Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

सा प्रोवाच द्विजसुतं राक्षसग्रहणाकुलम् मा भैर्द्विजसुताहं त्वां मोक्षयिष्यामि संकटात्

Transliteration

sā provāca dvijasutaṃ rākṣasagrahaṇākulam mā bhairdvijasutāhaṃ tvāṃ mokṣayiṣyāmi saṃkaṭāt

Translation

राक्षस द्वारा पकड़े जाने से व्याकु�Vamana Purana,60,44,VamP 60.44,dvādaśāro 'tha ṣaṇṇābhistrivyūho dviyugastathā kālacakro bhavānīśo namaste puruṣottamaḥ,द्वादशारो ऽथ षण्णाभिस्त्रिव्यूहो द्वियुगस्तथा कालचक्रो भवानीशो नमस्ते पुरुषोत्तमः,Saromahatmiya (Sarasvati–Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle),Stuti (Hymn of Praise) / Theological Identification,Adhyaya 60 — Stuti of Puruṣottama as Kāla-cakra and all-deity forms,60.44,dvādaśāro 'tha ṣaṇṇābhistrivyūho dviyugastathā kālacakro bhavānīśo namaste puruṣottamaḥ,dvādaśāro ’tha ṣaṇṇābhis-trivyūho dviyugas-tathā | kālacakro bhavānīśo namaste puruṣottamaḥ ||,Salutations to you

Speakers

• Sarasvatī to the dvijasuta (brahmin youth).

Primary Deities

• Sarasvatī

Key Themes

• Divine protection of devotees
• Tirtha as refuge (śaraṇya)
• Deliverance (mokṣa/mocana) from demonic affliction

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘rākṣasagrahaṇa’ imply—possession, abduction, or attack?

Grahaṇa literally means ‘seizing.’ In Purāṇic idiom it can cover abduction, physical restraint, or a hostile ‘grasp’ akin to affliction. The verse’s emphasis on ākulatā (distress) and promised mokṣa (release) supports a concrete peril, whether bodily capture or overpowering attack.

Why is the victim identified as ‘dvijasuta’?

The label marks ritual-social identity: a brahmin youth represents Vedic continuity and vulnerability. In tīrtha narratives, the rescue of a dvija underscores the tīrtha’s dharmic function—protecting those aligned with sacred learning and conduct.

Does Sarasvatī’s promise of ‘mokṣa’ mean liberation in the ultimate sense?

Here mokṣa is primarily ‘release’ from immediate danger (saṃkaṭa). Purāṇas often use mokṣa/mocana in both senses; the local context favors deliverance from the rākṣasa, while still hinting at the tīrtha’s broader salvific power.