Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 1), Shloka 51

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and the Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

एतत् पवित्रं त्रिपुरध्नभाषितं पठन् नरो विष्णुपरो महर्षे विमुक्तपापो ह्युपशान्तमूर्ति संपूज्यते देववरैः प्रसिद्धैः

Transliteration

etat pavitraṃ tripuradhnabhāṣitaṃ paṭhan naro viṣṇuparo maharṣe vimuktapāpo hyupaśāntamūrti saṃpūjyate devavaraiḥ prasiddhaiḥ

Translation

हे महर्षि, त्रिपुर-वधकर्ता द्वारा कहा गया यह पवित्र स्तव जो विष्णु-परायण मनुष्य पढ़ता है, वह पापों से मुक्त होकर शांत-स्वभाव वाला हो जाता है और प्रसिद्ध श्रेष्ठ देवों द्वारा पूजित होता है।

Speakers

• Narrative voice addressing ‘Mahārṣi’ within Pulastya’s instruction to Nārada (contextual continuity)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Tripuradhna/Tripurāntaka)
• Viṣṇu

Key Themes

• Phalaśruti (benefits of recitation)
• Pāpa-śamana through stava
• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava unity (Śiva-spoken hymn benefiting Viṣṇu-devotee)
• Devotional identity (viṣṇu-para)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is a Śiva-spoken hymn recommended for a ‘Viṣṇu-para’ (Viṣṇu-devotee)?

Purāṇic stava traditions often cross-sectarian boundaries to assert theological concord: a hymn uttered by Tripuradhna (Śiva) can purify and elevate a Viṣṇu-centered practitioner, signaling shared dharmic efficacy and mutual honoring among deities.

What does ‘upaśānta-mūrti’ imply in practice?

It indicates not merely ritual purity but a transformed inner state—tranquility, reduced agitation, and moral steadiness—presented as the experiential mark of pāpa-release produced by recitation.

How should ‘worshipped by the best of gods’ be interpreted?

As a hyperbolic phalaśruti formula: the reciter gains exceptional esteem, protection, and auspiciousness, portrayed as recognition even by divine beings—an idiom for supreme religious merit and social-spiritual honor.