Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 115

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

Devanagari script

अहर्निशं हृषीकेशं स्तवेनानेन राक्षस स्तुहि भक्तिं दृढां कृत्वा ततः पापाद् विमोक्ष्यसे

Transliteration

aharniśaṃ hṛṣīkeśaṃ stavenānena rākṣasa stuhi bhaktiṃ dṛḍhāṃ kṛtvā tataḥ pāpād vimokṣyase

Translation

{"scene_description": "Joyful pilgrims step into a vast, clear lake; swans glide nearby, mirroring their serene entry; lotus pads and gentle ripples surround them.", "primary_figures": ["pilgrims", "swans (haṃsa)"], "setting": "Broad sacred lake with calm water, lotus margins, distant trees and hills.", "color_palette": ["cool blue", "white", "soft green", "silver", "sunlit gold"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore: sacred lake with swans and devotees entering, gold-leaf highlights on ripples and halos of sanctity, stylized lotuses, devotional calm.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature: tranquil lake scene with swans, delicate figures wading, soft blues and greens, misty distance, poetic stillness.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural: bold outlined swans and devotees, flat blue water with patterned ripples, lotus border motifs, temple aesVamana Purana,59,116,VamP 59.116,stuto hi sarvapāpāni nāśayiṣyatyasaṃśayam stuto hi bhaktyā nṝṇāṃ vai sarvapāpaharo hariḥ,स्तुतो हि सर्वपापानि नाशयिष्यत्यसंशयम् स्तुतो हि भक्त्या नॄणां वै सर्वपापहरो हरिः,Saromahatmya (Sarasvati–tirtha-mahima cycle),Stuti-phala (Fruit of praise) / Dharma Teaching,Adhyāya 59 (title not supplied in prompt; context: assurance of Hari’s sin-destroying power when praised with devotion),59.116,stuto hi sarvapāpāni nāśayiṣyatyasaṃśayam stuto hi bhaktyā nṝṇāṃ vai sarvapāpaharo hariḥ,stuto hi sarva-pāpāni nāśayiṣyaty asaṃśayam | stuto hi bhaktyā nṝṇāṃ vai sarva-pāpa-haro hariḥ ||,“For when praised

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided excerpt; a teacher/authority figure instructing a rākṣasa addressee

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Hṛṣīkeśa)

Key Themes

• Continuous remembrance (smaraṇa) and praise
• Bhakti as transformative discipline
• Moral purification (pāpa-vimokṣa)
• Inclusivity of devotion (even a rākṣasa is eligible)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the addressee called ‘rākṣasa’—what is the doctrinal point?

The address underscores that bhakti and stuti are not restricted by birth or species; even one marked as ‘rākṣasa’ can attain purification through steadfast devotion to Hṛṣīkeśa.

What does ‘aharniśam’ imply as a practice?

It indicates regular, sustained engagement—constant recitation or continual devotional orientation—rather than a one-time ritual act, aligning with Purāṇic ideals of nāma/stuti as ongoing sādhana.

How does ‘Hṛṣīkeśa’ connect to the verse’s promise of liberation from sin?

As ‘Lord of the senses’, Hṛṣīkeśa signifies mastery and purification of sensory life; firm bhakti reorients the senses toward the divine, which the text presents as a direct means to pāpa-vimokṣa.