Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

गदा चेयं सहस्रार्चिरुद्वमन् पावको यथा रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां डाकिनीनां च शातनी

Transliteration

gadā ceyaṃ sahasrārcirudvaman pāvako yathā rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ ḍākinīnāṃ ca śātanī

Translation

[{"question": "What does ‘Sārasvataṃ stavam’ signify here—river, goddess, or a school of tradition?", "answer": "In Purāṇic usage, ‘Sārasvata’ can simultaneously point to (1) Sarasvatī as the deity of speech, (2) the Sarasvatī river-land (a tīrtha zone), and (3) the ‘Sārasvata’ Brāhmaṇa-cultural sphere associated with that river. The verse deliberately layers these meanings: the hymn is ‘Sārasvata’ because it is empowered by Sarasvatī (Vāk) and anchored in the Sarasvatī sacred geography."}, {"question": "Why emphasize ‘vipravaktrasthayā’ (SarasvVamana Purana,59,13,VamP 59.13,śārṅgaṃ visphūrjitaṃ caiva vāsudevasya madripūn tiryaṅmanuṣyakūṣmāṇḍapretādīn hantvaśeṣataḥ,शार्ङ्गं विस्फूर्जितं चैव वासुदेवस्य मद्रिपून् तिर्यङ्मनुष्यकूष्माण्डप्रेतादीन् हन्त्वशेषतः,Saromahatmya (Sarasvatī–Kurukṣetra Tīrtha Cycle),Stuti / Protective Theology (Āyudha-mahimā),Adhyāya 59 (title not supplied in prompt; context: praise of Viṣṇu’s weapons as destroyers of evil beings),13,śārṅgaṃ visphūrjitaṃ caiva vāsudevasya madripūn tiryaṅmanuṣyakūṣmāṇḍapretādīn hantvaśeṣataḥ,śārṅgaṃ visphūrjitaṃ caiva vāsudevasya madri-pūn | tiryaṅ-manuṣya-kūṣmāṇḍa-preta-ādīn hanty aśeṣataḥ ||,And Śārṅga

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely a narrator within the tīrtha-māhātmya discourse).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Gadā/Kaumodakī (personified weapon)

Key Themes

• Divine power as purifying fire
• Protection from spirit-afflictions
• Cataloguing of demonic classes
• Āyudha-mahimā

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is the mace compared to fire (pāvaka)?

Fire is the Purāṇic purifier and consumer of impurity; comparing the gadā to fire emphasizes its capacity to burn away malevolent influences and restore dharmic order.

Who are ḍākinīs in this context?

Ḍākinīs are portrayed as fierce, harmful female spirits in Purāṇic and later tantric-influenced demonologies. Their inclusion signals comprehensive protection against both male and female-coded spirit threats.

Is this a literal battle description or a theological statement?

The diction is stuti-like: it functions as a theological assertion that Viṣṇu’s śakti, embodied in his weapons, is sufficient to annihilate all categories of hostile beings, whether physical (rākṣasa) or subtle (bhūta/piśāca).