Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 1

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

Devanagari script

इति श्रीवामनपुराणे अष्टपञ्चाशो ऽध्यायः पुलस्त्य उवाच कश्चिदासीद् द्विजद्रोग्धा पिशुनः क्षत्रियाधमः परपीडारुचिः क्षुद्रः स्वभावादपि निर्घृणः

Transliteration

iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe aṣṭapañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca kaścidāsīd dvijadrogdhā piśunaḥ kṣatriyādhamaḥ parapīḍāruciḥ kṣudraḥ svabhāvādapi nirghṛṇaḥ

Translation

Thus (ends the previous chapter) in the Śrī Vāmana Purāṇa. Pulastya said: There once was a certain man—one who betrayed/bruised the twice-born, a slanderer, the lowest of kṣatriyas; one who delighted in tormenting others, petty-minded, and by nature itself devoid of compassion.

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (narrative continuation into a moral-historical exemplum).

Primary Deities

• Pulastya
• Nārada

Key Themes

• Condemnation of cruelty (nirghṛṇatā)
• Anti-dharma conduct of rulers
• Protection of dvijas (social-religious order)
• Narrative exemplum introducing karmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse begin with a chapter-colophon formula inside the running text?

Purāṇic manuscripts often embed colophons (ending markers) that later editors keep inline. Here it signals the closure of the prior unit and the start of a new narrative; the wording ‘aṣṭapañcāśo ’dhyāyaḥ’ reflects the preceding chapter’s end even though the next line begins Adhyāya 59’s story.

What is implied by calling him “dvija-drogdhā”?

It frames the character as an offender against the dharmic order: harming or betraying dvijas (especially brāhmaṇas) is treated as a grave social-religious transgression in Purāṇic ethics, often used to set up karmic retribution narratives.

Is this primarily a political critique of kṣatriyas?

It is a moral typology rather than a blanket critique: the text contrasts the ideal kṣatriya (protector, just ruler) with the ‘kṣatriyādhama’ who abuses power, delights in others’ suffering, and violates dharma—thereby justifying the didactic tale that follows.