Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

पर्यासिताः दा तेन पितृदेवद्विजातयः स त्वायुषि परिक्षिणे जज्ञे घोरो निशाचरः

Transliteration

paryāsitāḥ dā tena pitṛdevadvijātayaḥ sa tvāyuṣi parikṣiṇe jajñe ghoro niśācaraḥ

Translation

By him the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits), the gods, and the twice-born were harassed and driven into distress. And when his lifespan was running down, he was born as a dreadful night-roaming being (niśācara).

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic dialogue context not explicit in the given excerpt) describing karmic consequence; addressed to the listening sage/audience within the Adhyaya.

Key Themes

• Karma and rebirth
• Consequences of harming Brahmins and devas
• Demonic birth as karmaphala
• Ethical decline (adharma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Pitṛs, devas, and dvijas grouped together as victims here?

In Purāṇic dharma-logic, these three represent the pillars of ritual and cosmic order: Pitṛs are sustained by śrāddha, devas by yajña, and dvijas are custodians of Veda and rites. Harassing them signifies a comprehensive assault on dharma, which is presented as producing severe karmic repercussions.

Does ‘niśācara’ necessarily mean a specific species like a rākṣasa?

Niśācara literally means ‘one who moves at night’ and is commonly used as a generic label for rākṣasas and similar demonic beings. The verse’s ‘ghora’ qualifier and the next verse’s explicit ‘rākṣasatva’ confirm the intended sense: demonic embodiment as a karmic result.

What is implied by ‘āyuṣi parikṣiṇe’ (when lifespan was diminishing)?

It signals the transition point between one embodiment and the next. The text frames rebirth not as random but as the maturation of prior actions (karma) as the current life’s allotted span is exhausted.