Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 2), Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वकेशं नृसिहं च रुपधारं कुरुध्वजम् कामपालमखण्डं च नमस्ये ब्राह्मणप्रियम्

Transliteration

ūrdhvakeśaṃ nṛsihaṃ ca rupadhāraṃ kurudhvajam kāmapālamakhaṇḍaṃ ca namasye brāhmaṇapriyam

Translation

[{"question": "Why are Śiva and Agni both assigned to Māhiṣmatī?", "answer": "Purāṇic kṣetra-mapping often layers cults: a principal deity (here Śiva as Trinayana) can coexist with a Vedic deity (Agni) reflecting ritual practice—especially fire rites—embedded in the site’s pilgrimage identity."}, {"question": "What is the significance of Arbuda in Purāṇic geography?", "answer": "Arbuda (Mount Abu) is a major western sacred mountain; Purāṇas treat such mountains as tīrtha-clusters with multiple shrines and distinctive local deity-titles, here represented by ‘Tri-sauparṇa’."}, {"question": "Does ‘Sūkarācala’ imply a Varāha connection?", "answer": "Yes. ‘Sūkara’ (boar) strongly evokes Varāha symbolism. Pairing it with ‘Kṣmādhara’ (‘earth-bearer’) aligns with the Varāha mythic function of supporting/rescuing the earth, even if the verse uses a title rather than the explicit name ‘Varāha’."}]

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt; continues the stuti sequence within the chapter’s narrative frame.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Narasimha
• Varaha (implied by boar-banner)

Key Themes

• Protective wrath (ugra) in divine forms
• Avatāra doctrine (multiple manifestations)
• Dharma and Vedic guardianship (brāhmaṇapriya)
• Non-dual sovereignty (akhaṇḍa)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘ūrdhvakeśa’ convey in a devotional context?

It signals a terrifying, energized divine presence—hair standing on end is a conventional marker of wrathful potency, fitting a hymn that includes Narasiṃha and other protective, forceful aspects of Vishnu.

How should ‘kurudhvajam’ be understood—does it refer to Varāha?

Yes, the ‘boar-banner’ naturally evokes Varāha symbolism: either Vishnu in boar-form or Vishnu marked by the boar emblem, both pointing to the cosmic rescue motif associated with Varāha.

Why call Vishnu ‘brāhmaṇapriya’ in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

The Vāmana/Trivikrama cycle is tightly linked to Vedic ritual order (yajña, dāna, vows, and the authority of brāhmaṇas). ‘Brāhmaṇapriya’ underscores Vishnu as protector of that dharmic framework, even when confronting powerful kings like Bali.