Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 102

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

Devanagari script

को ऽन्यो बलेर्वञ्चयिता त्वामृते वै भविष्यति को ऽन्यो नाशयति बलाद् दर्पं हैहयभूपतेः

Transliteration

ko 'nyo balervañcayitā tvāmṛte vai bhaviṣyati ko 'nyo nāśayati balād darpaṃ haihayabhūpateḥ

Translation

[{"question": "What is ‘setu-bandhana’ and why is it highlighted in a Viṣṇu-stuti?", "answer": "Setu-bandhana is the construction of the bridge/causeway across the ocean in the Rāmāyaṇa narrative. It functions as a signature avatāra-act: an impossible task made possible through divine purpose, demonstrating that only the Lord can accomplish such world-altering feats."}, {"question": "Does ‘daśagrīva’ always mean Rāvaṇa?", "answer": "Yes in classical Purāṇic/Itihāsa usage, ‘Daśagrīva’ (‘Ten-necked’) is a standard epithet of Rāvaṇa, marking him as the paradigmatic tyrant whose fall restores dharma."}, {"question": "What sacred geography is explicitly present here?", "answer": "The verse explicitly names the sāgara (ocean). It also explicitly names the setu (causeway). Laṅkā is only implied by the setu motif and is not directly mentioned in the text of this śloka."}]

Word by Word

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Speakers

• A speaker within the narrative (praise addressed to Viṣṇu) to the Lord (direct second-person address).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Vāmana’s stratagem and dharmic ‘deception’
• Subduing royal pride (darpa-nigraha)
• Divine uniqueness (ko ’nyo… tvāmṛte)
• Kingship, power, and humility

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Vāmana’s act described as ‘vañcana’ (outwitting)—is it morally problematic?

In Purāṇic idiom, vañcana here denotes a divine stratagem used to restore cosmic order (dharma). Bali’s boon-granting and conquest had destabilized the balance of worlds; Vāmana’s ‘cleverness’ is portrayed as a compassionate, lawful means to curb excess without mere annihilation.

Who is the ‘Haihaya king’ whose pride is said to be destroyed?

The verse alludes to a Haihaya ruler archetype (often associated in wider Purāṇic memory with Kartavīrya Arjuna or Haihaya sovereignty). The point is thematic: only the Supreme can truly humble the pride of mighty royal lineages.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic reference typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No explicit river, lake, forest, or tīrtha is named in this śloka; it is a pan-avatāra praise embedded in the Bali narrative rather than a geography (tīrtha-māhātmya) passage.