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 confirms this-Vishnum sasivarnam chatur
bhujam. Sri Nammazhwar says this many a time in Tiruvaimozhi- tolu naangudai
suri kuzhal kamala kan senkanivaai Kaalamegham, naal tol endaai naangu
tolum paaiyen pakkattave etc. 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. He doesn't ever lay down His
weapons, for fear that even a second's delay could make the difference in a soul
being saved and shattered, says Swami Desikan-

Paatu pranata rakshaayaam vilambam asahan iva

Sadaa panchaayudhee bibhrat sa na: Sriranga Naayaka:

These arms are compatible in size, proportion, beauty and strength to the rest
of His glorious form and appear to be beautiful branches of a magnificent tree,
growing upwards and down. These arms symbolise superlative strength,
protectiveness and might, all of which are indispensable qualities in the
Paramapurusha, providing the rationale for devotees to pay obeisance. It is no
wonder therefore that these divine arms are said to be the origin of the Ruling
Class, the Kshatriyas- baahoo raajanya: krita: (Purusha Sukta). The beauty
of these arms is such that anyone casting even a stray glance at these
stupendous specimens of virility is captivated totally, and doesn't like to
prise his or her eyes away from the mighty arms, says Kambar: tol
kandaar tole kandaar.

Though the normal number is four, during His avataras as human beings, as in
the Rama, Parasurama, Balarama and Krishna avataras, the Lord has sported
only two hands. This is in tune with His wish that He should be born as one
among the proletariat and reform them through His own ideal conduct, rather
than come across as a Super Man who can be ogled at with wonder, but not
emulated or identified with. The Lord confirms this Himself-Atmaanam
maanusham manye, Ramam Dasarathaatmajam. He tells us that He is indeed
one of us, a mere mortal, the son of Dasaratha, and not a divine being to be kept
at a distance. In tune with this averment, the Lord sports only two arms in the
aforesaid avataras.

However, there are occasions even in the Rama and Krishna avataras, where He
resumes His normal form with four arms, instead of the two assumed for the
purpose of His sojourn on earth. As these are rare occasions where the
Lord, having adopted a human demeanour, chooses to display His paratvam or
Supremacy, these are worth a study.

Joyfully recording Emperuman's divine birth, Sri Valmiki hints that He

was indeed born with four beautiful arms-

Prodyamaane Jagannaatham sarva loka namaskritam

Kousalya ajanayat Ramam sarva lakshana samyutam

The divine mother Kousalya gave birth to Rama, who is the object of worship of
all. Even at birth, Sri Rama was endowed with all auspicious characteristics
(sarva lakshana samyutam). Here, the words sarva lakshana, on a casual
perusal, would indicate that the Lord possessed all aspects, all saamudrika
lakshanas, like broadness of chest, proportion of limbs to the torso, latent
strength etc., as behoved a scion of the famed Ikshvaaku dynasty. He looked at
birth as would a child belonging to a lineage of distinguished Emperors. Even
at birth, it was evident that the divine child would be the cynosure of all
eyes, due to His bewitching beauty. It was this that prompted Kulaguru Vasishta
to name the child "Rama" (one who captivates everybody).

However, going beyond the mere etymological purport, our Poorvacharyas have
uncovered a wealth of meaning in the words sarva lakshana samyutam. They
say that though the Lord was born in this mundane world assuming a mortal
form and demeanour, none of the innumerable characteristics of the Supreme
Being deserted Him due to His coming down to the earth. All His auspicious
attributes as the Parama Purusha were intact in the form He assumed as
Dasaratha's son.

These characteristics would fall under two broad categories, viz., form and
attributes. Taking the latter first, we find that throughout Ramavatara, the
Lord exhibited in abundant measure all the qualities of the Paramatma, viz.,
Jnaanam (all-encompassing wisdom), Balam ( the capacity to support everything
with little effort, through phenomenal strength), Isvaryam (the ownership of the
whole lot of universes and all the sentient and non-sentient beings therein),
Veeryam ( effortless performance of all supernatural functions like being the
inner controller of everybody and everything, shoring up everything and
everybody as their inner dweller, Shakti ( the capability to control and direct all
and being their material cause), Tejas (the capacity to perform all functions
independently, without the need for aid and assistance from any other source
and a blinding brilliance).

