Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 2), Shloka 26

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

अप्रतर्क्यं चतुर्बाहुं सहस्रांशुं तपोमयम् नमस्ये धर्मराजानं देवं गरुडवाहनम्

Transliteration

apratarkyaṃ caturbāhuṃ sahasrāṃśuṃ tapomayam namasye dharmarājānaṃ devaṃ garuḍavāhanam

Translation

अप्रतर्क्यं चतुर्बाहुं सहस्रांशुं तपोमयं धर्मराजानं देवं गरुडवाहनं नमस्यामि।

Speakers

• Stuti voice within the narrative (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt) addressing the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

Key Themes

• Devotional praise (stuti)
• Supremacy of Viṣṇu
• Dharma as divine sovereignty
• Tapas (ascetic power)
• Iconography: four arms, Garuḍa vehicle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the Lord called ‘Dharma-rāja’ here—does it mean Yama?

In this verse the epithet is anchored by ‘caturbāhu’ and ‘garuḍavāhana,’ which are distinctive of Viṣṇu. Thus ‘Dharma-rāja’ functions as ‘the sovereign source and ruler of dharma,’ not as Yama (who is typically not Garuḍa-mounted nor four-armed in Purāṇic description).

What does ‘apratarkya’ imply in Purāṇic theology?

It signals that the Supreme is not exhausted by discursive logic (tarka). The Purāṇic stance is not anti-reason, but asserts that ultimate reality is fully known through devotion, revelation, and yogic realization beyond purely inferential methods.

How should ‘sahasrāṃśu’ be understood—Sun imagery or a specific deity?

It is a radiance metaphor: the Lord’s splendor is likened to the sun’s thousand rays. It does not shift the referent to Sūrya; rather it intensifies Viṣṇu’s tejas (divine brilliance) within the stuti.