Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

गुर्वर्थमेतदागत्य यत्फलग्रहणं कृतम् ममात्र निष्ठा प्राप्तस्य फलानि विनिवेदितुम्

Transliteration

gurvarthametadāgatya yatphalagrahaṇaṃ kṛtam mamātra niṣṭhā prāptasya phalāni viniveditum

Translation

“Having come here for the sake of my guru, I have gathered these fruits. I have attained firm resolve here, and (now) I wish to present these fruits as an offering (to my teacher).”

Speakers

• (Implied) a brahmin/ascetic devotee speaking to a rākṣasa (guardian/obstructor figure)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

Key Themes

• Guru-bhakti (devotion/service to teacher)
• Niṣṭhā (steadfast resolve)
• Offering (naivedya/arpana)
• Tirtha-related merit (implied by chapter context)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are fruits significant in this passage?

Phala (fruit) functions as a simple, sattvic offering suitable for an ascetic context; it also signals that the act is not for personal consumption but for guru-sevā (service to the teacher), which is treated as a high dharmic merit in Purāṇic ethics.

What does ‘niṣṭhā’ imply here beyond ‘determination’?

Niṣṭhā indicates a settled spiritual orientation—steadfastness in vow, discipline, or devotion—often gained through tapas, tīrtha-stay, or a decisive moral choice; the speaker claims such firmness has been ‘attained here’ (atra), linking inner transformation to the sacred setting.

Does this verse itself identify a specific tīrtha?

No. These lines do not name any geography; the tīrtha identification must be taken from the chapter’s framing (Saro-mahātmya) rather than from the śloka text.