Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 1), Shloka 2

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and the Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

एकशृङ्ग नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं वृषाकपे श्रीनिवास नमस्ते ऽस्तु नमस्ते भूतभावन

Transliteration

ekaśṛṅga namastubhyaṃ namastubhyaṃ vṛṣākape śrīnivāsa namaste 'stu namaste bhūtabhāvana

Translation

viṣvaksena: “he whose army is everywhere / universal commander”; also a well-known name of Viṣṇu’s attendant/commander in Vaiṣṇava tradition; here used as an epithet of the Lord being praised. nārāyaṇa: “refuge/abode of beings (nara) in the waters (ayana)” and/or “the supreme Lord who is the goal and support of all beings”; principal name of Viṣṇu. dhruva: fixed, steady, unwavering. dhvaja: banner, standard, emblem; metaphor for defining attribute. dhruvadhvaja: “whose standard is steadfastness,” indicating immutability and reliability. satya: truth, reality, fidelity. satyadhvaja: “whose standard is truth,” indicating the Lord as the ground of truth and dharma.

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt; the verse is a direct address (stuti) to Viṣṇu by a devotee/narrative speaker within Adhyaya 60.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi (implied by Śrīnivāsa)

Key Themes

• Stuti (praise of Vishnu)
• Divine epithets and theology
• Auspiciousness (Śrī)
• Creator-sustainer function

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the hymn use multiple epithets rather than a single name like “Viṣṇu” or “Nārāyaṇa”?

Purāṇic stutis often stack epithets to invoke multiple theological facets at once—cosmic sovereignty (ekaśṛṅga), heroic potency (vṛṣākapi), auspicious presence with Lakṣmī (śrīnivāsa), and universal causality (bhūtabhāvana). This is a standard devotional-poetic technique that also functions as a compact theology.

What is the likely sense of “ekaśṛṅga” in a Viṣṇu-stuti?

In Purāṇic usage, “ekaśṛṅga” can signal singular supremacy (“the One with the single horn/peak”), and may echo older Vedic idioms where unusual physical markers symbolize unique power. In a stuti context it is best read as an honorific emphasizing unmatched lordship rather than a literal zoological description.

Does this verse contain any geographical/tīrtha information typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This śloka is purely doxological (praise) and contains no toponyms or hydrography. Any geographical framing would come from surrounding verses/chapters, not from this line itself.