Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच/ इत्येवमुक्तः स मुनिस्तदा वै तेन रक्षसा प्रत्युवाच महाभागो विमृश्य सुचिरं मुनिः

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca/ ityevamuktaḥ sa munistadā vai tena rakṣasā pratyuvāca mahābhāgo vimṛśya suciraṃ muniḥ

Translation

Pulastya said: Thus addressed at that time by that rākṣasa, the great-souled sage, after reflecting for a long while, replied to him.

Speakers

• Pulastya (narrator) describing a sage replying to a rākṣasa (within Pulastya’s discourse)

Key Themes

• Dharma instruction as response to adharma
• Deliberation before counsel
• Sage–rākṣasa dialogue frame

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the text emphasize that the sage reflected ‘for a long while’ before replying?

The phrase vimṛśya suciraṃ signals that dharma-counsel is not impulsive; it requires discernment (viveka) about the listener’s capacity, intention, and the likely ethical outcome—especially when the interlocutor is a rākṣasa, stereotypically linked with harmful conduct.

Is this verse itself a teaching, or a narrative transition?

It functions primarily as a narrative hinge: Pulastya sets up the authoritative reply that follows. The didactic content begins in the next verses, but this line establishes the gravity and carefulness of the forthcoming instruction.

Does the verse indicate any specific tīrtha or geographic setting?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographic orientation, this particular śloka contains no toponyms (rivers, lakes, forests, or tīrthas).