Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 68

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

द्वितीयमुक्तं सत्त्वाढ्यं चतुर्वर्णं चतुर्मुखम् चतुर्बाहुमुदाराङ्गं श्रीवत्सधरमव्ययम्

Transliteration

dvitīyamuktaṃ sattvāḍhyaṃ caturvarṇaṃ caturmukham caturbāhumudārāṅgaṃ śrīvatsadharamavyayam

Translation

രണ്ടാമത്തെ രൂപം ഇങ്ങനെ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു—സത്ത്വസമൃദ്ധം, നാലു വർണങ്ങളുള്ളത്, ചതുര്മുഖം, ചതുര്ഭുജം, ഉദാരാംഗം, ശ്രീവത്സചിഹ്നധാരി, അവ്യയം.

Word by Word

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ordinal adjective

• उक्तम्: said/described
• उक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सत्त्वाढ्यम्: abounding in sattva
• सत्त्वाढ्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (rich in sattva)

• चतुर्वर्णम्: four-colored/four-varṇa
• चतुर्वर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (having four colors/varṇas)

• चतुर्मुखम्: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (four-faced)

• चतुर्बाहुम्: four-armed
• चतुर्बाहुम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (four-armed)

• उदाराङ्गम्: of noble limbs
• उदाराङ्गम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदार (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (noble/large-limbed)

• श्रीवत्सधरम्: bearing Śrīvatsa
• श्रीवत्सधरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीवत्स (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (bearing the Śrīvatsa mark)

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt; continues a didactic/iconographic enumeration of forms.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Śrīvatsa-bearing Lord)

Key Themes

• Iconographic plurality of the supreme (multiple dhyāna-forms)
• Sattva as divine quality
• Śrīvatsa as Vishnu-lakṣaṇa (identifying mark)
• Fourfold symbolism (faces/arms/colours)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Śrīvatsa important in identifying the deity here?

Śrīvatsa is a classic Vaiṣṇava lakṣaṇa (identifying mark) on the Lord’s chest, strongly signalling Vishnu even when the form is otherwise unusual (e.g., four-faced).

Does “four-faced” imply Brahmā rather than Vishnu?

Not necessarily. Purāṇic dhyāna passages can attribute multiple faces/arms to Vishnu to express omnidirectionality and cosmic governance. The explicit Śrīvatsa mark anchors the identification in Vishnu despite shared iconographic motifs.

What does “sattvāḍhya” contribute to the description?

It frames the form as predominantly sattvic—pure, luminous, and stabilizing—contrasting with rajasic/tamasic modalities and aligning the visualization with liberation-oriented contemplation.