Vamana Purana — Sarasvata Hymn to Vishnu, Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

गदा चेयं सहस्रार्चिरुद्वमन् पावको यथा रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां डाकिनीनां च शातनी

Transliteration

gadā ceyaṃ sahasrārcirudvaman pāvako yathā rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ ḍākinīnāṃ ca śātanī

Translation

Śārṅga: Viṣṇu’s divine bow; visphūrjita: resounding/twanging loudly, roaring; Vāsudeva: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa as the indwelling Lord; (madri-pūn / madripūn): text as given is unclear; likely denotes ‘enemies/foes’ (ari/śatru sense) in context—requires manuscript check; tiryañc (tiryaṅ): animal/creature (non-human); manuṣya: human; kūṣmāṇḍa: a class of spirit/demon (often grouped with yakṣa-like or bhūta classes in Purāṇic lists); preta: ghost/restless dead; aśeṣataḥ: completely, leaving nothing.

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely a narrator within the tīrtha-māhātmya discourse).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Gadā/Kaumodakī (personified weapon)

Key Themes

• Divine power as purifying fire
• Protection from spirit-afflictions
• Cataloguing of demonic classes
• Āyudha-mahimā

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is the mace compared to fire (pāvaka)?

Fire is the Purāṇic purifier and consumer of impurity; comparing the gadā to fire emphasizes its capacity to burn away malevolent influences and restore dharmic order.

Who are ḍākinīs in this context?

Ḍākinīs are portrayed as fierce, harmful female spirits in Purāṇic and later tantric-influenced demonologies. Their inclusion signals comprehensive protection against both male and female-coded spirit threats.

Is this a literal battle description or a theological statement?

The diction is stuti-like: it functions as a theological assertion that Viṣṇu’s śakti, embodied in his weapons, is sufficient to annihilate all categories of hostile beings, whether physical (rākṣasa) or subtle (bhūta/piśāca).