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

నీవు అలా చేయకపోతే, నేను—పాపాచారుడను, తీవ్రమైన ఆకలి దాహాలతో బాధపడుతూ—ఆరవ సమయంలో క్రూరస్వభావంతో, కరుణలేక నిన్ను భక్షిస్తాను।

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.