Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 90

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

Devanagari script

यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढो ऽग्निरिव दारुषु विष्णुरेवं तथा पापं ममाशेषं प्रणश्यतु

Transliteration

yathā sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho 'gniriva dāruṣu viṣṇurevaṃ tathā pāpaṃ mamāśeṣaṃ praṇaśyatu

Translation

यथा दारुषु गूढोऽग्निः सर्वेषु भूतेषु विष्णुरिव तथा; ममाशेषं पापं प्रणश्यतु।

Speakers

• Not specified in the excerpt; presented as a prayer/utterance within the chapter’s tīrtha/prāyaścitta context.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Pāpa-nāśa (destruction of sin)
• Antaryāmin / divine immanence
• Prāyaścitta through remembrance and prayer
• Non-dual pervasion of Viṣṇu

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the ‘fire hidden in wood’ metaphor used here?

It expresses immanence: fire is not externally visible in wood yet is truly present and can be manifested; likewise Viṣṇu is present within all beings though not perceived by ordinary sight. The prayer leverages that omnipresence as the basis for inner purification.

Is this verse teaching a specific ritual expiation (prāyaścitta) or a contemplative one?

The wording functions as a contemplative-prayer formula: by affirming Viṣṇu’s all-pervasion and invoking it, the speaker seeks pāpa-kṣaya. In tīrtha-māhātmya settings, such prayers commonly accompany bathing, vows, or pilgrimage acts, but the verse itself emphasizes inner recognition.

Does ‘aśeṣa’ imply even long-standing karmic residue can be removed?

Yes. ‘Aśeṣa’ (“without remainder”) signals a total cleansing aspiration—covering both manifest wrongdoing and latent karmic traces—grounded in the Lord’s pervasive presence and grace.