Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

यद्येतद् द्विजपुत्र त्वं समाख्यास्यस्यशेषतः ततः क्षुधार्तान्मत्तस्त्वं नियतं मोक्षमाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

yadyetad dvijaputra tvaṃ samākhyāsyasyaśeṣataḥ tataḥ kṣudhārtānmattastvaṃ niyataṃ mokṣamāpsyasi

Translation

“If you, O son of a twice-born, will relate this completely, then from me—(who am) afflicted by hunger—you will certainly attain liberation.”

Speakers

• The petitioner (described as kṣudhārta
• ‘hunger-stricken’) addressing the dvija-putra (brahmin’s son / young brahmin).

Key Themes

• Narration/teaching as meritorious act
• Phala (assured result) language
• Compassion toward the distressed (kṣudhārta)
• Mokṣa linked to service/aid and instruction

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can the speaker promise ‘mokṣa’ to the dvija-putra?

Purāṇic dialogues often use promissory rhetoric: the distressed petitioner offers a ‘phala’ (reward) for complete instruction, implying either (a) the petitioner’s capacity to grant material/ritual recompense that leads to merit, or (b) a narrative device where the act of fully teaching a liberative observance itself yields mokṣa.

What is the significance of ‘kṣudhārta’ (hunger-stricken) here?

It marks acute suffering and urgency, and can also cue dharma motifs: feeding the hungry (anna-dāna) and compassion are repeatedly praised as powerful pāpa-destroyers. The term may foreshadow that relief of hunger (through dāna or hospitality) is part of the liberative remedy.

Does ‘aśeṣataḥ’ imply a specific genre of instruction?

Yes. ‘Completely, without remainder’ suggests a full account of the prescribed means—often including tīrtha identification, ritual steps (snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna), timing, and the promised fruits—consistent with the Vāmana Purāṇa’s mahātmya style.