Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

यद्येतद् द्विजपुत्र त्वं समाख्यास्यस्यशेषतः ततः क्षुधार्तान्मत्तस्त्वं नियतं मोक्षमाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

yadyetad dvijaputra tvaṃ samākhyāsyasyaśeṣataḥ tataḥ kṣudhārtānmattastvaṃ niyataṃ mokṣamāpsyasi

Translation

Wahai putra dwija, jika engkau menjelaskannya dengan tuntas, maka dari diriku yang tersiksa oleh lapar engkau pasti akan memperoleh moksha.

Speakers

• The petitioner (described as kṣudhārta
• ‘hunger-stricken’) addressing the dvija-putra (brahmin’s son / young brahmin).

Key Themes

• Narration/teaching as meritorious act
• Phala (assured result) language
• Compassion toward the distressed (kṣudhārta)
• Mokṣa linked to service/aid and instruction

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can the speaker promise ‘mokṣa’ to the dvija-putra?

Purāṇic dialogues often use promissory rhetoric: the distressed petitioner offers a ‘phala’ (reward) for complete instruction, implying either (a) the petitioner’s capacity to grant material/ritual recompense that leads to merit, or (b) a narrative device where the act of fully teaching a liberative observance itself yields mokṣa.

What is the significance of ‘kṣudhārta’ (hunger-stricken) here?

It marks acute suffering and urgency, and can also cue dharma motifs: feeding the hungry (anna-dāna) and compassion are repeatedly praised as powerful pāpa-destroyers. The term may foreshadow that relief of hunger (through dāna or hospitality) is part of the liberative remedy.

Does ‘aśeṣataḥ’ imply a specific genre of instruction?

Yes. ‘Completely, without remainder’ suggests a full account of the prescribed means—often including tīrtha identification, ritual steps (snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna), timing, and the promised fruits—consistent with the Vāmana Purāṇa’s mahātmya style.