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The ''Stotra Ratna'' (), also rendered the ''Alavandarstotra'', is a Sanskrit work of
Hindu literature
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
written by the Sri Vaishnava philosopher Yamunacharya
Yamunacharya (IAST: Yamunāchārya), also known as Alavandar and Yamunaithuraivan, was a Vishistadvaita philosopher based in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, India. He is best-known for being a preceptor of Ramanuja, one of the leaders of the Sri Vai ...
. The hymn consists of sixty-five stanzas that extol the deity Vishnu.
Etymology
The title of the work consists of the Sanskrit terms '' stotra'' (hymn) and ''ratnam'' (jewel), therefore literally meaning, 'the jewel of hymns'.Description
The main theme of the ''Stotra Ratna'' is ''prapatti
Sharanagati (Sanskrit: शरणागति; IAST: ''Śaraṇāgati'' ) or Prapatti (Sanskrit: प्रपत्ति; IAST: ''Prapatti''), is the process of total surrender to God (Narayana-Krishna) in the tradition of Vaishnavism. The process ...
'', the concept of total surrender to God. In the first few verses, the author pays tribute to his teachers. The subsequent verses establish the supremacy of Vishnu and his accessibility to his devotees, to whom he is referred to as a saviour. Yamunacharya offers his surrender to Vishnu, indicating that even simple acts of service such as offering salutations are effective to his worship. He states that divine mercy would be offered to all those who undertake the path of ''prapatti,'' also describing it to be the only means of attaining salvation. The relief of the author in entrusting his burdens to Vishnu and seeking the forgiveness of the deity is also a theme of the work. Vishnu is described to be the source of the power of Brahma and Shiva in the hymn, regarded to perform the functions of creation, preservation, as well as destruction. His consort, Lakshmi, is eulogised as the source of prosperity of the universe. The work is described to disseminate the central tenets of the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita. The hymn also describes Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu, and the author's desire to witness the cosmic form of the deity in this realm. The closing line of the hymn describes Yamunacharya requesting Vishnu to look upon him kindly despite his wrongdoings, citing his relationship with his grandfather, the saint Nathamuni.
Yamunacharya is regarded to have been influenced by the hymns of the poet-saints called the Alvars
The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and ...
. He pays homage to Nammalvar at the outset of this work.
Hymns
The ninth hymn of this work glorifies the attributes of Vishnu: The thirty-eighth hymn of the work mentions Garuda, the '' vahana'' (mount) of the deity: {{Blockquote, text=O Lord before whom stands Garuda, who bears Your splendid footprints, and who is Your servant, friend, carrier, throne, flag, canopy, fan, and three Vedas, title=''Stotra Ratna'', source=Verse 38See also
* ''Chatuh Shloki
The ''Chatuh Shloki'' () is a Sanskrit hymn by the Hindu philosopher Yamunacharya
Yamunacharya (IAST: Yamunāchārya), also known as Alavandar and Yamunaithuraivan, was a Vishistadvaita philosopher based in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, India. ...
''
* ''Siddhitraya
The ''Siddhitraya'' () is a Sanskrit treatise written in the 10th century by the Hindu philosopher Yamunacharya. Regarded to be the largest and the most prominent work of Yamunacharya, the ''Siddhitraya'' was an important foundational text for t ...
''
* ''Dayashataka
The ''Dayashataka'' () is a Sanskrit hymn composed by the Hindu philosopher Vedanta Desika. Comprising one hundred verses in ten decads, the hymn was written in praise of Venkateshvara, a form of Vishnu who is the principal deity of the Ven ...
''
References