DHARMA STHOTHRAM

Part 74.
Caturatma, Caturvyuha

Ashtaksharam is well known to us. Similar to that utterance of just four
letter nama NARAYANA also would do the best solutions to our
problems. Tongues which do not utter these four letter nama is not at all
a tongue, but mere worthless flesh is what Silappathikaram song tells us
as "Narayana ennaa navu, enna nave".It is said as " Religious sacrifices
such as yagnam , homam charities such as Annadanam, donation to
temples, penance or observance of vow, silence for hours, days together
,pilgrimage to 108 Tirupathis,holy bath in punya theerthams such as
Ganga, cauvery, fasting on Ekadasi, or some days in a week, are all
only actions.But chanting of namas is not an action, but invocation." The
holy name may be chanted with sentiment of devotion, or even without
sentiment, with anger or with indolence, but it surely results in
auspicious and benediction all round. The holy name when recited with
devotion and reverence, it leads to a quick salvation. By chanting the
holy name, the self has an inclination to Sriman Narayana , because a
call is of self, rather than of mind and intellect. Holy name has so much
power of destroying all sins even the worst sinner will avoid further more
sins by chanting. Just like a child weeping for mother, is immediately
attended by mother, when the lord's name is called from the core of
heart, Sriman narayana without delaying anymore, and allowing other
works to stay for a while, gives solution to His devotees happily. Sri
Vishnu Sahasranamam thus have the specialty to anybody who recites
these namas. Dharma Sthothram attempts to know its meanings for two
namas every week..
The 137th nama is Caturatma. The next 138, 139, and 140 namas are
caturvyuha, caturdamstrah, and chaturbuja . The four qualities of the
four are dealt in these four namas. Caturatma is one assumes for the
sake of creation, sustentation, and dissolution. He is one whos Self has
a four-fold manifestation such as Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyuma,
Aniruddha.
In this connection Four is,the only number which has equal number of
letters in English . Unique features in Hinduism and Vaishnavism are dis
cussed briefly here.
1. Four Vedas-Rigveda, Yajurveda,Samaveda,Atharvaveda
.2 Four divisions in Vedas- Samhita, Brahmana, Aaranyaka, Upanishad
3... Four Varnas- Brahmins(knowledge, Guru ) ,Kshatriyas (Ruling,
Administration ) , Vaisyas(Wealth Trade ) , Sudras (Physical, labour )
4..Four Ashramas- Brahmacharyam(student ) ,
Grahasthasram(Householder) , Vanaprastham(Retired or hermit ) ,
Sanyasam (monk,Ascetic)
5. Four Yugas- Ktrayugam, Tretayugam, Dwaparayugam , Kaliyugam
6.Four types of food-(As per Sri Ramanuja's Annam Chatur vidam )
Biting and chewing ,sucking, licking, drinking
7. Four legs of Dharmas-Satyam, Daya, Tapas, Danam
8. Four legs of Adharmas- Dishonesty, violence, discontent,
strife(otherwise Untruth, treachery,illicit liasion with women, eating
forbidden food )
9. Four forms- Virat purusha, Sootratma, Antaryami, Tureeya
10. Four methods of treatments for correcting wrong doings - Sama,
Bheda, Dhana , Dandam
11.. FourVyuhas- Jagratavasta (Wakeful), Swapna (Sleep and dreams )
, Sushupti (deep slumber ) , Tureeya (Deep yogam )
12. Four directions,Gods and Vedas - East-Agni, (Rig),West -Soma,
(Athava), South -Indra (Yajur ) , North - Mitravarna (Sama)
13. Four Moksham-Saalakyam (Same as eternal ), Sameepyam (close
to eternal ) , Saroopyam (Attaining eternal)Samyajyam (Deriving bliss )
14. Four Saranagathis- Svanishta- Of their own , Ukti Nishta-Helping
through the Acharya ,Acharya Nishta- Acharya doing for us, Bhagavatha
Nishta-Bhagavatha doing for us
15. Four yogas - Bhakthi yoga-The path of devotion ,Jnana Yoga- The
path of rational inquiry, Raja yogam - The path of mental concentration,
Karma yoga- The path of right action,
16. Four prime Namas in Vishnu Sahasranamam- Vasudeva-
Pradyumna, Anirudha, Sankarshana
17. Four Sanyasa- Kuteesa, Bahoodda , Hamsa, Paramahamsa
18. Four important masapirappu-Chitrai(Varshika ) , Audi(Dakshinayana
punya kalam ) , Aypasi(Thula ) , Thai(Utharayana Punya kalam )
19. Four pramanams- (Shruti)- epics, Puranas,( Pratyaksham)- Able to
see,( Anumanam)- inference,( Itityam) - concepts
20. Four samarpanams- Patram(Thulasi ) , pushpam,(Flower)
palam,(Fruit) Thoyam(Water )
21. Four Moorthis - Pradhanam, Purusha, Avyaktha, Kalam
Nalayira Divya Prbhandam, Chaturmasya vratham are other special
features in SriVaishnavism in four .
In 138th Nama Caturvyuha,it i means He who is with four forms as
described in 11 above..Nammazhwar in Peria Thiruvanthathi, says as
"Ninrum, Irunthum, Kidanthum, Thirithanthum ..."as Sriman Narayana is
ever in Azhwar's mind. As Hirayakshan was killed by tearing his mouth,
forcibly broken the chest through His precious hands Sriman Narayana's
gracious nature is seen by all His devotees. Hence, He is in four forms
as standing, sitting, lieing down and walking for a while . With all that He
is ever green in the minds. In Gita, as Lord Krishna has cleared the
secret underlying the incarnations to Arjuna as follows." Though nature
Unborn, I take birth. Though I am ordainer exercising authority over the
entire creation, I submit myself too the orders of others .I am the
formless, changeless, eternal being, But I undergo transformations,
consequential to birth and growth. It is my own free will and choice that
is at the root of my assuming these forms, suitable to execute the
purposes I have designed for the good of the world. But in the case of
other living beings, their taking birth or passing through the changes or
working under orders are governed by their karma, piled up over several
births. But I am free of Karma. My actions proceed in accordance with
my will. I determine what form I should assume, what changes I should
undergo, from which quarters I should take orders. I design the whole
plan so that it is in tune with the purpose of my incarnation, namely
restoration of the moral order in the world, by giving protection to the
virtuous and liquidating the forces of evil." There are four groups in such
incarnations which is called as caturvyuha. .
Caturdamstra, and chaturbuja will be continued in next week with details
glory of Sri Rama with four arms.....

To be continued......Arumbuliyur Jagannathan Rangarajan