Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

दामोदरमुदाराक्षं पुण्डरीकाक्षमच्युतम् प्रणतो ऽस्मि स्तुतं स्तुत्यैः स मे पापं व्यपोहतु

Transliteration

dāmodaramudārākṣaṃ puṇḍarīkākṣamacyutam praṇato 'smi stutaṃ stutyaiḥ sa me pāpaṃ vyapohatu

Translation

Aku bersujud kepada Dāmodara yang bermata mulia, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Acyuta, yang dipuji oleh himne-himne; semoga Ia melenyapkan dosaku.

Speakers

• Unspecified devotee/narrator voice offering a Viṣṇu-stuti (within the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya frame).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa/Kṛṣṇa)

Key Themes

• Stuti (devotional praise)
• Pāpa-nāśana (removal of sin)
• Nāma-smaraṇa (invocation through divine epithets)
• Bhakti as purification

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are multiple epithets (Dāmodara, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Acyuta) used for one deity?

Purāṇic stutis commonly “stack” names to invoke different theological facets: Dāmodara emphasizes intimate līlā and accessibility; Puṇḍarīkākṣa signals auspicious iconography and sovereignty; Acyuta asserts metaphysical infallibility. Together they frame Viṣṇu as both transcendent and personally approachable.

What does “may he remove my sin” imply in a tīrtha-mahātmya setting?

In tīrtha literature, purification is achieved through a triad—place (kṣetra/tīrtha), act (snāna/dāna), and devotion (stuti/namaskāra). This verse foregrounds devotion: sincere praise and surrender are presented as direct means of pāpa-kṣaya.

Does Dāmodara necessarily mean Kṛṣṇa rather than Viṣṇu?

Dāmodara is most vivid in Kṛṣṇa’s childhood narrative, but Purāṇas freely apply Kṛṣṇa-epithets to Viṣṇu as the same supreme reality. The verse thus functions as a Viṣṇu-stuti with a Kṛṣṇa-colored devotional intimacy.