Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

खड्गधाराज्वलज्ज्योत्स्नानिर्धूता ये ममाहिताः ते यान्तु सौम्यतां सद्यो गरुडेनेव पन्नगाः

Transliteration

khaḍgadhārājvalajjyotsnānirdhūtā ye mamāhitāḥ te yāntu saumyatāṃ sadyo garuḍeneva pannagāḥ

Translation

Semoga para musuhku yang terpukul mundur oleh cahaya menyala di tepi pedang segera menjadi lembut kepadaku—sebagaimana ular-ular tunduk di hadapan Garuḍa.

Speakers

• Narrator/ritual voice (a protective utterance) addressing hostile beings; framed within the chapter’s tīrtha-related protective discourse

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Garuḍa

Key Themes

• Apotropaic prayer (protection)
• Pacification of hostile beings
• Divine weapon imagery (khaḍga-tejas)
• Vaishnava protective power

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Garuḍa used as the comparison in this verse?

Garuḍa is the archetypal nāga-śamana (serpent-subduer). The verse uses a well-known mythic relationship—serpents instinctively losing aggression before Garuḍa—to express immediate pacification of inimical forces.

Is the “sword’s radiance” literal or symbolic?

In Purāṇic protective language it is often symbolic: the ‘edge’ and ‘radiance’ signify irresistible divine tejas that dispels hostility, akin to the aura of a deity or consecrated weapon rather than an ordinary sword.

What is the practical function of such a verse in a tīrtha context?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas frequently include śānti/abhaya formulas to ensure safe pilgrimage and ritual performance—neutralizing threats from seen and unseen beings while one remains within the sacred landscape.