The second category of characteristics comprise of the physical features, the

various incomparable components of the Paramatma's fabulous form-His broad
lotus eyes, bewitching and boundless beauty, perfectly proportioned limbs, the
various symbols (lotus, flag, chariot, etc.) adorning His palms and the soles of His
feet, the broad chest which is the inalienable and constant
place of residence of Piratti, etc. Also inseparable parts of the Supreme
Being's form are the four arms, two upraised and two horizontal or pointing
downwards. The upraised arms hold the Divine Discus Sudarasana and the
Cosmic Conch Panchajanya, while the other two arms hold the Mace and Lotus
or are held in various postures as the occasion warrants.

Sri Valmiki, though not in so many words, avers that Sri Rama was born with all
the aforesaid divine characteristics and did sport four arms, carrying the
aforesaid items. The word Jagannatham in the aforesaid sloka (Lord and Master
of all the worlds) indicates that Emperuman was indeed resplendent with all His
unique features, principal of which is the four-armed posture. It was as if the
Lord wanted to bless His mortal mother with the glorious spectacle of His
supreme form, before assuming the normal limbs of a human being that He
professed to be. Tena aadou praadurbhaava samaye maatraa viraat roopasya
darsanam, tata: tat roopa darsana vismayaat tayaa namaskrita: san maayayaa
baala bhaavam dadhou iti soochitam says Sri Tilaka, the distinguished
commentator of Srimad Ramayana.

Another evidence we have of the Lord having occasionally sported four arms
during Ramavatara is from Mandodari's statement-tamasa: paramo Dhaataa
shankha chakra gadaadhara: Paying rich tribute to the Lord, Ravana's good wife
says that Sri Rama is verily that Mahavishnu, who is beyond the pale of all
darkness and despair, armed with the Discus, the Conch and the Mace. It is
obvious that Sri Rama must have blessed her with the wonderful vision of a
radiant Supreme Being who is the embodiment of wisdom and brilliance and
endowed with four arms for protecting poor sinners like us.
One more instance where Chakravartthi Tirumagan sported four arms is in the
context of His saranagati to Samudra Raja, to facilitate the vaanara army to
cross over to Lanka. Describing Rama's supine posture on a bed of darbha, Sri
Valmiki says that He had two of His palms folded in supplication (anjali).
Simultaneously, one of His arms was placed behind His head as pillow, with
another stretched out. Here is the relative sloka-

Tata: saagara velaayaam darbhaan asteerya Raghava:

Anjalim prang mukha: kritvaa pratisisye mahodadhe:

baahum bhujaga bhogaabham upadhaaya ari soodana:

Thus two of the arms were engaged in a gesture of supplication, with folded
palms beseeching the Samudra Raja to permit access, while another arm was
placed as a pillow below the head in a supine posture. This definitely
presupposes the existence of four arms, since one cannot use two arms to
perform the function of three. It is thus clear that in this instance, Sri Rama must
have displayed His paratvam with the four-armed posture.

It would therefore appear that despite His averment that He was indeed a
mortal, the humble son of Dasaratha, Sri Rama had, on several occasions during
His sojourn on this earth, furnished proof positive of His supremacy. Some of
these superhuman acts like bridging the ocean, granting of liberation to Jatayu
and Sabari, etc. are chronicled by Sri Koorattazhwan in his Atimaanusha Stavam.
Similar demonstration of His paratvam appears to have been enacted through
the occasional sporting of the four-armed posture.

In Sri Krishnavatara too, the Lord appears to have assumed four arms instead of
the normal two His mundane birth entitled Him to. Right at birth, Devaki is
blessed with the magnificent sight of the Lord with the Discus, Conch, Mace and
four beautiful arms and prays to Him to hide His glorious form, lest cruel
Kamsa's minions cause Him harm, says Srimad Bhagavaam: Tam adbhutam
baalakam ambujekhanam, chaturbhujam shankha chakra gadaadyudayudham.
Sri Periyazhwar too hints at this Chaturbhuja
tirukkolam in the following pasuram, where he describes the infant Krishna as
holding the inimitable bow Saarngam, Chakram and Gadaa-

Tandodu chakkaram saarngam endum tadakkaiyan

Kan tuyil kollak karudi kottaavi kolgindraan

Unda mulaip paal araa kandaai urangaavidil

Vin tanil manniya maamadee! viraindodi vaa

Azhwar exhorts the Moon to come running to entertain kutti Krishnan, as the
glorious Lord, with His bow, discus and mace, is yawning and is about to fall
asleep. The mention of three items being held in His hands is proof enough of
His having more than just two arms.

