Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 2), Shloka 1

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

इति श्रीवामनपुराणे षष्ठितमो ऽध्यायः पुलस्त्य उवाच द्वितीयं पापशमनं स्तवं वक्ष्यामि ते मुने येन सम्यगधीतेन पापं नाशं तु गच्चति

Transliteration

iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe ṣaṣṭhitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca dvitīyaṃ pāpaśamanaṃ stavaṃ vakṣyāmi te mune yena samyagadhītena pāpaṃ nāśaṃ tu gaccati

Translation

Thus, in the Śrī Vāmana Purāṇa (ends) the sixtieth chapter. Pulastya said: ‘O sage, I shall tell you the second hymn that pacifies sin; when it is properly studied/recited, sin indeed goes to destruction.’

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (explicit speaker: Pulastya; addressee: ‘mune’—contextually Nārada in this dialogue frame)

Key Themes

• Textual framing (adhyāya colophon)
• Pāpa-śamana through stava and adhyayana (study/recitation)
• Transmission of sacred knowledge (ṛṣi-to-ṛṣi instruction)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the function of this verse within the Purāṇa’s structure?

It serves as a junction: it closes Adhyāya 60 (colophon) and inaugurates Adhyāya 61 by announcing a new unit—‘the second pāpa-śamana stava’—thereby organizing the text into recitation-ready liturgical segments.

Does ‘samyag-adhītena’ mean silent study or ritual chanting?

In Purāṇic usage it can include both: correct learning (adhyayana) and correct recitation (paṭhana) with proper attention and pronunciation. The verse emphasizes correctness as the condition for the hymn’s pāpa-destroying efficacy.

Why are multiple ‘pāpa-śamana’ hymns presented?

Purāṇas often provide layered remedies—different stavas tied to different contexts (tīrthas, vows, deities, or narrative moments). Calling this the ‘second’ signals a curated sequence of purificatory practices rather than a single, isolated hymn.