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": "A devotee rises at dawn, seated in a clean space, listening to a reciter chanting the Vāmana-Bali kathā; subtle aura of protection dispels dark dream-forms.", "primary_figures": ["devotee (mānava)", "kathā-vācaka (reciter)", "Vishnu (as invoked presence)"], "setting": "Early morning courtyard or small shrine room with tulasī, lamp, and palm-leaf manuscript; first light on the horizon.", "color_palette": ["saffron", "gold", "dawn-pink", "indigo fading to blue", "white"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore painting style, gold leaf highlights, dawn shrine interior, devotee seated with folded hands before a small Vishnu icon, oil lamp glow, ornate arch, rich reds and greens, sacred manuscript on a stand, serene shanta mood", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastel dawn sky, simple ashram courtyard, storyteller reciting from a manuscript, listener seated respectfully, delicate lines, calm devotional atmosphere", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural style, bold outlines, natural pigments, temple-like interior at dawn, lamp flames, Vishnu’s subtle presence as a haloed emblem above, rhythmic chanting implied", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll style, narrative panel of dawn listening ritual, stylized figures, decorative borders with lotus motifs, natural dyes, small vignette of dark dream-figures dissolving"}

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.