Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 43
The Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu (Vishnu-Pañjara) and the Redemption of a Rakshasa
राक्षस उवाच षष्ठे काले त्वमाहारः क्षुधितस्य समागतः निःश्रीकस्यातिपापस्य निर्घृणस्य द्विजद्रुहः
rākṣasa uvāca ṣaṣṭhe kāle tvamāhāraḥ kṣudhitasya samāgataḥ niḥśrīkasyātipāpasya nirghṛṇasya dvijadruhaḥ
[{"question": "Why does the Brāhmaṇa insist on informing his guru before returning?", "answer": "It reflects the dharma of discipleship: one’s life and actions are accountable to the ācārya. Even under mortal threat, the Brāhmaṇa prioritizes obligation to the teacher, presenting guru-sevā and truthful reporting as higher-order duties."}, {"question": "Is the Brāhmaṇa making a vow here?", "answer": "Functionally yes: “I will return today” is a self-binding commitment. Such vows in Purāṇic tales often test satya (truthfulness) and steadfastness, and they frequently become the pivot for divine or karmic resolution."}, {"question": "Does “phala” mean ‘fruit’ literally here?", "answer": "Not necessarily. While phala literally means ‘fruit/result,’ in context it can denote ‘the outcome/matter at hand’—i.e., the situation and its consequences—to be communicated to the guru before the Brāhmaṇa fulfills his promise to return."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Śrī signifies prosperity, auspiciousness, and divine radiance (often personified as Lakṣmī). Calling himself niḥśrīka implies moral-spiritual deprivation: his cruelty has driven away auspiciousness and merit, not merely material wealth.
Literally “on the sixth occasion/time.” In Purāṇic storytelling, such time-counts can indicate a recurring pattern (e.g., periodic feeding, a vow, or a destined cycle). Without surrounding verses, it is best read as a narrative cue that this is not the first such event.
Harming the twice-born—especially Brāhmaṇas—is a paradigmatic transgression in dharma literature. The rākṣasa’s identity is defined by this hostility, heightening the ethical stakes and foreshadowing consequences (punishment, curse, or reversal).