Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 79

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मत्वे यस्य वक्त्रेभ्यश्चतुर्वेदमयं वपुः प्रभुः पुरातनो जज्ञे तमस्मि शरणं गतः

Transliteration

brahmatve yasya vaktrebhyaścaturvedamayaṃ vapuḥ prabhuḥ purātano jajñe tamasmi śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "Janārdana depicted as the eternal source, with a subtle Brahmā-form or Brahmā emerging from Him; the devotee prostrates at the tīrtha steps.", "primary_figures": ["Janārdana (Viṣṇu)", "Brahmā (as form/office)", "Devotee"], "setting": "Sacred riverbank with cosmic lotus motif and temple lamps", "color_palette": ["navy blue", "antique gold", "lotus pink", "ivory", "deep green"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, Janārdana as central Viṣṇu with gold-leaf aura, Brahmā-form indicated by lotus and four-faced motif, devotee in full prostration, ornate pillars and lamps", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, gentle river steps, devotee bowing, Janārdana above with soft halo, lotus symbolizing jagadyoni, airy clouds and pastel palette", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, iconographic Viṣṇu with bold outlines, lotus-womb imagery at navel/heart, Brahmā motif present, symmetrical temple composition, earthy pigments", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra, narrative stuti panel: Janārdana as world-source, stylized lotus-womb, devotee at tīrtha, decorative borders, flat colors and natural dyes"}

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (continuation of a stuti addressed to Viṣṇu/Janārdana).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (as Prabhu/Purātana)
• Brahma (four-mouthed, implied)

Key Themes

• Veda as divine embodiment
• Revelation through Brahmā’s mouths (four faces)
• Primordial lordship (purātana)
• Śaraṇāgati

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does 'from whose mouths' refer to?

It evokes the standard Purāṇic image of four-faced Brahmā. The verse attributes the emergence/manifestation of the four Vedas to the divine source operating through those four mouths, emphasizing that Veda is not merely composed but revealed.

How can a 'body made of the four Vedas' be understood?

As a theological metaphor: the Lord’s form is identical with sacred knowledge—Veda is His embodiment. It also implies that Vedic sound (śabda) is a primary mode of divine presence.

Why call Him 'purātana' (ancient) in a verse about being 'born' (jajñe)?

Purāṇic diction often uses 'birth' for manifestation within time, while 'purātana' asserts timelessness. The point is: the eternal Lord appears in a creator-role without losing His primordial nature.