Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 92

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

Devanagari script

शुभशुभानि कर्माणि रजःसत्त्वतमांसि च अनेकजन्मकर्मोत्थं पापं नश्यतु मे तथा

Transliteration

śubhaśubhāni karmāṇi rajaḥsattvatamāṃsi ca anekajanmakarmotthaṃ pāpaṃ naśyatu me tathā

Translation

ശുഭവും അശുഭവും ആയ കര്‍മ്മങ്ങളില്‍നിന്നും, രജസ്–സത്ത്വ–തമസ് ഗുണങ്ങളുടെ പ്രവൃത്തിയില്‍നിന്നും—അനേകം ജന്മങ്ങളുടെ കര്‍മ്മത്തില്‍നിന്ന് ഉദ്ഭവിച്ച എന്റെ പാപവും അതുപോലെ നശിക്കട്ടെ।

Speakers

• Not specified in the excerpt; framed as an expiatory doctrinal prayer within Adhyāya 59.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Karma across multiple births
• Guṇa theory (sattva-rajas-tamas)
• Moral causality and purification
• Prāyaścitta / pāpa-kṣaya aspiration

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are both ‘śubha’ and ‘aśubha’ actions mentioned if the goal is removal of sin?

Because karmic entanglement can arise from the entire field of action: even ‘good’ deeds may bind when performed with attachment or ego. The verse seeks release from the impurity/defilement aspect (pāpa) and the accumulated karmic residue spanning many lives.

What is the role of the three guṇas in this verse?

Rajas, sattva, and tamas are the modalities through which prakṛti operates; actions shaped by these guṇas generate corresponding karmic results. By naming all three, the prayer asks for purification that is not partial (e.g., only tamasic faults) but comprehensive across all psychological modes.

How does ‘aneka-janma-karmottham’ shape the theology of expiation here?

It explicitly extends the scope of purification beyond a single lifetime, acknowledging deep karmic accumulation. In Purāṇic tīrtha contexts, this supports the claim that sacred acts (bath, vow, remembrance, mantra) can address long-standing karmic burdens when aligned with devotion and right understanding.