Sri Yamunacharyas Chatusloki Translation -Part 2

Swamy Desikan blessed us with the commentary for these two sthOthras referring and quoting the SriBhashyam, Vedas, Upanishads, Smruthis, Ithihasa, PurANas, Paancharaathra etc… In fact Swamy Desikan pays his gratitude to Sri Alavandhar for his blessing us with these greatest works:

[in the words of Sri Muralidhar Rangaswamy- Testimony in support of his greatness can be found from Swami Desikan's tribute to him in the Yatiraja Sapthathi and the Daya Shatakam. Swami Desikan, who is renowned for his careful choice of words employs the usage vigAhE to characterize the stature of Swami Alavandar in the Yatiraja Sapthathi. It may be interesting to note that Swami Desikan reserves this tribute only for two Acharyas-Swami Alavandar and Swami NammAzhwar in the Daya Shatakam salutation "vigAhE thIrtha bahuLAm shIthalAm guru santhathim". Again in verse 59 of the Daya Shatakam, Swami Desikan provides a thundering declaration on the efficacy of Prapatti highlighting in the process the exalted role of Swami Alavandar. Swami Desikan declares "yathipathiyAmuna prabhruthaya: praThayanthi dhayE jagathi hitham nanasthvayi BharanyasanAdhaDhikam" (Lord Srinivasa is a master artisan. The sky is his canvas and Daya Devi is his paint brush. She sends us geniuses like Swami Alavandar and Sri Ramanujacharya, who have established that for the redemption of the entire universe, there is no path greater than unconditional, total surrender to Your Lotus Feet!

The concept of SrI or MahalakshmI or PERIYA PIRAATTI is unique to Srivaishnavam and has no parallel in any other religion or philosophy in the world. Right from Vedas to date, there are eight major works besides innumerable minor texts, extolling her glories. Those eight are: SrI Sooktham, SrI Sthuthi (by Devendran- found in Sri Vishnu purana), ChathuslOkI (by Sri ALavandhar- that we are now taking up), Sranagathi Gadya (where Ramanuja first addresses PiraaTTi), Sri Sthavam (by KooratthAzhwAn), SrI GuNa Rathna kOsam(by Parasara Bhattar), SrI Sthuthi (by Swamy Vedantha Desikan), Lakshmi Sahasram (Sri Venkatadvari)… All these compositions contain enormous references to Her eternal presence, eternal unity, and total uninterrupted, never-ceasing indentify with the Lord, Her unbounded Limitless dayA, benevolence, Her being the MEANS as well as The GOAL… of all Humans and lastly Her special role as Purushaakaara (Mediatrix) between Her children (us) and the Father (the Lord). The Lord and She are the Dhivya Dampathi – and thus They Both are SEshi (Master) for all except Them... While the Lord takes the role of dhaNdadharathvam (punishing of the transgressors against saasthrAs – and everyone of us are in this category- in accordance with our karma) and She forgives us to recommend our pitiable case to Him for protection and saving us... For that, She expects us to turn to Her and look upto Her as complete surrender to Her… Else, She would be partial to few.

To be continued ..

Article by: Sri Madhava Kannan Swami, Singapore