Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 72

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

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्सवक्षसं श्रीशं श्रीधरं श्रीनिकेतनम् प्रणतो ऽस्मि श्रियः कान्तं स मे पापं व्यपोहतु

Transliteration

śrīvatsavakṣasaṃ śrīśaṃ śrīdharaṃ śrīniketanam praṇato 'smi śriyaḥ kāntaṃ sa me pāpaṃ vyapohatu

Translation

I bow to the Lord whose chest bears the Śrīvatsa mark; to the Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī), the bearer of Śrī, the abode of Śrī. Having prostrated to the beloved of Śrī, may He remove my sin.

Speakers

• A devotee/narrative voice offering a hymn of surrender (stuti) to Vāsudeva/Viṣṇu; framed within the chapter’s tīrtha-oriented discourse (speaker attribution varies by manuscript tradition).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi (Śrī)

Key Themes

• Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge)
• Pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin)
• Lakṣmī–Nārāyaṇa theology
• Stuti as a purificatory act

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are multiple ‘Śrī-’ epithets used together in a single verse?

The piling of Śrī-epithets is a deliberate theological intensification: Viṣṇu is identified as (1) marked by auspiciousness (Śrīvatsa), (2) sovereign of Lakṣmī (Śrīśa), (3) the one who bears and sustains prosperity (Śrīdhara), and (4) the very locus where Śrī abides (Śrīniketana). The verse thus frames purification (pāpa-removal) as arising from contact with the supreme auspicious principle.

Does ‘pāpa’ here mean moral wrongdoing only, or also ritual impurity?

In Purāṇic stuti contexts, pāpa commonly includes both ethical demerit and ritual/experiential impurity that obstructs merit (puṇya) and clarity of mind. The prayer asks for comprehensive removal of obstructive negativity through devotion and surrender.

Is this verse tied to a specific tīrtha even though none is named?

Yes in function, even if not in wording: within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, such hymns often serve as the internal ‘ritual’ of the pilgrimage narrative—devotion and remembrance are presented as the core act that makes a place spiritually efficacious.