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चतुःश्लोकी Meaning — Line by Line

चतुःश्लोकी

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of चतुःश्लोकी with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

Verse 1#

kāntaste puruṣottamaḥ phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanaṃ vāhanaṃ

कान्तस्ते पुरुषोत्तमः फणिपतिः शय्यासनं वाहनं वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरो यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी ब्रह्मेशादिसुरव्रजः सदयितस्त्वद्दासदासीगणः श्रीरित्येव नाम ते भगवति ब्रूमः कथं त्वां वयम्

kāntaste puruṣottamaḥ phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanaṃ vāhanaṃ vedātmā vihageśvaro yavanikā māyā jaganmohinī | brahmeśādisuravrajaḥ sadayitastvaddāsadāsīgaṇaḥ śrīrityeva ca nāma te bhagavati brūmaḥ kathaṃ tvāṃ vayam || 1 ||

Meaningहे भगवति! आपके पति पुरुषोत्तम (नारायण) हैं, नागराज शेष आपकी शय्या एवं आसन हैं, वेदस्वरूप पक्षिराज गरुड़ आपका वाहन हैं, जगन्मोहिनी माया आपकी यवनिका (परदा) है; ब्रह्मा, शिव आदि देवगण अपनी पत्नियों सहित आपके दास-दासियों का समूह हैं, और 'श्री' ही आपका नाम है — तब हम आपका वर्णन कैसे करें?

Verse 2#

yasyāste mahimānamātmana iva tvadvallabho'pi prabhur

यस्यास्ते महिमानमात्मन इव त्वद्वल्लभोऽपि प्रभुर् नालं मातुमियत्तया निरवधिं नित्यानुकूलं स्वतः तां त्वां दास इति प्रपन्न इति स्तोष्याम्यहं निर्भयो लोकैकेश्वरि लोकनाथदयिते दान्ते दयां ते विदन्

yasyāste mahimānamātmana iva tvadvallabho'pi prabhur nālaṃ mātumiyattayā niravadhiṃ nityānukūlaṃ svataḥ | tāṃ tvāṃ dāsa iti prapanna iti ca stoṣyāmyahaṃ nirbhayo lokaikeśvari lokanāthadayite dānte dayāṃ te vidan || 2 ||

Meaningजिसकी महिमा को आपके प्रियतम सर्वसमर्थ प्रभु भी अपनी ही महिमा के समान पूर्ण रूप से नहीं माप सकते — जो असीम और स्वभाव से नित्य अनुकूल है — उन आपको, हे लोकैकेश्वरि! हे लोकनाथ की प्रिया! जितेन्द्रियों पर भी की गई आपकी दया को जानकर, मैं निर्भय होकर 'दास' और 'शरणागत' कहकर स्तुति करूँगा।

Verse 3#

īṣattvatkaruṇānirīkṣaṇasudhāsandhukṣaṇādrakṣyate

ईषत्त्वत्करुणानिरीक्षणसुधासन्धुक्षणाद्रक्ष्यते नष्टं प्राक्तदलाभतस्त्रिभुवनं सम्प्रत्यनन्तोदयम् श्रेयो ह्यरविन्दलोचनमनःकान्ताप्रसादादृते संसृत्यक्षरवैष्णवाध्वसु नृणां सम्भाव्यते कर्हिचित्

īṣattvatkaruṇānirīkṣaṇasudhāsandhukṣaṇādrakṣyate naṣṭaṃ prāktadalābhatastribhuvanaṃ sampratyanantodayam | śreyo na hyaravindalocanamanaḥkāntāprasādādṛte saṃsṛtyakṣaravaiṣṇavādhvasu nṛṇāṃ sambhāvyate karhicit || 3 ||

Meaningआपकी थोड़ी-सी करुणामयी दृष्टिरूपी अमृत के सिंचन से, पहले उसके अभाव में नष्ट हुए तीनों लोक अब रक्षित होकर अनन्त उन्नति को प्राप्त हैं। कमलनयन प्रभु के हृदय की प्रिया (लक्ष्मी) के प्रसाद के बिना, मनुष्यों को संसार, कैवल्य अथवा वैष्णव-सेवा के मार्ग पर कभी कल्याण नहीं हो सकता।

Verse 4#

śāntānantamahāvibhūti paramaṃ yadbrahma rūpaṃ harer

शान्तानन्तमहाविभूति परमं यद्ब्रह्म रूपं हरेर् मूर्तं ब्रह्म ततोऽपि तत्प्रियतरं रूपं यदत्यद्भुतम् यान्यन्यानि यथासुखं विहरतो रूपाणि सर्वाणि तान्य् आहुः स्वैरनुरूपरूपविभवैर्गाढोपगूढानि ते

śāntānantamahāvibhūti paramaṃ yadbrahma rūpaṃ harer mūrtaṃ brahma tato'pi tatpriyataraṃ rūpaṃ yadatyadbhutam | yānyanyāni yathāsukhaṃ viharato rūpāṇi sarvāṇi tāny āhuḥ svairanurūparūpavibhavairgāḍhopagūḍhāni te || 4 ||

