Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

यानि पापानि कर्माणि बालत्वाच्चरितानि च दुष्टां योनिमिमां प्राप्य तन्मुक्तिं कथय द्विज

Transliteration

yāni pāpāni karmāṇi bālatvāccaritāni ca duṣṭāṃ yonimimāṃ prāpya tanmuktiṃ kathaya dvija

Translation

Wahai dwija, jelaskan kepadaku cara pembebasan dari perbuatan-perbuatan berdosa yang dilakukan pada masa kanak-kanak, setelah aku memperoleh kelahiran yang hina ini.

Speakers

• Same petitioner addressing the dvija teacher; explicit vocative ‘dvija’.

Key Themes

• Karma and rebirth (yoni)
• Childhood actions and moral responsibility
• Seeking expiation/prāyaścitta
• Liberation from degraded existence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘duṣṭā yoni’ mean in Purāṇic usage?

Yoni can denote literal womb/birth-species (human, animal, etc.) or a broader existential condition. ‘Duṣṭā yoni’ typically signals an unfortunate rebirth or degraded circumstance understood as karmic result of pāpa.

Does the verse suggest that childhood sins are fully culpable?

It acknowledges immaturity (bālatva) as a factor, yet still treats actions as karmically efficacious. Purāṇic ethics often balances diminished intentionality with the reality of karmic consequence, hence the need for remedial dharma (prāyaścitta, tīrtha, vrata, bhakti).

Why is the dvija addressed as the authority for ‘mukti’?

In Purāṇic narrative, the dvija embodies śāstra-memory and ritual competence, functioning as the mediator who prescribes expiation, pilgrimage, vows, and devotional disciplines that restore dharma and remove pāpa.