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

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "satya and guru-niṣṭhā overriding fear of death", "teaching_summary": "The brāhmaṇa accepts the consequence yet insists on first informing the guru—an ethic of truth, promise-keeping, and reverence to the teacher as a supreme dharma.", "vedantic_theme": "niṣkāma-dharma and inner steadiness (dhairya) as purification", "practical_application": "Keep one’s word even under pressure; prioritize obligations to teacher/elders and complete entrusted duties before personal safety when ethically required."}

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).