Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 77

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

Devanagari script

पुण्यपापविनिर्मुक्ता यं प्रविश्य पुनर्भवम् न योगिनः प्राप्नुवन्ति तमस्मि शरणं गतः

Transliteration

puṇyapāpavinirmuktā yaṃ praviśya punarbhavam na yoginaḥ prāpnuvanti tamasmi śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "Acyuta as luminous Nārāyaṇa behind/above Brahmā, with the universe emerging—devas, asuras, humans arranged in tiers—while the devotee offers refuge.", "primary_figures": ["Acyuta (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)", "Brahmā (as office/form)", "Devas", "Asuras", "Humans", "Devotee"], "setting": "Cosmic lotus/creation tableau hovering over a sacred riverbank", "color_palette": ["cosmic blue", "lotus pink", "gold", "white", "emerald"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, central Acyuta with gold-leaf prabhāmaṇḍala, Brahmā seated on lotus before Him, miniature tiers of devas-asuras-humans, ornate temple frame, rich jewel tones", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastel cosmos with lotus and clouds, Acyuta subtly larger behind Brahmā, delicate figures of three communities, refined linework and gentle gradients", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold iconographic Viṣṇu as Acyuta with conch-disc, Brahmā on lotus, stylized devas/asuras/humans in registers, strong reds/ochres/greens", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra panel, narrative creation scene: Acyuta empowering Brahmā, patterned borders, stylized groups labeled by attire, flat perspective, natural dyes"}

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (stuti voice within the Saro-māhātmya narrative frame).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Mokṣa (freedom from rebirth)
• Transcending puṇya and pāpa (beyond karmic duality)
• Yogic attainment and its culmination
• Śaraṇāgati

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse say liberation involves being freed from both puṇya and pāpa?

Both merit (puṇya) and sin (pāpa) are forms of karma that yield results within saṃsāra. Liberation is described as transcending karmic accounting altogether—going beyond dualities that keep one within the cycle of reward and consequence.

What does “yaṃ praviśya” (“entering whom”) mean—union, proximity, or a heavenly realm?

Purāṇic diction allows layered meanings: entering can signify attaining the Lord’s supreme state (parama-pada), abiding in His presence, or realizing identity/union in a Vedāntic sense. The decisive marker here is the result: no return to punarbhava (rebirth).

Why mention yogins specifically?

By referencing yogins, the verse underscores that even the highest disciplined practitioners culminate in the same final refuge: the Supreme Lord. It also elevates the stuti’s claim—this refuge is not merely for ordinary devotees but is the consummation of yogic striving.