Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 5

The Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu (Vishnu-Pañjara) and the Redemption of a Rakshasa

Devanagari script

यं यं पश्यति सत्त्वं स तं तमादाय राक्षसः चखाद रौद्रकर्मासौ बाहुगोचरमागतम्

Transliteration

yaṃ yaṃ paśyati sattvaṃ sa taṃ tamādāya rākṣasaḥ cakhāda raudrakarmāsau bāhugocaramāgatam

Translation

Whatever living being he happened to see, that rākṣasa—of savage deeds—would seize it and devour it as soon as it came within the reach of his arms.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) describing the rākṣasa’s conduct (specific interlocutors not provided in prompt).

Key Themes

• Adharma and violence
• Rakshasa terror
• Threat to beings as narrative catalyst

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bibhatsa", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the narrative function of describing the rākṣasa’s indiscriminate devouring?

Such verses establish the extremity of adharma—violence without discrimination—creating the moral and dramatic necessity for tapas, divine protection, or a deity’s intervention later in the episode.

Does 'sattva' here mean 'goodness' (sattva-guṇa) or 'living being'?

In this context it clearly means 'a creature/living being' (jīva/prāṇin), since it is something the rākṣasa seizes and eats.

What does 'bāhu-gocara' emphasize?

It highlights immediacy and inevitability: once a being comes within arm’s reach, escape is unlikely—underscoring the rākṣasa’s physical dominance and the peril of the locale.