Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

ततो द्विजनियुक्तायां रक्षायां रजनीचरः निर्धूतवेगः सहसा तस्थौ मासचतुष्टयम्

Transliteration

tato dvijaniyuktāyāṃ rakṣāyāṃ rajanīcaraḥ nirdhūtavegaḥ sahasā tasthau māsacatuṣṭayam

Translation

پھر جب برہمن کی مقرر کردہ حفاظتی رسم قائم ہو گئی تو وہ شب گرد مخلوق اچانک بے زور ہو گئی اور چار مہینے تک رکا رہا۔

Speakers

• Narrator voice within Pulastya’s discourse to Nārada (contextual frame typical of Saro-māhātmya sections)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-mahima via ritual protection
• Power of mantra/rite (rakṣā) to restrain harmful beings
• Auspicious time-cycle (four-month period)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “dvijaniyuktāyāṃ rakṣāyām” imply in practice?

It indicates a formally prescribed protective observance—typically a mantra-ward, vow, or consecrated protection—established under brahminical authority, functioning as a binding restraint on hostile entities.

Why is the restraint specifically “four months” (māsacatuṣṭayam)?

Four months often marks a ritually significant cycle (a cāturmāsya-like span) in Purāṇic narrative logic, used to denote a complete, bounded period of enforced stillness, penance, or ritual efficacy.

Does this verse itself identify a tīrtha location?

No. The verse is narrative-functional (describing the effect of a protective rite). The tīrtha identification belongs to the surrounding Saro-māhātmya context, not to this line’s explicit toponyms.