Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 102

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

Devanagari script

को ऽन्यो बलेर्वञ्चयिता त्वामृते वै भविष्यति को ऽन्यो नाशयति बलाद् दर्पं हैहयभूपतेः

Transliteration

ko 'nyo balervañcayitā tvāmṛte vai bhaviṣyati ko 'nyo nāśayati balād darpaṃ haihayabhūpateḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "Two-part stuti tableau: (1) Rāma’s vānaras constructing the ocean causeway; (2) Rāma slaying Daśagrīva amid ministers and vanguard—presented as proof of Viṣṇu’s singular avatāra power.", "primary_figures": ["Rāma (Viṣṇu avatāra)", "Lakṣmaṇa", "Hanumān", "Vānara army", "Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva)"], "setting": "Seashore with stone causeway extending toward Laṅkā; battlefield with chariots and banners.", "color_palette": ["sea green", "saffron", "sky blue", "vermillion", "gold"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style diptych, gold leaf detailing, Rāma with bow and radiant halo, vānaras placing stones inscribed with Rāma-nāma, ocean Vamana Purana,58,81,VamP 58.81,gajendra mokṣaṇaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam kathitena smṛtenātha śrutena ca tapodhanaḥ gajendramokṣaṇeneha sadyaḥ pāpāt pramucyate,गजेन्द्र मोक्षणं पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् कथितेन स्मृतेनाथ श्रुतेन च तपोधनः गजेन्द्रमोक्षणेनेह सद्यः पापात् प्रमुच्यते,Vamana-Bali Narrative (Appendix: Gajendra-mokṣaṇa Mahātmyam),Stuti/Itihāsa Mahātmyam (Praise of a sacred episode),Adhyāya 58 (Title uncertain in received editions; section extolling the merit of Gajendra-mokṣaṇa),58.81,gajendra mokṣaṇaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam kathitena smṛtenātha śrutena ca tapodhanaḥ gajendramokṣaṇeneha sadyaḥ pāpāt pramucyate,gajendra-mokṣaṇaṃ puṇyaṃ sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanam | kathitena smṛtenātha śrutena ca tapo-dhanaḥ | gajendra-mokṣaṇen eha sadyaḥ pāpāt pramucyate ||,The deliverance of Gajendra is holy and destroys all sins. O treasure of austerity

Word by Word

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Speakers

• A speaker within the narrative (praise addressed to Viṣṇu) to the Lord (direct second-person address).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Vāmana’s stratagem and dharmic ‘deception’
• Subduing royal pride (darpa-nigraha)
• Divine uniqueness (ko ’nyo… tvāmṛte)
• Kingship, power, and humility

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Vāmana’s act described as ‘vañcana’ (outwitting)—is it morally problematic?

In Purāṇic idiom, vañcana here denotes a divine stratagem used to restore cosmic order (dharma). Bali’s boon-granting and conquest had destabilized the balance of worlds; Vāmana’s ‘cleverness’ is portrayed as a compassionate, lawful means to curb excess without mere annihilation.

Who is the ‘Haihaya king’ whose pride is said to be destroyed?

The verse alludes to a Haihaya ruler archetype (often associated in wider Purāṇic memory with Kartavīrya Arjuna or Haihaya sovereignty). The point is thematic: only the Supreme can truly humble the pride of mighty royal lineages.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic reference typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No explicit river, lake, forest, or tīrtha is named in this śloka; it is a pan-avatāra praise embedded in the Bali narrative rather than a geography (tīrtha-māhātmya) passage.