Chatuh Shloki
Sanskrit hymn
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The Chatuh Shloki (Sanskrit: चतुःश्लोकी, romanized: Catuḥślokī) is a Sanskrit hymn by the Hindu philosopher Yamunacharya of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.[1] Consisting of four verses,[2] the Chatuh Shloki extols the various attributes of Lakshmi, the consort of the deity Vishnu.
| Chatuh Shloki | |
|---|---|
Painting of Lakshmi (centre right) and her consort Vishnu (centre left), venerated in this work. Ravi Varma Press | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Yamunacharya |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Verses | 4 |
Etymology
The word chatuh shloki is a Sanskrit compound formed from chatuh (चतुः, 'four') and shloka (श्लोक, 'verse'), yielding the compound chatuh shloka (चतुःश्लोक, 'four verses'). The possessive suffix '-in' (इन्) is then added to form the adjectival stem chatuh shlokin (चतुःश्लोकिन्), meaning possessing four verses or consisting of four verses. This stem is declined in the masculine gender to agree with an implied masculine noun such as grantha (ग्रन्थ, 'text'), resulting in the nominative singular form chatuh shloki (चतुःश्लोकी) - which literally means "that (Grantha) which consists of four verses". With the help of a grammatical rule called "वा शरि"(vā śari)[3][4] , this can also be called chatushshloki (चतुश्श्लोकी).[5]
Thus, both Chatuhshloki (with visarga - ः) and Chatushshloki (with sandhi transformation - श्श) are grammatically valid forms of the same word.[4]
Description
The four stanzas of the work describe the various attributes of the goddess Lakshmi, her greatness and mercy, the grace she offers to her devotees, and her inseparability in form from her consort Vishnu (Lakshmi Narayana) respectively.[6] Lakshmi is represented as an intermediary between a devotee and Vishnu; she is described to present a devotee's piety to her consort, offering her consort's grace to the devotee in turn. The work is regarded to be a pioneer in offering descriptions of the personality of the goddess and her relationship with a devotee and her consort in Vaishnava philosophy.[7]
Shlokas
Each shloka of the Chatuhshloki progressively unveils the attributes of Lakshmi and her supreme position among all beings.[8][9]
| Verse | Sanskrit Text (Devanagari)[10] | Transliteration[10] | English Translation[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | कान्तस्ते पुरुषोत्तमः फणिपतिः शय्यासनं वाहनं
वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरो यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी । ब्रह्मेशादि सुरव्रजः सदयितस्त्वद्दासदासीगणः श्रीरित्येव च नाम ते भगवति ब्रूमः कथं त्वां वयम् ॥ १ ॥ |
kāntaste puruṣottamaḥ phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanaṃ vāhanaṃ
vedātmā vihageśvaro yavanikā māyā jaganmohinī । brahmeśādi suravrajaḥ sadayitastvaddāsadāsīgaṇaḥ śrīrityeva ca nāma te bhagavati brūmaḥ kathaṃ tvāṃ vayam ॥ 1 ॥ |
O Goddess Sri, perfect in all six divine qualities! Your beloved Lord is the celebrated Supreme Being, Purushottama. The great serpent king, Adisesha, serves as Your divine couch, while Garuda, whose very form embodies the Vedas, is Your seat and vehicle. The enchanting primal energy of the universe, Maya, acts as Your protecting veil, and Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, all the celestial beings, and their consorts form the assembly of Your devoted attendants. Your sacred name itself is Sri. When You are defined by such infinite glory, how can we, people of limited understanding, ever presume to adequately praise You? |
| 2 | यस्यास्ते महिमानमात्मन इव त्वद्वल्लभोऽपि प्रभुः
नालं मातुमियत्यापि निरवधिं नित्यानुकूलं स्वतः । तां त्वां दास इति प्रपन्न इति च स्तोष्याम्यहं निर्भयः लोकैकेश्वरि ! लोकनाथदयिते ! दान्ते ! दयां ते विदन् ॥ २ ॥ |
yasyāste mahimānam ātmana iva tvad-vallabho'pi prabhuḥ
nālaṃ mātum iyatyāpi niravadhiṃ nityānukūlaṃ svataḥ । tāṃ tvāṃ dāsa iti prapanna iti ca stoṣyāmyahaṃ nirbhayaḥ lokaikeśvari! lokanāthadayite! dānte! dayāṃ te vidan ॥ 2 ॥ |
O undisputed Empress of the Universe! O dearest consort of the Lord, who is the Supreme Ruler of all! O most merciful one, the very embodiment of compassion! Your glory is limitless, natural, and always supportive in every aspect of Your Lord's activities. Even Your Lord is unable to fully comprehend Your auspicious qualities, just as He Himself cannot fully grasp the extent of His own infinite greatness. Knowing this, I approach You without fear, as Your devoted servant, to offer my praise. |
| 3 | ईषत्त्वत्करुणानिरीक्षणसुधासन्धुक्षणाद्रक्ष्यते
नष्टं प्राक्तदलाभतस्त्रिभुवनं सम्प्रत्यनन्तोदयम् । श्रेयो न ह्यरविन्दलोचनमनःकान्ताप्रसादादृते संसृत्यक्षरवैष्णवाध्वसु नृणां सम्भाव्यते कर्हिचित् ॥ ३॥ |
īṣat-tvat-karuṇā-nirīkṣaṇa-sudhā-sandhukṣaṇād rakṣyate
naṣṭaṃ prāg-alābhatas tribhuvanaṃ sampraty anantodayam । śreyo na hy aravinda-locana-manaḥ-kāntā-prasādād ṛte saṃsṛty-akṣara-vaiṣṇavādhvasu nṛṇāṃ sambhāvyate karhicit ॥ 3 ॥ |
