

kuSala, fit)

i)He Who manifest Himself in four kinds of AtmA-s: jIva, antarAtmA,

paramAtmA, j~nAnAtmA.

 

 

Om catur-Atmane namah.

 

We dealt with this nAma in Slokam 15 (nAma 139). The term Atman

usually refers to the individual soul, but is also used refer to the

Supreme Self (ParamAtman), one’s essential essence or nature, Form,

image etc. (VAman Apte’s dictionary). The nAma-s catur-mUrtih (nAma

771 in the current Slokam), catur-AtmA (nAma 139 in Slokam 15, and the

current nAma), and catur-vyUhah (nAma 140 in Slokam 15, and the

previous nAma in the current Slokam) have interpretations that are

somewhat related. So I am re-visiting all the above nAma-s here.

 

It has been pointed out in many places before, that a unique feature of

SrI BhaTTar’s bhAshyam is that he sees a connection between groups of

nAma-s in SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam, and has grouped the 1000 nAma-s

into 44 groups, like 44 petals of a lotus flower. So in SrI BhaTTar’s

bhAshyam, we will see the interpretation that is most appropriate to

the form of bhagavAn that he is dealing with for any instance of a

given nAma. For instance, he interprets the nAma-s 123 to 146 in terms

of His vyUha incarnations (vAsudeva, samkarshNa, pradyumna and

aniruddha), and nAma-s 697 to 786 in terms of the vibhava incarnation

of bhagavAn as Lord kRshNa. So he interprets the occurrence of

catur-AtmA and catur-vyUhah as nAma-s 139 and 140 in terms of the vyUha

incarnation, and the occurrence of the same nAma-s catur-AtmA and

catur-vyUhah as nAma-s 775 and 773, in terms of His kRshNa

incarnations. Thus, he uses the meaning “Emanation” or vyUha

incarnation in the former instance of the term vyUha, and refers to His

four vyUha incarnations for the nAma 139,and deals with why He took

these forms, for nAma 140. When interpreting the series of nAma-s

under the kRshNa incarnation, he refers to the four manifestations of

kRshNa as vAsudeva (Himself), samkarshaNa (His brother), prdyumna (His

son), and aniruddha (His grandson) for catur-mUrtih (nAma 771), the

distribution of the six qualities between them for nAma 773, and the

meditation of these four forms by the devotees under nAma 775. The

point to be made is that even though the nAma-s may have outwardly same

or similar meanings, the interpretation is made with emphasis on

different aspects of bhagavAn’s manifestations and guNa-s, and thus the

full benefit of the diversity of the guNAnubhavam is provided to us,

with no dosham of repetition or punar-ukti.

 

Even though SrI Sa’nkara has not adopted a scheme of interpretation

where he weaves a thread of connection between groups of nAma-s as a

rule (as SrI BhaTTar has done), he also avoids punar-ukti or repetition

because this is a an “accepted” and expected trait or lakshaNa of the

great vyAkhyAna kartA-s. He uses different meanings for the words in

his interpretations for the two instances of catur-AtmA. In the first

instance, he uses the meaning “four”, and explains the nAma in terms of

four manifestations of His in each of His roles of protection,

creation, and destruction, based on quotes from SrI vishNu purANam. In

the second instance of the same nAma, he views the nAma as catura +

AtmA, and gives the meaning “cAturyam” to the word catura, and gives

the interpretation that the nAma refers to His skill in keeping His

AtmA or Self pure from any attachment etc. Similarly, for the first

instance of the nAma catur-vyUhah, he uses the interpretation in terms

of the four vyUha incarnations, and for the second instance of the same

nAma, he gives a different interpretation, based on the different forms

of purusha - The purusha in the body, the purusha in the chandas, the

purusha in the veda-s, and the great purusha. For the nAma

catur-mUrtih, he draws on yet another aspect of bhagavAn’s guNa-s – His

appearing with different colors in the four yuga-s: white, red, yellow

and black bodies.

 

With that diversion on how the great vyAkhyAna kartA-s provide us with

diverse anubhavam-s of bhagavAn’s guNa-s and eliminate the purnar-ukti

dosham, we will briefly summarize the anubhavam of the current nAma –

catur-AtmA.

 

a) As pointed out in the previous paragraph, for nAma 139 SrI bhaTTar

gives the interpretation that He manifests Himself in four vyUha forms

– vAsudeva, samkarshaNa, pradyumna, and aniruddha. Here the meaning

given for the term AtmA is rUpam, based on the nirukti description –

vAsudevAdi rUpatvAt caturAtmA iti kathyate.

 

b) For the instance of this nAma in the current Slokam, he gives the

interpretation that bhagavAn makes Himself available for experience of

the devotees both in sthUla and in sUkshma form, in any of the four

states of experience: the waking state, the dream state, the sleep

state, and the turIya state, depending on the capacity of the devotee

to meditate on Him.

 

c) SrI Sa’nkara’s vyAkhyAnam for this nAma in Slokam 15 is that His

Sakti is expressed in a four-fold manifestation in each of His

functions of creation, preservation, and destruction. These four

forms are:

 

In creation: brahmA, daksha and others, time, and all creatures

In preservation: vishNu, manu and others, time, and all creatures

In dissolution: rudra, yama and others, time, and all creatures.

