Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 101

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

Devanagari script

भविष्यन्नरकघ्नाय नमः कंसविघातिने अरिष्टकेशिचणूरदेवारिक्षयिणे नमः

Transliteration

bhaviṣyannarakaghnāya namaḥ kaṃsavighātine ariṣṭakeśicaṇūradevārikṣayiṇe namaḥ

Translation

Pulastya uvāca: Pulastya spoke (a mind-born sage, one of the Prajāpatis); tīrtha-yātrā: pilgrimage to sacred bathing-places/fords; Prahlāda: famed Daitya devotee, here styled as dānava-īśvara (lord of Dānavas); dānava-īśvara: ruler/chief of the Dānava lineage; Kurukṣetra: the sacred field of the Kurus, major pan-Indian tīrtha region; samabhyāgāt: arrived/came near; yaṣṭum: to sacrifice, to perform yajña; Vairocana Bali: Bali, son of Virocana (grandson of Prahlāda in many genealogies).

Speakers

• Narratorial/teaching voice continuing the stuti sequence (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Krishna
• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Avatāra-līlā remembrance
• Protection of devas (deva-rakṣā)
• Demon-slaying as restoration of dharma
• Stuti through heroic epithets

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse say ‘bhaviṣyan-narakaghnāya’—“future slayer of Naraka”?

It reflects a compositional stance where the stuti enumerates deeds across time: some already accomplished (Kaṃsa, Keśin, Cāṇūra), and some foretold/inevitable within the avatāra’s career (Narakāsura). This is a common Purāṇic way to present the Lord as transcending linear time.

What is achieved by listing multiple demon names in a tīrtha-oriented chapter?

Such lists function as smṛti-aṅga (aids to remembrance): recalling the Lord’s dharma-restoring acts is itself meritorious and is often paired with tīrtha bathing/recitation to intensify purification and protection.

Does ‘devāri-kṣayiṇ’ imply a general cosmic role beyond specific battles?

Yes. It universalizes the avatāra’s function: not only particular slayings, but the ongoing principle that the Lord removes forces hostile to divine order (ṛta/dharma), thereby safeguarding the world.