Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 100

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

Devanagari script

विष्णवे वासुदेवाय हरये केशवाय च जनार्दनाय कृष्णाय नमो भूयो नमो नमः

Transliteration

viṣṇave vāsudevāya haraye keśavāya ca janārdanāya kṛṣṇāya namo bhūyo namo namaḥ

Translation

Sembah sujud kepada Viṣṇu, kepada Vāsudeva, kepada Hari, dan kepada Keśava; kepada Janārdana, kepada Kṛṣṇa—hormat berulang-ulang, hormat, hormat.

Speakers

• Narratorial/teaching voice within the stuti sequence (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Krishna

Key Themes

• Stuti (praise)
• Nāma-japa/namaskāra
• Bhakti as purifier
• Litany of Viṣṇu epithets

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are multiple names of the same deity listed in a single verse?

Purāṇic stutis use nāma-litanies to invoke the deity’s many functions—cosmic (Viṣṇu), incarnational (Vāsudeva/Kṛṣṇa), salvific (Hari), and heroic (Keśava/Janārdana)—compressing theology into devotional address.

What is the force of ‘namo bhūyo namo namaḥ’?

It intensifies reverence through repetition, functioning like a refrain. In recitation practice it marks humility and sustained surrender (praṇipāta) rather than a single formal bow.

Is this verse meant as a standalone mantra?

While not a Vedic mantra in strict ritual classification, Purāṇic tradition often treats such ślokas as mantra-like for japa or tīrtha recitation because they are compact, name-centered, and framed by repeated ‘namo’.