Azhwars lose themselves in the beauty of the four-shouldered Emperuman. “My

Lord of the four great arms!” exclaims Sri Nammazhwar—Naal tol Endaai. The
four lovely shoulders of Tirukkurungudi Nambi fill the hearts of all on-lookers—
Neela meniyum naangu tolum en nenjam niraindanave. Whichever direction
one turns to, the sight of the four handsome arms fills the sight—mannu
poonum naangu tolum vandu engum nindridume.

Why should the Lord have four arms and not just two as we do? As indicated
earlier too, He sports four shoulders, so that He could destroy asuraas and save
His devotees that much quicker—asurarai tagarkkum tolu naangudai
churikuzhal kamala kan senkanivaai Kaalamegam (Tiruvaimozhi). 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 (not that He cannot do this two arms). Another reason is that He
blesses His devotees with the four Purushaartthas or desires of people—
Dharmam, Arttham, Kaamam and Moksham. He gives to each devotee
according to His prayer, with one hand specifically earmarked for each of the
Purushaartthas. The Sahasranaama Stotram is so enamored of these four
stupendous shoulders of the Lord, that the name Chatur baahu: occurs twice.
Sri Alavandar tells us in Stotra Ratnam that the Lord at Sri Vaikunttam normally
has four long hands reaching down to his knee (when He stands): chaturbhi:
aajaanu vilambibhir bhujai: Commenting on this verse, Swami Desikan adduces
a verse from the Vishvaksena Samhita of the Pancharatras in support of the
Paramapadanathan having four beautiful hands: Chatur bhuja: syaamalaanga:
Sri Bhoobhyaam saha Neelayaa.
The Eight-Armed Lord
At times, Emperuman sports eight hands. We have scriptural support for this in
the Bhaagavata Puraanam. When Daksha Prajaapati performed penance
seeking inspiration for the task of creation, the Lord appeared before Him with
eight long and beautiful hands hanging down like the branches of a great tree,
with His holy feet thrown over the broad shoulders of Garuda—Krita paada:
Suparnaamse pralamba ashta mahaabhuja:

Daksha Prajaapati was not the sole beneficiary of this wonderful spectacle of the
Lord sporting eight hands. Even the Prachetaas, performing hard and sincere
penance under water, were rewarded with the stupendous sight of Emperuman,
ensconced on Garuda and sporting eight beautiful arms, with Sri Mahalakshmi
adorning His chest—
Peenaayata ashta bhuja mandala madhya Lakshmyaa spardhat Shriyaa
parivruto Vanamaalaayadya:
Barhishmata: Purusha aaha sutaan prasannaan parjanya naadarutayaa
saghrunaavaloka:
We mortals need not be envious of these worthies who had the extreme good
fortune to have seen the Lord with eight hands. Due to His boundless mercy and
accessibility, even today Emperuman favours us with this magnificent spectacle,
with eight glorious hands, at the divya desa of Ashtabhujakaram at
Kaancheepuram. Swami Desikan was so much taken in with this unusual and
incredible form of the Lord that he composed a stotra on Him, known as the
Ashta Bhujaashtakam, in eight beautiful verses. Emperuman presents Himself
before Tirumangai Azhwar, in all His splendour and magnificence, tall and
handsome, resembling a beautiful dark cloud, eight weapons adorning His eight
hands, with broad, black eyes resembling just-bloomed lotuses, displaying all His
charm and rendering Azhwar speechless with stupefaction. When Azhwar
recovers from his trance, he wonders who this brilliant and beautiful entity could
be. Emperuman identifies Himself to Azhwar as being the native of
Ashtabhujam—Atta bhuya karatten endraare! One of the unparalleled
attributions Azhwar reserves for this Emperuman is Sentamizh paaduvaar taam
vanangum Devar.

Normally, the Lord holds five weapons in His hands—sadaa Panchaayudhee

bibhrat sa na: Sriranga Naayaka: However, at Ashtabhujakaram, He sports
eight. These are enumerated by Azhwar thus—Sempon ilangu valankai vaali, tin
silai, tandodu, shankam, ol vaal, umbar iru sudar aazhiyodu Ketakam on malar
pattri.The Lord thus holds eight items in His beautiful hands—

1. A golden arrow
2. The sturdy bow Saarngam
3. A Cudgel
4. The Cosmic Conch Paanchajanyam
5. The Sharp Sceptre Naandakam
6. The Divine Discus Sudarsanam
7. A Shield, and
8. A just-bloomed flower.

