Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 65

The Slaying of Raktabīja and Niśumbha–Śumbha; the Manifestation of the Mātṛkās and the Devas’ Hymn

Devanagari script

इमां स्तुतिं भक्तिपरा नरोत्तमा भवद्भिरुक्तामनुकीर्त्तयन्ति दुःस्वप्ननाशो भविता न संशयो वरस्तथान्यो व्रियतामभीप्सितः

Transliteration

imāṃ stutiṃ bhaktiparā narottamā bhavadbhiruktāmanukīrttayanti duḥsvapnanāśo bhavitā na saṃśayo varastathānyo vriyatāmabhīpsitaḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "Agni, radiant and moving along a forest-path, beholds Kuṭulā Devī; he raises a hand in caution, speaking of unbearable tejas.", "primary_figures": ["Agni (Pāvaka/Hutāśana)", "Kuṭulā Devī"], "setting": "A woodland road near a riverine landscape hinted in the distance; twilight glow from Agni’s aura.", "color_palette": ["vermillion", "gold", "smoky gray", "deep green", "indigo"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold-leaf haloed Agni with flaming aureole, Kuṭulā Devī adorned with temple jewelry, South Indian ornamental arch, rich reds and greens, devotional iconographic composition, high detail", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastel forest path, Agni as a luminous figure with gentle flames, Kuṭulā Devī in elegant attire, delicate linework, serene yet tense encounter, atmospheric depth", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, natural pigments, Agni with stylized flame-crown, Kuṭulā Devī frontal pose, temple-wall composition, rhythmic patterns, dramatic gesture of warning", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll style, narrative panel of Agni meeting Kuṭulā Devī on a path, flat perspective, intricate borders, natural dyes, clear inscriptions space, folk storytelling emphasis"}

Speakers

• Devī (continuing her address) granting fruits of the stuti to the praisers and future reciters

Primary Deities

• Devī

Key Themes

• Phalaśruti (recitation benefits)
• Duḥsvapna-nivāraṇa (removal of nightmares)
• Bhakti and liturgical repetition
• Boons (vara)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why do Purāṇas often mention ‘destruction of bad dreams’ as a fruit of stuti?

Duḥsvapna is treated as a marker of aśubha (inauspiciousness) and psychological/spiritual disturbance. Promising its removal frames the hymn as apotropaic—protective in daily life—linking devotion, ritual speech, and well-being.

Who are the “narottamāḥ” here—gods or humans?

Although the immediate audience includes devas/ṛṣis, the wording broadens the scope to exemplary human devotees as future reciters. Purāṇic phalaśrutis commonly universalize the benefit beyond the original scene.

What is meant by “another boon may be chosen”?

It indicates an open-ended varadāna: beyond the specific fruit (duḥsvapna-nāśa), the devotee may request an additional desired boon, consistent with the Goddess’s role as a responsive grantor to sincere bhakti and stuti.