Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 37

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

नमस्ते पुण्डरीकाक्ष नमस्ते विश्वभावन नमस्ते जगादाधार नमस्ते पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

namaste puṇḍarīkākṣa namaste viśvabhāvana namaste jagādādhāra namaste puruṣottama

Translation

Nārāyaṇa: Vishnu as the supreme refuge and indweller of beings; Jaganmūrti: 'whose body/form is the cosmos'; Jagannātha: 'Lord of the world'; Gadādhara: 'mace-bearer' (Vishnu’s emblem); Pītavāsaḥ: 'wearing yellow garments'; Śriyaḥkānta: 'beloved of Śrī/Lakṣmī'; Janārdana: 'protector of people' / 'chastiser of the wicked'; Namo’stu te: 'salutations to You'.

Word by Word

:

:

:

:

:

Speakers

• Brahmā continuing the stuti to Vishnu (Vāmana/Nārāyaṇa).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Puṇḍarīkākṣa/Puruṣottama)
• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Devotional praise (stuti)
• Supreme-person theology (puruṣottama)
• Cosmic support (jagad-ādhāra)
• Auspicious iconography (lotus-eyed Vishnu)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘Puṇḍarīkākṣa’ convey beyond a physical description?

It is an auspicious theological epithet: the lotus signifies purity untouched by impurity, and the ‘lotus-eyed’ Lord is the benevolent, grace-bestowing protector whose vision sustains dharma.

Is ‘viśvabhāvana’ a claim that Vishnu is the creator instead of Brahmā?

In Purāṇic idiom, such epithets express Vishnu’s ultimate causal sovereignty (as the ground of creation and sustenance), while Brahmā functions as the delegated/secondary creator within that supreme framework.

Why emphasize ‘jagad-ādhāra’ in the Vāmana context?

Because the narrative will pivot on cosmic measurement and support—Vāmana/Trivikrama’s strides encompass and stabilize the worlds. The hymn anticipates that universal function even before the dramatic act unfolds.