Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 81

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

Devanagari script

स्रष्टा भूत्वा स्थितो योगी स्थितावसुरसूदनः तमादिपुरुषं विष्णुं प्रमतो ऽस्मि जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

sraṣṭā bhūtvā sthito yogī sthitāvasurasūdanaḥ tamādipuruṣaṃ viṣṇuṃ pramato 'smi janārdanam

Translation

namasye: “I bow/salute”; padma-kiraṇa: “lotus-rayed/lotus-beamed,” an epithet used in praise (commonly of a solar or Viṣṇu-like radiance; here a divine epithet within a litany); vaḍavā-mukha: “mare-faced,” a name associated with the submarine fire (Vaḍavānala) and also used as a fierce divine epithet; kārttikeya: Skanda, son of Śiva, commander of the gods; bāhlīka: “the Bāhlīka,” a proper name/epithet (also a regional designation, Bāhlīka/Bactria; in stuti-lists can denote a deity or revered figure bearing that epithet); śikhin: “the crested one,” a common epithet of Skanda (peacock-crested/with plume) and also of Agni in some contexts—here paired as a distinct salutation in the list.

Speakers

• A devotee/narratorial voice offering stuti to Viṣṇu/Janārdana (within Adhyāya 59’s praise section).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Janardana

Key Themes

• Devotional stuti
• Cosmic functions of the deity (creation–maintenance–destruction)
• Viṣṇu as Ādipuruṣa
• Protection of devas; subjugation of asuras

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse call Viṣṇu both ‘Creator’ and ‘slayer of Asuras’?

The stuti compresses multiple divine functions into one Lord: creation (sraṣṭā), sustaining presence (sthitaḥ), and the restoration of cosmic order through the defeat of asuric forces (asurasūdanaḥ). It is a theological synthesis rather than a chronological narrative claim.

What is meant by ‘yogī’ when applied to Viṣṇu?

Here ‘yogī’ indicates the supreme, perfectly self-contained consciousness—one who remains inwardly established while governing the cosmos. It highlights transcendence alongside immanence.

Does this verse point to a specific avatāra like Vāmana or Trivikrama?

No. The verse praises Viṣṇu in a universal, cosmic register (Ādipuruṣa/Janārdana). In the broader Purāṇic setting, such stutis often frame or support avatāra narratives, but this śloka itself is not avatāra-specific.