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In Vishnu Sahasranaaama of Bheeshma, which is the pioneer of all Sahasranamaavalis he addresses Vishnu with lot of epithets which all include four things as in the sloka:
"Chatutmoortih chaturbahuh chaturvyoohah chaturgatih | Chaturaatmaa chatubhaavah chaturvedah videkapaat ||"
Chatur moortih: The Infinite is considered as having four forms—Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Easwara and Paramaatman. Puraanas mention about different colors of the incarnations in different Yugas—White in Kritayuga; Red in Tretaayuga; Yellow in Dvaaparayuga and Black in Kaliyuga. Incidentally these are the colors found on the image of Lord Jagannath. In Vedanta Lord has four expressions in the subjective life of each individual; the Waker (Viswa), the Dreamer (Taijasa), the Deep-sleeper (Praajna) and the Pure Self (Tureeya)
Chaturvyoohah—Pancharaatra Aagama describes these as Vaasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. They are celebrated Heroes in Mahabharata. Aitreya Upanishad describes four types of Purusha—Saareera Puusha (the person in the body); Chhandas purusha (the person of Vedic meters of Mantras); Veda Purusha (the person in the Vedas) and Mahaa Purusha (the Great Person)
Chaturgatih: 4 pursuits of man, Braahmana (Person with spiritual goal); Kshatriya (Warrior pursuit to preserve Dharma); Vaisya (Commercial pursuit to distribute wealth in Dhaarmic way); and Soodra (Manual work pursuit to serve the dharmic society physically) or four Varnas. The Lord is also the consummate of four walks of life—Celibacy (Brahmacharya); House holder (Grihasta); Retirement (Vaanaprstha) and Renunciation (Sanyaasa).
Chaturaatma: One who expresses himself as four inner aspects (antahkarana) in all of us.
Chaturbhaavah: One who is the source of following four human aspirations—Dharma (Righteousness); Artha (Wealth); Kaama (Pleasure) and Moksha (Liberation). [Note Dharma leads the rest.]
Chaturvedah; one who is the author of four Vedas—Rigveda; Yajurveda; Saamaveda; and Athrvaveda
Gaayatree Mantra has 24 syllables/letters and is the most celebrated meter in Vedas. It has 24 Abhimaana Devatas (sought after deities and is represented by 24 forms of Vishnu as in the chart above. As per Vedic injunctions a spiritual speaker must meditate upon 24 names of Vishnu with the help of 24 letters of Gayatree. That constitutes 48 inputs or means for effective meditation. Perhaps that is why Chamakam ends with the number 48. You also see how all the things explained above as powerful tools for meditation are 4 and its multiples only. That is why Chamakam's exposition of Mantras is in numbers of 4 and its multiples and not any other even arithmetic series.
You will also see Rita or orderliness in many creations of Supreme Principle. Supreme principle is meditated upon as Samvatsara (year) in Mantrapushapa (Samvatsaroevaa apaam pushpam), meaning He is Kaalapurusha or embodiment of Time. There are 12 months in a year which is 4 Chaturmaasaa (4x3=12). There are 24 fortnights (pakshas) in a year like 24 letters in Gaayatree. There are 4 quarters; 8 directions; 8 Vasus; 8 Direction deities (Ashta-dikpalakas); Ashtaksharee mantra (Om Namoh Naaraayanaaya) of 8 letters; Dwaadasaaksharee (12 letters) Mantra (Om namoh bhagavate Vaasudevaaya); Shoedashaaksharee (16 letters) Mantra of (Hare Rama Hare Krishna). Each one of these is directed towards the base figure of 4 mentioned in Vishnu Sahasranaama. Vishnun is identified as Naarayana who is the Paramaatman (Supreme Principle) mentioned in Svetaavataara Upanishad.
Also we know there was no such thing as Vaishnavism or Saivism in the Vedic period. In the worship of Panchanana, five faced Siva in present day practice, he is meditated upon as Panchabrahman with Panchbrahma mantras which contain the five names of Panchanana popular with Saivites. The same mantras are also addressed to Narasimha with the same epithets of Panchaanana contained in Vedic mantras. This has been explained in previous discourse "Mantras from Mahaanaaraayana Upanishad". Rudram and Chamakam only refer to Brahman. With sectarian doctrine these are used in worship for Siva only. So the above contention of Chamakam numbers are directed towards meditation on supreme Principle is no exaggeration. It was all one universal prayer to that One Supreme Principle (tadekam); the Chamakam prayers are secret Mantras with hidden secret of these odd and even numbers which is the Vedic way which leave mantras to be expounded with the help of learned Gurus.