 

He supports this interpretation from vishNu purANam 1.22.30-32:

 

brahmA dakshAdayah kAlah tathaiva aklhila jantavah |

vibhUtayA hariretA jagatah sRshTi-hetavah ||

 

vishNur manvAdayah kAlah sarva bhUtAni ca dvija |

sthiter nimitta bhUtasya vishNoretA vibhUtayah ||

 

rudrah kAlah antakAdyaSca samastASvaiva jantqavah |

caturdhA pralayAyaitA janArdana vibhUtayah ||

 

d) For the current instance of the nAma caturAtmA, SrI Sa’nkara views

the nAma as catrura + AtmA, where he uses the meaning cAturyam for the

word catura. His interpretation here is that He has this nAma because

He is skilled in keeping His AtmA or Self pure and free from attachment

etc. – rAga deveshAdi rahitatvAt catura AtmA mano asya iti caturAtmA.

 

e) An alternate interpretation by SrI Sa’nkara is that He is in the

form of, or behind, the four types of internal organs – mind,

intellect, sense (ego), and citta (intuition), and so He is in these

four forms –catur-AtmA. SrI Sa’nkara’s words are: mano buddhi

ahankAra cittAkhyAntah karaNa catushTaya AtmakatvAt catur-AtmA. SrI

rAdhakRshNa SAstri elaborates on this. He describes the four as the

mind function, the buddhi function, the citta function, and the

aha’nkAra. The mind function involves thinking of doing something, the

buddhi function is one of analysis, the citta function is one of

drawing on prior experiences in execution, and the aha’nkAra is the

feeling of accomplishment at the end of this process. These four are

called the four antah karaNa-s, or internal organs. Since bhagavAn is

the AtmA of function behind these, He is called catur-AtmA. – mano

buddhir-aha’nkArah cittam karaNam Antaram | samSayo niScayo garvas

smaraNam vishayA amI || SrI cinmAyanada gives the pATham as

catvarAtmA as the one corresponding to this interpretation – catvara +

AtmA – “The One Infinite Efflugence that expresses Itself as the four

aspects of our inner equipment – antah karaNa catushTaya.

 

f) SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives a interpretation based on nRsimhottara

tApinI. This describes His manifesting His Self in four forms. The

first is the manifestation where He supports the sthUla SarIra of the

jIva (called viSva), in His form as virAT. The combined form of viSva

and virAT is otA. The second form is where He supports the sUkshma

SarIra of the jIva called taijasa, in His form as sUtra. This combined

manifestation is called anuj~nAtA. There is third aspect or dimension

of the soul, which is called kAraNa SarIra (also called prA~jna), which

is responsible for memories that are carried over from previous birth,

such as the memory of the newborn child that crying will result in its

getting milk. The manifestation of His Self that supports this kAraNa

SarIra of the soul in His form as ISvara is called anu~jnaikarasa. His

Self which is past these three aspects of the soul, and which is

realized through brahma j~nAna is called avikalpa. The nAma caturAtmA,

based on the nRsimhottra tApinI, refers to the four forms of His Self

described above – otA, anu~jnAtA, anu~jnA ekarasa, and avikalpa – atha

turIyaS-caturAtmA turIyAvasitvAt ekaikasya otAnu~jnAtranu~jnA

vaikalpaih (1.11). The first three forms lead to the fourth form – the

paramAtman, through knowledge and realization.

 

SrI T. S. Raghavendran gives reference from mArkaNDeya purANa which

declares that paramAtmA enters the bodies of all creatures with the

four forms of viSva, taijasa, prA~jna, and turIya:

 

paramAtmA catu-rUpah sarva-prANi-sarIragah |

viSvaSca taijasah prA~jnas-trIyaSceti kathyate ||

 

In his explanation, SrI Raghavendran associates the viSva form with the

wakeful state of the jIva, the taijasa with the dream state, the

prA~jna with the sleep state, and the turIya with the state that is

above all the other three, the moksha state.

 

g) SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives the interpretation that the nAma

refers to His being the antaryAmi of the four types of devotees – the

Arti, arthArthI, j~nAnI and mumukshu – those who worship Him for relief

from sufferings, those who seek wealth, those who seek knowledge, and

those who seek moksha – caturNAm Arta arthArthi ji~jnAsu mumukshUNAm

AtmA antaryAmI priya iti caturAtmA.

 

SrI satya sandha yatirAja gives an interpretation that is based His

being the cause of the four types of desires in the devotees: caturshu

dharma artha kAma moksheshu janAnAm yogyatAnusAreNa AtmA mano yasmAt sa

caturAtmA.

 

h) SrI satya sandha yatirAja also gives another anubhavam: BhagavAn is

called caturAtmA because He created the fit being for purposes of

creation, in the form of brahmA - caturah kuSala AtmA catur-mukho

yasmAt iti caturAtmA.

 

i) Another of SrI satya sandha yatirAja’s interpretations is that

bhagavAn has the nAma caturAtmA because He has all the qualities of the

four types of AtmA-s: AtmA, antarAtmA, paramAtmA, and j~nAnAtmA

(catvAra AtmAnah – AtmA, antarAtmA, paramAtmA, j~nAnAtma lakshNA yasya

iti caturAtmA). SrI T. S. Raghavendran explains that parmAtmA, in the

rUpa of AtmA, resides in our hearts, and resides in the rUpa of

antarAtmA in the heart of the soul. paramAtmA is the Supreme Soul. He

explains j~nAnAtmA by referencing the taittirIya Upanishad – satyam

j~nAnam anatam brahma. He is prANa maya, mano maya, anna maya,

vi~jnAna maya, and Ananda maya. Manomaya and Ananda maya here refer to

His manifestations as j~nAnAtmA according to the explanation provided

by SrI Raghavendran. He also quotes the bRhat samhitA to distinguish

between AtmA and antarAtmA as distinct manifestations of hari:

 

AtmA antarAtmA iti harir-eka eva dvi-vidhA sthitah |

nivishTo hRdaye nityam rasam pibati karmajam ||

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

 

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