Meaningहरि का जो शान्त, अनन्त, महाविभूतिमय परम ब्रह्मस्वरूप है, उससे भी प्रियतर जो अत्यन्त अद्भुत मूर्त ब्रह्म (दिव्य विग्रह) है, तथा जो अन्य समस्त रूप वे लीला हेतु धारण करते हैं — ये सभी रूप, ऋषि कहते हैं, अपने-अपने अनुरूप वैभव के साथ आपसे सघन रूप से आलिंगित (अभिन्न) हैं।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

कान्तः ते
kāntaḥ te
Your beloved consort (is)
पुरुषोत्तमः
puruṣottamaḥ
Purushottama, the Supreme Person (Vishnu/Narayana)
फणिपतिः शय्यासनम्
phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanam
the lord of serpents (Adishesha) is Your couch and seat
वेदात्मा विहगेश्वरः वाहनम्
vedātmā vihageśvaraḥ vāhanam
the king of birds (Garuda), embodiment of the Vedas, is Your vehicle
यवनिका माया जगन्मोहिनी
yavanikā māyā jaganmohinī
Maya, the enchantress of the worlds, is Your curtain (veil)
ब्रह्मेशादिसुरव्रजः
brahmeśādisuravrajaḥ
the host of gods led by Brahma and Shiva
सदयितः त्वद्दासदासीगणः
sadayitaḥ tvaddāsadāsīgaṇaḥ
together with their consorts are Your throng of servants and maids
श्रीः इति एव च नाम ते
śrīḥ iti eva ca nāma te
and Your very name is 'Sri' (the auspicious one)
भगवति ब्रूमः कथं त्वाम् वयम्
bhagavati brūmaḥ kathaṃ tvāṃ vayam
O Goddess, how can we (ever adequately) describe You?
यस्याः ते महिमानम्
yasyāḥ te mahimānam
Your glory, which
त्वद्वल्लभः अपि प्रभुः
tvadvallabhaḥ api prabhuḥ
even Your beloved Lord (Vishnu) himself
न अलं मातुम्
na alaṃ mātum
is not able to measure (fully)
निरवधिम् नित्यानुकूलम्
niravadhim nityānukūlam
limitless and eternally favourable (to all)
दासः इति प्रपन्नः इति
dāsaḥ iti prapannaḥ iti
as 'I am Your servant' and 'I have surrendered'
स्तोष्यामि अहम् निर्भयः
stoṣyāmi aham nirbhayaḥ
I shall praise You, fearless
लोकैकेश्वरि
lokaikeśvari
O sole Mistress of the worlds
ईषत् त्वत्करुणानिरीक्षण
īṣat tvatkaruṇānirīkṣaṇa
by even a slight glance of Your compassion
सुधासन्धुक्षणात् रक्ष्यते
sudhāsandhukṣaṇāt rakṣyate
kindled by that nectar, (the world) is protected
अरविन्दलोचनमनःकान्ता
aravindalocanamanaḥkāntā
the beloved of the heart of the lotus-eyed Lord (Lakshmi)
प्रसादात् ऋते
prasādāt ṛte
without Her grace
शान्तानन्तमहाविभूति
śāntānantamahāvibhūti
O You of serene, infinite, great glory
परमम् यत् ब्रह्म रूपम् हरेः
paramam yat brahma rūpam hareḥ
the supreme Brahman-form of Hari (the formless absolute)
मूर्तम् ब्रह्म तत्प्रियतरम्
mūrtam brahma tatpriyataram
the embodied Brahman (His divine form), dearer still
रूपाणि सर्वाणि ते गाढोपगूढानि
rūpāṇi sarvāṇi te gāḍhopagūḍhāni
all His forms are intimately pervaded (inseparably embraced) by You

Origin & History

Source: Chatuh Shloki (a stuti of four verses in praise of Lakshmi)

Author: Yamunacharya (Alavandar)

Period: c. 10th-11th century CE

Yamunacharya, revered as Alavandar, was a Sri Vaishnava acharya, philosopher and grandson of Nathamuni, and the spiritual grand-preceptor of Ramanuja. Tradition relates that overcome with devotion before the Lord at Srirangam, he composed this brief hymn of four verses solely in praise of Goddess Lakshmi (Sri), affirming her supreme glory and her role as the merciful intercessor (purushakara) between the soul and the Supreme Lord. It became one of the cornerstone hymns of the tradition, recited alongside his larger Stotra Ratna.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who composed the Chatu Shloki?
It was composed by Sri Yamunacharya, also known as Alavandar (c. 916-1041 CE), one of the foremost early acharyas of the Sri Vaishnava tradition and the grand-preceptor in the lineage of Ramanuja. Tradition holds he composed it at the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam.
Why is it called 'Chatu Shloki'?
'Chatuh-shloki' literally means 'four verses' (chatuh = four, shloki = verses). The hymn praises Goddess Lakshmi in exactly four stanzas, each highlighting a different aspect of her glory, mercy and inseparable union with Vishnu.
What is the central teaching of the Chatu Shloki?
It establishes the supreme status of Lakshmi (Sri) as the consort and inseparable power of Vishnu, and as the merciful Mother (purushakara) whose grace mediates between the devotee and the Lord. The fourth verse teaches that Lakshmi is intimately present in every form the Lord assumes.
Can anyone recite the Chatu Shloki?
Yes. Though cherished especially in the Sri Vaishnava tradition and recited before daily worship, anyone may recite these four verses with devotion to seek the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana.

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