Navarātrī 2024, Day 4: Catuḥ-Ślokī, verse 4 and conclusion

Let us wrap up the Catuḥ-Ślokī of Swāmī Āḷavandār today, with the fourth verse, followed by some traditional closing verses as well.

I have posted a full recitation of the Catuḥ-Ślokī on YouTube here.

Catuḥ-Ślokī verse 4: The Supreme Goddess Mahālakṣmī’s full harmony with the Supreme Lord

śāntâ-’’nanda-mahā-vibhūti-paramaṃ
        yad brahma-rūpaṃ Harer
mūrtaṃ brahma tato ’pi tat-priyataraṃ
        rūpaṃ yad atyadbhutam |
yāny anyāni yathā-sukhaṃ viharato
        rūpāṇi sarvāṇi tāny
āhuḥ svair anurūpa-rūpa-vibhavair
        gāḍhôpagūḍhāni te || CŚ 4 ||

शान्ता-ऽऽनन्द-महा-विभूति-परमं यद् ब्रह्म-रूपं हरेर्
मूर्तं ब्रह्म ततो ऽपि तत्-प्रियतरं रूपं यद् अत्यद्भुतम् ।
यान्य् अन्यानि यथा-सुखं विहरतो रूपाणि सर्वाणि तान्य् [तानि]
आहुः स्वैर् अनुरूप-रूप-विभवैर् गाढोपगूढानि ते॥

Whether it be the Supreme,
all-pervading form of Hari
        tranquil
        pure endless bliss
        filled with His eternal lustre,

or His embodied, all-pervading form
        even more charming than the last,
        inexpressibly marvelous

Or all of His other forms
        donned by Him at His pleasure:

All of these forms are embraced
                tightly
                deeply
                profoundly
        by Your own forms,
                in full conformity with His own!

By emphasizing the eternal unity of the Supreme Couple, this verse makes explicit the fact that the Supreme Goddess Mahālakṣmī is not just a means (upāya) for us to get wealth or liberation or whatever, but also simultaneously the end-goal (upeya) in companionship with the Supreme Lord.

Closing recitations

While the Catuḥ-Ślokī proper has concluded with the previous verse, it is customary to recite three more prayers.

Concluding text 1: From the Prapanna-pārijāta of Naḍādūr Ammāḷ

ākāra-traya-saṃpannām aravinda-nivāsinīm |
aśeṣa-jagad-Īśitrīṃ vande Varada-vallabhām ||

I worship Her:
        endowed with the Triple Nature,

        dwelling in a lotus,

        Supreme Empress
                of the entire cosmos,

        beloved of the Boon-bestowing Lord!

The “Triple Nature” of Goddess Mahālakṣmī here refers to Her simultaneous possession of the following three qualities:

• puruṣakāratva: Her unique ability to mediate on behalf of us, Her children, with the Lord.

• upāyatva: Her simultaneous co-acceptance, along with the Lord’s, of our act of taking refuge in them.

• upeyatva: Her ability to deepen our devotion to Them and to enhance our desire to serve Them (thus making Them the joint goal of our devotion).

Concluding text 2: The first cūrṇikā of the Śaraṇâgati-gadya of Swāmi Rāmānuja

Bhagavan-Nārāyaṇâ-’bhimatâ-’nurūpa-svarūpa-rūpa-guṇa-vibhavaîśvarya-śīlâ-’’dy-anavadhikâ-’tiśayâ-’saṅkhyeya-kalyāṇa-guṇa-gaṇāṃ, Padma-vanâ-’’layāṃ, Bhagavatīṃ, Śriyaṃ, Devīṃ, nityâ-’napāyinīṃ, niravadyāṃ, Deva-deva-divya-mahiṣīm, akhila-jagan-Mātaram, asman-Mātaram, aśaraṇya-śaraṇyām, ananya-śaraṇaḥ śaraṇam aham prapadye ||

I
        who have no other refuge

take refuge in Her:

        endowed with all auspicious attributes 
                (illimitable, 
                abounding to excess, 
                innumerable), 
        including, but not limited to, 
                mastery, 
                sovereignty, and 
                gracious conduct, 
        such that Her intrinsic form, assumed forms and qualities 
        are entirely in accord with, and to the liking of, 
        the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa,

        dwelling in a forest of lotuses,
        
        the Supreme Goddess Śrī,

        eternally inseparable 
                from Her Spouse 
                and Her children,

        utterly flawless,

        Divine Empress 
                alongside the Lord of gods,

        Mother to the entire cosmos,

        Mine own mother,

        Ultimate refuge 
                to all who have no refuge.

In case of lack of time for reciting anything else in the day, reciting even just this cūrṇikā alone every single day is strongly recommended for all devotees, as it encapsulates the whole of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition’s position on Mahālakṣmī.

Concluding text 3: From the Śrī-guṇa-ratna-kośa of Swāmī Parāśara Bhaṭṭar

ullāsa-pallavita-pālita-sapta-lokī-
-nirvāha-korakita-nema-kaṭākṣa-līlām |
Śrīraṅga-harmya-tala-maṅgala-dīpa-rekhāṃ
Śrīraṅga-rāja-mahiṣīm Śriyam āśrayāmaḥ ||

We take refuge in Her:

        Śrī,

        Empress of the Lord of Śrīraṅgam,

        auspicious eternal lamp-light
                illuminating the temple-palace
                of Śrīraṅgam,

        whose playful, twinkling glances
                half-open, half-closed
        are responsible for the
                sprouting,
                budding,
                blossoming, and
                grooming
                        of the seven-realm cosmic vine!

|| samasta-parivāra-sametāya Śrīman-Nārāyaṇāya namaḥ ||