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

भविष्यात नरकासुरघ्नाला नमस्कार; कंसविघातकाला नमस्कार; अरिष्ट, केशी व चाणूर यांचा वध करणाऱ्यास आणि देवशत्रूंचा क्षय कVamana Purana,62,1,VamP 62.1,iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe ekaṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca gate 'tha tīrthayātrāyāṃ prahlāde dānaveśvare kurukṣetraṃ samabhyāgād yaṣṭuṃ vairocano valiḥ,इति श्रीवामनपुराणे एकषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः पुलस्त्य उवाच गते ऽथ तीर्थयात्रायां प्रह्लादे दानवेश्वरे कुरुक्षेत्रं समभ्यागाद् यष्टुं वैरोचनो वलिः,Vamana–Bali Narrative (Kurukṣetra Episode / Tīrtha-Yātrā Continuation),Itihāsa-Style Narrative within Tīrtha Mahātmya,Adhyaya 62 (opening; transition into Kurukṣetra setting),62.1,iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe ekaṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca gate 'tha tīrthayātrāyāṃ prahlāde dānaveśvare kurukṣetraṃ samabhyāgād yaṣṭuṃ vairocano valiḥ,iti śrī-vāmana-purāṇe ekaṣaṣṭitamo ’dhyāyaḥ | pulastya uvāca | gate ’tha tīrtha-yātrāyāṁ prahlāde dānaveśvare | kurukṣetraṁ samabhyāgād yaṣṭuṁ vairocano baliḥ,Pulastya said: Then

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.