Source:kn ramesh
"Chatutmoortih chaturbahuh chaturvyoohah chaturgatih | Chaturaatmaa chatubhaavah chaturvedah videkapaat ||"
Chatur moortih: The Infinite is considered as having four forms—Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Easwara and Paramaatman. Puraanas mention about different colors of the incarnations in different Yugas—White in Kritayuga; Red in Tretaayuga; Yellow in Dvaaparayuga and Black in Kaliyuga. Incidentally these are the colors found on the image of Lord Jagannath. In Vedanta Lord has four expressions in the subjective life of each individual; the Waker (Viswa), the Dreamer (Taijasa), the Deep-sleeper (Praajna) and the Pure Self (Tureeya)
Chaturvyoohah—Pancharaatra Aagama describes these as Vaasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. They are celebrated Heroes in Mahabharata. Aitreya Upanishad describes four types of Purusha—Saareera Puusha (the person in the body); Chhandas purusha (the person of Vedic meters of Mantras); Veda Purusha (the person in the Vedas) and Mahaa Purusha (the Great Person)
Chaturgatih: 4 pursuits of man, Braahmana (Person with spiritual goal); Kshatriya (Warrior pursuit to preserve Dharma); Vaisya (Commercial pursuit to distribute wealth in Dhaarmic way); and Soodra (Manual work pursuit to serve the dharmic society physically) or four Varnas. The Lord is also the consummate of four walks of life—Celibacy (Brahmacharya); House holder (Grihasta); Retirement (Vaanaprstha) and Renunciation (Sanyaasa).
Chaturaatma: One who expresses himself as four inner aspects (antahkarana) in all of us.
Chaturbhaavah: One who is the source of following four human aspirations—Dharma (Righteousness); Artha (Wealth); Kaama (Pleasure) and Moksha (Liberation). [Note Dharma leads the rest.]
Chaturvedah; one who is the author of four Vedas—Rigveda; Yajurveda; Saamaveda; and Athrvaveda
Gaayatree Mantra has 24 syllables/letters and is the most celebrated meter in Vedas. It has 24 Abhimaana Devatas (sought after deities and is represented by 24 forms of Vishnu as in the chart above. As per Vedic injunctions a spiritual speaker must meditate upon 24 names of Vishnu with the help of 24 letters of Gayatree. That constitutes 48 inputs or means for effective meditation. Perhaps that is why Chamakam ends with the number 48. You also see how all the things explained above as powerful tools for meditation are 4 and its multiples only. That is why Chamakam's exposition of Mantras is in numbers of 4 and its multiples and not any other even arithmetic series.
You will also see Rita or orderliness in many creations of Supreme Principle. Supreme principle is meditated upon as Samvatsara (year) in Mantrapushapa (Samvatsaroevaa apaam pushpam), meaning He is Kaalapurusha or embodiment of Time. There are 12 months in a year which is 4 Chaturmaasaa (4x3=12). There are 24 fortnights (pakshas) in a year like 24 letters in Gaayatree. There are 4 quarters; 8 directions; 8 Vasus; 8 Direction deities (Ashta-dikpalakas); Ashtaksharee mantra (Om Namoh Naaraayanaaya) of 8 letters; Dwaadasaaksharee (12 letters) Mantra (Om namoh bhagavate Vaasudevaaya); Shoedashaaksharee (16 letters) Mantra of (Hare Rama Hare Krishna). Each one of these is directed towards the base figure of 4 mentioned in Vishnu Sahasranaama. Vishnun is identified as Naarayana who is the Paramaatman (Supreme Principle) mentioned in Svetaavataara Upanishad.
Also we know there was no such thing as Vaishnavism or Saivism in the Vedic period. In the worship of Panchanana, five faced Siva in present day practice, he is meditated upon as Panchabrahman with Panchbrahma mantras which contain the five names of Panchanana popular with Saivites. The same mantras are also addressed to Narasimha with the same epithets of Panchaanana contained in Vedic mantras. This has been explained in previous discourse "Mantras from Mahaanaaraayana Upanishad". Rudram and Chamakam only refer to Brahman. With sectarian doctrine these are used in worship for Siva only. So the above contention of Chamakam numbers are directed towards meditation on supreme Principle is no exaggeration. It was all one universal prayer to that One Supreme Principle (tadekam); the Chamakam prayers are secret Mantras with hidden secret of these odd and even numbers which is the Vedic way which leave mantras to be expounded with the help of learned Gurus.
Source:kn ramesh
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