The Bhagavata Purana tells us that when the Lord appeared before the
Prachetaas, pleased with their focused and hard penance under water, He did
so with eight weapons in His beautiful hands, dazzling everyone with His
brilliance—
Kaasishnunaa kanaka varna vibhooshanena bhraahjat kapola vadano vilasat
kireeta:
Ashtaayudhai: anucharai: munibhi: surendrai: aasevito Garuda kinnara geeta
keerti:
According to the Vishnu Dharmottara Puranam, the eight-armed Trivikrama
holds and blows the Conch with two of the hands, while the others hold a Cudgel
(Dandam), Noose (Paasam), Discus (Sudarsanam), Mace (Koumodakee)
Shankham and Lotus.

The Vishnu Kosha tells us that there is an eight-armed Rajagopala too, the Prince
of Cowherds, with two of the normal hands playing the flute and the other hands
carrying a Lotus, an axe (parasu) and Discus on the right side and a sugar-cane
stalk, noose and conch on the left side. There is an eight-armed Venugopala too
depicted in the Ratham of the Suchindram temple, who is breathtakingly
beautiful.

Apart from Ashtabhuhjakaram, Emperuman is to be seen with eight hands at

Coimbatore too, at the old sannidhi of a magnificent Trivikrama and where
Srimad Injimettu Azhagiasingar observed a Chaaturmaasyam.

Kriyaadhikaara speaks of an eight-armed Nrisimha, with the normal right hand

assuming the gesture of protection, the other three hands on the right carrying
the discus, the dart and the sword, while the four hands on the left hold the
conch, bow, sword and the mace. At Tirunagari (near Seerkaazhi) too, Sri
Nrisimha sports eight hands, as Ashta bhuja Nrisimha.

The Vishnu Dharmottara Puraanam protrays an eight-armed Hayagreeva, with

four of His beautiful white hands holding the Shankham, Charkram, Gadaa and
Padmam, while four other hands hold the four Vedas, depicted as four children.

However, the Purusha Sukta, describing the Primordial Parama Purusha, says He
has only two hands: mukham kimasya kou bahoo (bahoo in Sanskrit refers to
two shoulders). This appears rather incongruous- while the same Sukta tells us
that the Lord has no less than a thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand
feet (Sahasra seershaa Purusha: sahasraaksha: sahasra paat), how can He have
just two hands? However, we must not apply human yardsticks to the
Paramatma: He can very well perform with just two hands (or even without
them) what we do with a thousand!

The same Shruti tells that during the Varaha avatara, the Lord sported no less
than a hundred hands! Paying tribute to Emperuman’s stupendous feet of
reclaiming Mother Earth from the depths of the ocean after a long-drawn battle
with Hiranyaksha, the Taittiriyopanishad refers to the Lord having a hundred
hands, the better to carry Earth from the unplumbed depths—uddhrutaasi
Varahena krishnena sata baahunaa.

However, Sri Tirumangai Mannan avers that the Lord has no less than a
thousand hands. This he attributes to Sri Nrisimha of Ahobilam: Alli maadar
pulga nindra aayiram tolan. For good measure, Azhwar repeats this in the next
decad too: pon peyaron veruva angu avan aagam alainditta aayiram tol endaai.

One may wonder and scoff at this lengthy harangue about whether the Lord
sports two arms or four: however, with a four-armed Lord, we have that much
more of Him to enchant and entertain us. One may also find the discussion futile,
because however many arms Emperuman might have, we are unable to pass
beyond even one of them (tol kandaar tole kandaar) for each individual physical
characteristic and body part of the Lord captivates our attention so much as to
prevent proceeding further. Due to the indescribable beauty our eyes
encounter, they are forced to stay riveted on the first part of the divine torso
our eyes fall on. When Sri Tiruppanazhwar's devoted eyes feast themselves on
the red silk cloth adorning the Lord's midriff, he finds himself quite incapable of
proceeding further to any other part of the Lord's form, his whole intellect
captivated, mesmerised and immobilised by the beauty of the cloth and that of
its wearer-arai sivanda aadaiyin mel chendradaam en sindaye. We thus have a
dilemma- Our eyes, unused to such a spectacle of brilliance and beauty, find
themselves unable to take in the Lord's magnificence all at once, for there is so
much of it. And if we try to drink in His splendour part by part, such an attempt
too is futile, as each part monopolises our attention and prevents us from going
on to the other body parts.