Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

राक्षस उवाच त्वां वै समागतो ऽस्म्यद्य क्षिप्तो ऽहं रक्षया बलात् तव संसर्गतो ब्रह्मन् जातो निर्वेद उत्तमः

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca tvāṃ vai samāgato 'smyadya kṣipto 'haṃ rakṣayā balāt tava saṃsargato brahman jāto nirveda uttamaḥ

Translation

రాక్షసుడు పలికెను— “ఈ రోజు నేను మీ వద్దకు వచ్చితిని; ఏదో రక్షాశక్తి నన్ను బలాత్కారంగా ఇక్కడికి తోసివేసింది. ఓ బ్రాహ్మణా! మీ సాంగత్యమువలన నాలో పరమ నిర్వేదము (వైరాగ్యము) జన్మించింది.”

Speakers

• Rākṣasa speaking to a Brahmin/holy interlocutor (unnamed in the provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Satsaṅga (transformative holy association)
• Moral awakening and repentance (nirveda)
• Protective power of dharma/merit (rakṣā)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘rakṣā’ (protective power) that ‘casts’ the Rākṣasa toward the Brahmin?

In Purāṇic idiom, rakṣā can denote an unseen protective force generated by dharma, tapas, mantra, or the merit (puṇya) of a holy person or sacred act. The verse frames the Rākṣasa’s approach as compelled by such merit-power rather than by his own predatory intent.

Why is ‘saṃsarga’ (association) emphasized as the cause of nirveda?

The text highlights satsaṅga: contact with a dharmic person is portrayed as intrinsically purifying, capable of reversing even a Rākṣasa’s disposition. Nirveda here is not mere despair but a lucid revulsion toward wrongdoing that becomes the doorway to reform.

Does this verse imply a conversion from demonic nature to dharmic life?

It signals the beginning of that arc: the Rākṣasa experiences uttama-nirveda, a classic prerequisite for confession, seeking instruction, and undertaking expiation or devotion in subsequent verses.