Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 39

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

भवांस्त्राता च गोप्ता च विश्वात्मा सर्वगो ऽव्ययः सर्वधारी धराधारी रूपधारी नमो ऽस्तु ते

Transliteration

bhavāṃstrātā ca goptā ca viśvātmā sarvago 'vyayaḥ sarvadhārī dharādhārī rūpadhārī namo 'stu te

Translation

You are the deliverer and the protector; the very Self of the universe; all-pervading and imperishable; the bearer of all, the support of the earth, the bearer of forms—salutation to You.

Speakers

• Unnamed devotee/supplicant addressing Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa (continuation of the stuti).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa)

Key Themes

• Cosmic sustenance and protection
• Immanence and transcendence (sarvaga/avyaya)
• Avatāra principle (rūpadhārī)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How do 'sarvagaḥ' and 'avyayaḥ' function together theologically?

They pair immanence with invariability: the deity pervades all places and beings (sarvagaḥ) while remaining undecaying and unchanged (avyayaḥ), a standard Puranic way to express transcendence without denying presence in the world.

What is the difference between 'sarvadhārī' and 'dharādhārī'?

Sarvadhārī is universal—supporting all entities and orders; dharādhārī is a focused cosmic image—supporting the earth (dharā), often evoking Vishnu’s role as the stabilizing foundation of the world.

Does 'rūpadhārī' explicitly refer to Vāmana/Trivikrama here?

Not explicitly in this verse, but it is compatible with the avatāra doctrine central to the Vāmana Purāṇa: the Lord assumes appropriate forms to protect dharma, of which Vāmana/Trivikrama is a paradigmatic example.