Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

राक्षस उवाच षष्ठे काले त्वमाहारः क्षुधितस्य समागतः निःश्रीकस्यातिपापस्य निर्घृणस्य द्विजद्रुहः

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca ṣaṣṭhe kāle tvamāhāraḥ kṣudhitasya samāgataḥ niḥśrīkasyātipāpasya nirghṛṇasya dvijadruhaḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "A dark, collyrium-hued elephant-king, eyes wavering with musth, perfumes the air; the mountain-lake landscape seems to inhale his rut-fragrance.", "primary_figures": ["Gajendra", "elephant herd (background)"], "setting": "Mountain-adjacent tirtha with forested ridges and a lotus lake nearby", "color_palette": ["lampblack", "indigo", "ivory", "forest green", "saffron-gold"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on tusks and forehead markings, elephant-king comparable to Airāvata, stylized mountain and temple-lake, rich jewel tones", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft indigo-gray elephant with expressive unsteady eyes, scented breeze suggested by flowing lines, gentle hills and trees, lotus lake hinted in distance", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold contouring, dark elephant body with rhythmic highlights, stylized fragrance swirls, sacred landscape motifs, temple mural symmetry", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra, patterned elephant skin texture, decorative depiction of musth and fragrance, mountain and trees in folk geometry, narrative clarity with ornate border"}

Speakers

• Rākṣasa to Brāhmaṇa

Key Themes

• Adharma and self-incrimination
• Sin as loss of Śrī (auspicious fortune)
• Violence against Brāhmaṇas (dvijadroha)
• Fate/recurrence signaled by time-count (ṣaṣṭha-kāla)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “niḥśrīka” convey beyond ‘poor’ or ‘unlucky’?

Śrī signifies prosperity, auspiciousness, and divine radiance (often personified as Lakṣmī). Calling himself niḥśrīka implies moral-spiritual deprivation: his cruelty has driven away auspiciousness and merit, not merely material wealth.

How should “ṣaṣṭhe kāle” be understood?

Literally “on the sixth occasion/time.” In Purāṇic storytelling, such time-counts can indicate a recurring pattern (e.g., periodic feeding, a vow, or a destined cycle). Without surrounding verses, it is best read as a narrative cue that this is not the first such event.

Why is “dvijadruhaḥ” emphasized?

Harming the twice-born—especially Brāhmaṇas—is a paradigmatic transgression in dharma literature. The rākṣasa’s identity is defined by this hostility, heightening the ethical stakes and foreshadowing consequences (punishment, curse, or reversal).