Vishnu Sahasra Naamam-Vol III-RR-edit.pub - Ibiblio

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divine form of vishNu – deva rUpam as mentioned in the previous Slokam), O
Thou Universal Being with the thousand-arms”.
ANDAL describes Him as “Ir IraNDu Mal varait tOL Se’nKaN tiru mugattu
Selvat tirumAl” (tiruppAvai30).
PerukkAraNai SrI cakravartyAcArya’s anubhavam is that the four arms for
bestowing the four purushAtha-s. It is as if He just keeps increasing the
number of arms as needed, to carry many more weapons to protect His
devotees as occasion demands. Thus, when He came to protect gajendra, He
came with eight arms; sudarSana AzhvAr that He carries has 16 arms, and 16
weapons in those hands (SrI shoDaSAyudha stotram of svAmi deSikan).
tiruma’ngai AzhvAr also refers to His four arms in periya tirumozh 8.1.1 –
“malai ila’ngu tOLnAngE maRRu avanukku! eRRE kAN”.
SrI Sa’nkara points out that the nAma catur-bAhuh is traditionally reserved
for vAsudeva (recall Sa’nkha cakra gadA pANe dvArakA-nilayAcyuta govindaa
puNDarIkAksha raksha mAm SaraNAgatam).
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri points out that vishNu is typically personified with
Sa’nkha, cakra, gadA, and either lotus or dhanus in the four hands.
SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives the reference to SrImad bhAgavatam
describing bhagavAn as One with Four arms:
- catur-bhujah Sa’nkha gadAbja cakrah piSa’nga vAsA nalinAyatekshaNah
(bhAga.8.18.1);
-tam adbhutam bAlakam ambujekshaNam catur-bhujam Sa’nkha
gadAyudAryudham
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(bhAga. 10.3.9).
Under Slokam 15, SrI cinmAyananda describes the four arms of bhagavAn
carrying the Sa’nkha, cakra, gadA, and padmam. These are meant for
maintaining dharma among mankind. The conch calls man to the righteous path
that directly leads to Peace and Perfection, to His Lotus Feet. But most of us,
in the enchantment of the immediate sense-joys, refuse to listen to the small