Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

गदा चेयं सहस्रार्चिरुद्वमन् पावको यथा रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां डाकिनीनां च शातनी

Transliteration

gadā ceyaṃ sahasrārcirudvaman pāvako yathā rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ ḍākinīnāṃ ca śātanī

Translation

இந்த கதா ஆயிரம் ஜ்வாலைகளை உமிழ்ந்து மேலெழும் தீயைப் போல ஒளிர்கிறது. இது ராக்ஷசர், பூதர், பிசாசர் மற்றும் டாகினிகளை அழ�Vamana Purana,59,120,VamP 59.120,etat te kathitaṃ brahman viṣṇoḥ sārasvataṃ stavam vipravaktrasthayā samyaksarasvatyā samīritam,एतत् ते कथितं ब्रह्मन् विष्णोः सारस्वतं स्तवम् विप्रवक्त्रस्थया सम्यक्सरस्वत्या समीरितम्,Saromahatmiya (Sarasvati-Tirtha Mahatmya),Stuti (Hymn) / Phalaśruti framing,Adhyaya 59 (title: Sarasvata-stava / Sarasvati-related praise of Viṣṇu),59.120,etat te kathitaṃ brahman viṣṇoḥ sārasvataṃ stavam vipravaktrasthayā samyaksarasvatyā samīritam,etat te kathitaṃ brahman viṣṇoḥ sārasvataṃ stavam vipra-vaktra-sthayā samyak sarasvatyā samīritam,“O Brāhmaṇa

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely a narrator within the tīrtha-māhātmya discourse).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Gadā/Kaumodakī (personified weapon)

Key Themes

• Divine power as purifying fire
• Protection from spirit-afflictions
• Cataloguing of demonic classes
• Āyudha-mahimā

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the mace compared to fire (pāvaka)?

Fire is the Purāṇic purifier and consumer of impurity; comparing the gadā to fire emphasizes its capacity to burn away malevolent influences and restore dharmic order.

Who are ḍākinīs in this context?

Ḍākinīs are portrayed as fierce, harmful female spirits in Purāṇic and later tantric-influenced demonologies. Their inclusion signals comprehensive protection against both male and female-coded spirit threats.

Is this a literal battle description or a theological statement?

The diction is stuti-like: it functions as a theological assertion that Viṣṇu’s śakti, embodied in his weapons, is sufficient to annihilate all categories of hostile beings, whether physical (rākṣasa) or subtle (bhūta/piśāca).