Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

यमीशं सर्वभूतानां ध्यायन्ति यतयो ऽक्षरम् वासुदेवमनिर्देश्यं तमस्मि शरणं गतः

Transliteration

yamīśaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ dhyāyanti yatayo 'kṣaram vāsudevamanirdeśyaṃ tamasmi śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

సర్వభూతముల అధీశ్వరుడైన అక్షరుని యతులు ధ్యానించుదురు; వర్ణనాతీతుడైన వాసుదేవుని నేను శరణు పొందితిని.

Speakers

• A devotee/narrative voice declaring refuge in Vāsudeva; situated in the chapter’s devotional-philosophical passage (speaker attribution varies by manuscript tradition).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Akṣara theology (imperishable absolute)
• Ascetic contemplation (dhyāna)
• Ineffability of the divine (anirdeśya)
• Śaraṇāgati

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vāsudeva ‘akṣara’ in a Purāṇic hymn?

‘Akṣara’ aligns Vāsudeva with the unchanging, imperishable reality emphasized in Upaniṣadic and Gītā-style discourse. The Purāṇa integrates bhakti (refuge) with jñāna idiom (imperishability), presenting the same supreme as both personal Lord and metaphysical absolute.

How can the Lord be ‘anirdeśya’ (indescribable) yet still named ‘Vāsudeva’?

The verse distinguishes between conventional designation (nāma used for devotion and teaching) and ultimate capture by language. ‘Vāsudeva’ functions as a devotional and scriptural pointer, while ‘anirdeśya’ asserts that the divine essence exceeds conceptual and linguistic limits.

Why mention ascetics (yatayaḥ) in a tīrtha-oriented chapter?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas often present pilgrimage as compatible with renunciation: the highest fruit of a sacred place is not only ritual merit but also the contemplative realization sought by ascetics. The verse bridges popular devotion and elite meditative practice.