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--- Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 08:19:15 +0530
> From: sadagopaniyengar <sadagopaniyengar@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Arms and the Lord
>
> Arms and the Lord
> 
> How many hands does the Lord have? We come across
> several scriptural texts ascribing to Him four beautiful arms,
> holding the Discus, Conch, the Mace and the Lotus. The prelude to
> Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram unambiguously says that He has four
> arms-"Vishnum sasivarNam chatur bhujam". The
> reason the Lord sports four arms instead of two is perhaps to
> ensure speedy and adequate response in His principal occupation of
> providing succour to the distressed-SharaNAgata rakshaNam". 



Dear Sri Sadagopan Iyengar,

I have also heard it being said that the 4 arms of the Lord represent
the 4 principal directions ("disha") -- east, west, south and north.
This is how He comes to be known as "chatur-bhujan". I have no
readily available scriptural authority for this but perhaps you can
help. 

There is also reference in the Vedas to "dasOdasha" -- for instance,
the famous line: "udheepyasya jAtavEdo pagnan nirarutim mama....
pashugumscha-mahyam-Avaha jeevanam cha dasOdasha!" (vide the
mahanarAyanOpanishad). This is reference to 10 directions which I
suppose is more of a nautical measure of the same 4 principal
directions. 

In the Ramayana, in the famous "agni-pravEsam" scene, Rama spurns
Sita, telling her that she can choose any of the "ten directions" in
this world to get lost in... Very painful words, indeed but it makes
you really wonder at the irony of it all: the Lord is sovereign of
all the 10 directions and yet He asks His Sita to "get lost" in any
one -- as though the 'disha' or 'dik' of Her choice would be beyond
the pale of His rule! 

Some scholars say that the 4 arms of the Lord each represent the 4
Vedas. I do not know where the 'pramAnam' comes from for this.
Perhaps you can help. 

The Lord is also known sometimes as the 8-armed one -- "ashtabhujan".
I suppose this is a variant once again of the 4 principal directions
-- with the addition of the south-east, north-east etc. But some say
that the 8-armed one and the sacred 'ashtAkshara-mantra' (8-syllabled
mantra) have something to with each other. Again, I have no 'pramANa'
for this and would be grateful for light being shed on this.

Another popular symbolism I have come across is that the 4 arms of
the Lord represent His Omnipresence -- i.e. there is no direction
that one can go where the Lord cannot be encountered. The other
symbolism that greatly appeals to me personally is the idea of the
Lord having 4 arms to show that His is the "Long Arm of the Law". The
Lord's Omipotence is such that His Law -- dharma -- can reach and
extend to everything that lives and exists in Creation. You can run
but you can never hide from the Lord. There is simply no escaping His
pale and jurisdiction (as the rAkshAsa "kAkAsuran" found to his
dismay in the Ramayana).

The symbolism of the Lord's many hands is certainly very interesting
indeed. SriVaishnava theology of course abounds in its own rich and
fertile explanations that are several in number and you have covered
them well in your posting. 

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan

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