Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 2), Shloka 2

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

मत्स्यं नमस्ये देवेशं कूर्मं गोविन्दमेव च हयशीर्षं नमस्ते ऽहं भवं विष्णुं त्रिविक्रमम्

Transliteration

matsyaṃ namasye deveśaṃ kūrmaṃ govindameva ca hayaśīrṣaṃ namaste 'haṃ bhavaṃ viṣṇuṃ trivikramam

Translation

[{"question": "Why are Īśāna and Kumārin mentioned in a hymn otherwise centered on Vishnu?", "answer": "Purāṇic stutis often adopt a ‘sarva-devatā’ register: by naming Shiva (Īśāna) and the Goddess (Kumārin) alongside Vishnu’s epithets, the hymn asserts a unified sacred order and invites auspiciousness from the full divine spectrum."}, {"question": "What does ‘Garuḍāsana’ emphasize about Vishnu?", "answer": "It highlights Vishnu’s royal mobility and protective power: Garuḍa is the emblematic vāhana who overcomes serpentine/poisonous forces and swiftly carries the Lord to protect dharma."}, {"question": "Is ‘Nārāyaṇa’ here a specific form or a general supreme title?", "answer": "In Purāṇic usage it is both: a specific, personal name of Vishnu and a supreme theological title indicating the ultimate refuge and ground of beings."}]

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (a devotee/narrator voice offering a litany of salutations; in this chapter-context it functions as a formal stuti within the narrative frame).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Matsya
• Kurma
• Hayagriva
• Trivikrama
• Shiva (Bhava)

Key Themes

• Stuti (devotional praise)
• Dashavatara/avatāra theology (partial list)
• Shaiva-Vaishnava unity (Bhava named alongside Vishnu)
• Cosmic sovereignty of Vishnu (Trivikrama epithet)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why are multiple avatāras invoked together in a single verse?

Such catalog-style salutations function as a ‘māṅgalika’ stuti: by recalling several manifestations, the text frames Vishnu as the single supreme reality who assumes diverse forms for cosmic protection, and it ritually sanctifies the narrative that follows.

Does the inclusion of ‘Bhava’ mean Shiva is being worshipped here?

‘Bhava’ is a standard epithet of Shiva; its placement alongside ‘Viṣṇu’ and ‘Trivikrama’ is typical of Purāṇic ecumenism, signaling theological harmony rather than strict sectarian separation. It can also be read as acknowledging Shiva’s presence within a Vishnu-centered hymn.

What is the significance of Trivikrama in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Trivikrama is the climactic, cosmic expansion of Vāmana in the Bali episode—Vishnu’s three strides establish divine sovereignty over the three worlds, making ‘Trivikrama’ a key name in the Purāṇa’s central narrative arc.