Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

न चेत् तत्पापशीलो ऽहमत्यर्थं क्षुत्पिपासितः षष्ठे काले नृशंसात्मा भक्षयिष्यामि निर्घृणः

Transliteration

na cet tatpāpaśīlo 'hamatyarthaṃ kṣutpipāsitaḥ ṣaṣṭhe kāle nṛśaṃsātmā bhakṣayiṣyāmi nirghṛṇaḥ

Translation

न चेत् तत् करोषि, तर्हि अहं पापशीलोऽत्यर्थं क्षुत्पिपासितः; षष्ठे काले नृशंसात्मा निर्घृणो भक्षयिष्यामि।

Speakers

• A rākṣasa (demon) threatening the muni’s son (muni-suta).

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima (contextual)
• Fear and moral crisis
• Rakshasa menace
• Testing of resolve / dharma under threat

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “ṣaṣṭhe kāle” (“at the sixth time”) imply in this threat?

It indicates a fixed deadline—an appointed sixth interval (often understood as the sixth watch/period/day depending on local narrative convention). The rākṣasa frames the threat as time-bound, heightening urgency and forcing an immediate dharmic decision.

Why emphasize hunger and thirst (“kṣutpipāsita”) in a rākṣasa’s speech?

In Purāṇic narrative, rākṣasas are frequently characterized by uncontrolled appetite and predation. The phrase functions as a moral marker: the speaker is driven by tamas (darkness) and adharma, contrasting with the ascetic restraint expected of a muni’s lineage.

How does this verse fit a tīrtha-māhātmya section if no geography is named here?

Māhātmyas often embed exemplary stories to demonstrate the tīrtha’s protective or merit-giving power. Even when a verse is purely dialogic, it can be part of a larger Saro-tīrtha frame where the eventual resolution underscores the sanctity of the place.