Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 40

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

वर्धस्व वर्धिताशेषत्रैलोक्य सुरपूजित कुरुष्व दैवतपते मघोनो ऽश्रुप्रमार्जनम्

Transliteration

vardhasva vardhitāśeṣatrailokya surapūjita kuruṣva daivatapate maghono 'śrupramārjanam

Translation

Prosper—O You who have increased (and sustained) the entire three worlds, worshipped by the gods. O Lord of the deities, bring about the wiping away of Maghavan’s (Indra’s) tears.

Speakers

• Unnamed devotee/supplicant addressing Vishnu; the verse explicitly references Indra (Maghavan) as the beneficiary of divine grace.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa)
• Indra (Maghavan)

Key Themes

• Divine kingship over the devas
• Removal of sorrow (aśru-pramārjana)
• Deva–asura conflict background (implied by Indra’s distress)
• Prayer for protection and restoration

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Indra (Maghavan) singled out for relief in a Vishnu-stuti?

In many Purāṇic narratives, Indra’s distress signals a cosmic imbalance (often due to asuras or loss of sovereignty). Appealing to Vishnu as Daivatapati frames Vishnu as the ultimate restorer of deva-order and dharma.

How should 'vardhasva' be understood—does one ask God to 'increase'?

In stuti idiom it functions as a benediction and intensifier: 'may You flourish/prevail'—a devotional way of affirming the deity’s ever-expanding sovereignty and auspicious presence, not implying deficiency in the divine.

What does 'aśru-pramārjana' convey beyond literal tears?

It is a conventional Puranic expression for the removal of grief, fear, and humiliation—i.e., the restoration of dignity and stability to Indra and, by extension, to the cosmic administration of the three worlds.