When all the three worlds and their beings are deprived of the compassionate glance of the Lord's divine consort, they decay and suffer every kind of misfortune. But when Her nectarine glances fall upon them, even for a moment, they are protected by that rain of compassion and attain limitless prosperity. What was once withering away is instantly restored to fullness and abundance. Without the grace of the beloved consort of the Lord, no being can attain true wealth, liberation, or the supreme abode. |
| 4 | शान्तानन्तमहाविभूतिपरमं यद् ब्रह्मरूपं हरेः
मूर्तं ब्रह्म ततोऽपि तत्प्रियतरं रूपं यदत्यद्भुतम् । यान्यन्यानि यथासुखं विहरतो रूपाणि सर्वाणि तानि आहुः स्वैरनुरूपरूपविभवैर्गाढोपगूढानि ते ॥ ४॥ |
śāntānanta mahāvibhūte paramaṃ yad brahma-rūpaṃ hareḥ
mūrtaṃ brahma tato'pi tat-priyataraṃ rūpaṃ yad aty-adbhutam । yāny anyāni yathā-sukhaṃ viharato rūpāṇi sarvāṇi tāni āhuḥ svair anurūpa-rūpa-vibhavair gāḍhopagūḍhāni te ॥ 4 ॥ |
Free from the six limitations, the nature of Hari is bliss, incomparable glory, supreme and known as Brahman. Yet even more beloved is His marvelous visible form, also called Brahman, which brings Him great delight. This form lovingly embraces every form Hari assumes in creation, protection and dissolution, matching each with perfect beauty. O Sri Devi, the form that corresponds to Hari in all His manifestations is indeed Your own auspicious form. |
Chatuh Shloki Bhagavatam
The Chatuh Shloki Bhagavatam (Sanskrit: चतुःश्लोकी भागवतम्, lit. 'Bhagavata in Four Verses') refers to four specific verses from the second canto of the Bhagavata Purana that have long been considered a kind of philosophical summary of the whole twelve-canto text . These verses are identified as Bhagavata Purana 2.9.33–36 and form part of a dialogue between the creator deity Brahma and Vishnu. According to the traditional narrative, after being divinely inspired to create the universe, Brahma became bewildered by his creative power and developed a sense of ego; to clear up his confusion, Vishnu revealed four secret verses to Brahma that explained the whole truth in a nutshell.[11][12]
The first verse establishes the Supreme Being as the sole reality existing before, during, and after creation. The second explains that anything perceived as independent of the divine is illusion (māyā). The third describes the deity's paradoxical nature as simultaneously immanent within creation and transcendent beyond it, using the analogy of the great elements that both enter into and remain outside of all created things. The fourth directs spiritual seekers to pursue inquiry into the Absolute through both direct and indirect means (anvaya and vyatireka).[13]
In the Vaishnava tradition, these verses have attracted extensive commentary from prominent theologians. The 13th-century commentator Sridhara Swami was the first to identify these four verses as a distinct set representing the original revelation.[14]
The significance of these verses is attested in multiple textual traditions. The Bhagavata Mahatmya of the Padma Purana contains a reference to the four-versed summary.Physical manuscripts of the Chatuh Shloki Bhagavatam exist in both Sharda script and Devnagari script in Indian government archives, providing material evidence of the text's transmission.[15][16] The Chaitanya-charitamrita states that these verses explain everything - the relationship with the Supreme Lord, activities in that connection, and the goal of life.[17]
| Verse | Sanskrit Text (Devanagari)[18] | Transliteration[19] | English Translation[20] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद् यत्सदसत्परम् ।
पश्चादहं यदेतच्च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥ |
aham evāsam evāgre nānyad yat sad-asat-param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca yo 'vaśiṣyeta so 'smy aham |
Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead. |
| 2 | ऋतेऽर्थं यत्प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि ।
तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥ २ ॥ |
ṛte 'rthaṁ yat pratīyeta na pratīyeta cātmani
tad vidyād ātano māyāṁ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ |
O Brahma !, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness. |
| 3 | यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु ।
प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥ ३ ॥ |
yathā mahānti bhūtāni bhūteṣūccāvaceṣv anu
praviṣṭāny apraviṣṭāni tathā teṣu na teṣv aham |
O Brahma !, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything. |
| 4 | एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनात्मनः ।
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत्स्यात्सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ ४ ॥ |
etāvad eva jijñāsyaṁ tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ
anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ yat syāt sarvatra sarvadā |
A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly. |