Vamana Purana — Sin-Destroying Hymn (Part 1), Shloka 33

The Second Sin-Destroying Hymn (Pāpaśamana Stava) and the Syncretic Praise of Hari-Hara

Devanagari script

नमस्ते यज्ञपुरुष यज्ञभागभुजे नमः नमः सहस्रधाराय शतधाराय ते नमः

Transliteration

namaste yajñapuruṣa yajñabhāgabhuje namaḥ namaḥ sahasradhārāya śatadhārāya te namaḥ

Translation

bhūr-bhuvaḥ-svaḥ: the three vyāhṛtis denoting earth, mid-region/atmosphere, and heaven; svarūpa: essential form/nature; go-dā: giver of cows (a paradigmatic Purāṇic dāna); amṛta: immortality, nectar; dāyin: giver/bestower; suvarṇa: gold; brahma-dāna: ‘gift of brahman’—either (a) brahma-jñāna (spiritual knowledge) bestowed by grace, and/or (b) brahma-dāna as a supreme category of gift (including gifting Vedic learning, or the highest sacred donation); sarva-dātṛ: giver of all (boons, gifts, attainments).

Word by Word

:

Speakers

• A devotee/praiser addressing the Supreme as Yajñapuruṣa within the Saro-māhātmya setting.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Yajñapuruṣa)

Key Themes

• Ritual theology: offerings and divine reception
• Stuti as a means of merit
• Abundance imagery (streams/flows)
• Tīrtha-hymn style within a māhātmya

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Yajñapuruṣa’ in Purāṇic usage?

Yajñapuruṣa is the divine ‘Person’ who is both the inner reality of sacrifice and the true recipient of offerings. Even when multiple deities receive shares, the Purāṇic frame often presents the Supreme (commonly Viṣṇu) as the ultimate ground of yajña.

What does ‘yajñabhāgabhuje’ convey?

It states that the Lord ‘partakes of the sacrificial portion’—meaning offerings are not merely symbolic; they are ritually directed to a real divine recipient, and the efficacy of yajña is anchored in that relationship.

How should ‘śata-dhārā’ and ‘sahasra-dhārā’ be understood?

They can denote (a) the many ‘streams’ of oblations (ghee, soma, etc.) in ritual, (b) the many streams of grace/boons, or (c) tīrtha imagery of manifold waters. In a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, the polyvalence is likely intentional.