Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

यदि शुश्रुषितो वह्निर्गुरुशुश्रूषणादनु व्रतानि वा सुचीर्णानि सप्तार्चिः पातु मां ततः

Transliteration

yadi śuśruṣito vahnirguruśuśrūṣaṇādanu vratāni vā sucīrṇāni saptārciḥ pātu māṃ tataḥ

Translation

If the Fire-god (Agni) is truly pleased by my service to the guru, and if my vows have been well observed, then may that seven-flamed one protect me from that (danger/evil).

Speakers

• Devotee/supplicant voice (a didactic prayer within the narration); addressed to Agni (Vahni/Pāvaka).

Primary Deities

• Agni

Key Themes

• Gurubhakti (service to the teacher)
• Vrata (vowed observance)
• Agni as purifier and protector
• Merit (puṇya) as protective power

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Agni invoked as ‘saptārciḥ’ (seven-flamed) in a dharma passage about the guru?

‘Saptārciḥ’ is a Vedic epithet highlighting Agni’s cosmic and ritual completeness (seven tongues/flames in many Vedic descriptions). In dharma teaching, Agni functions as the witness and purifier of vows; thus the prayer links inner discipline (guru-service, vrata) with Agni’s purificatory protection.

What is the implied logic of protection here—how do guru-service and vows lead to safety?

The verse frames protection as the fruit of dharmic conduct: if one’s guru-service is genuine and one’s vows are properly kept, that accumulated merit is ‘validated’ by Agni (the ritual witness), who then becomes the protective agency.

Does ‘tataḥ’ indicate a specific danger or sin?

Grammatically, ‘tataḥ’ means ‘from that.’ In such protective stutis it commonly points to whatever harm is contextually present—fear, impurity, misfortune, or the consequences of lapse in discipline—without needing to name it in the verse itself.