Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

राक्षस उवाच त्वां वै समागतो ऽस्म्यद्य क्षिप्तो ऽहं रक्षया बलात् तव संसर्गतो ब्रह्मन् जातो निर्वेद उत्तमः

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca tvāṃ vai samāgato 'smyadya kṣipto 'haṃ rakṣayā balāt tava saṃsargato brahman jāto nirveda uttamaḥ

Translation

राक्षस म्हणाला— “आज मी तुमच्याकडे आलो आहे; कोणत्यातरी रक्षणशक्तीने मला बलपूर्वक येथे फेकले आहे. हे ब्राह्मण! तुमच्या संसर्गाने माझ्यात परम निर्वेद (वैराग्य) उत्पन्न झाला आहे.”

Speakers

• Rākṣasa speaking to a Brahmin/holy interlocutor (unnamed in the provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Satsaṅga (transformative holy association)
• Moral awakening and repentance (nirveda)
• Protective power of dharma/merit (rakṣā)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘rakṣā’ (protective power) that ‘casts’ the Rākṣasa toward the Brahmin?

In Purāṇic idiom, rakṣā can denote an unseen protective force generated by dharma, tapas, mantra, or the merit (puṇya) of a holy person or sacred act. The verse frames the Rākṣasa’s approach as compelled by such merit-power rather than by his own predatory intent.

Why is ‘saṃsarga’ (association) emphasized as the cause of nirveda?

The text highlights satsaṅga: contact with a dharmic person is portrayed as intrinsically purifying, capable of reversing even a Rākṣasa’s disposition. Nirveda here is not mere despair but a lucid revulsion toward wrongdoing that becomes the doorway to reform.

Does this verse imply a conversion from demonic nature to dharmic life?

It signals the beginning of that arc: the Rākṣasa experiences uttama-nirveda, a classic prerequisite for confession, seeking instruction, and undertaking expiation or devotion in subsequent verses.