Śrīvatsa
Śrīvatsa · śrī-vatsa, “the beloved of Śrī”
Śrīvatsa is the sacred mark borne by Bhagavān Vishṇu, by which he is praised as Śrīvatsāṅka, “he who is marked with the Śrīvatsa”. In the Vāmana Purāṇa the four-armed Mahāvishṇu bearing the Śrīvatsa is worshipped with Mahālakshmī in the Aśūnya-śayana vrata; Bhagavān Hayagrīva, wearing the Śrīvatsa and the Vaijayantī garland, is called upon to guard the north-west in the Vishṇupañjara stotra; and the Śrīvatsāṅka is praised in the Vishṇu Sārasvata stotra and named by Bhagavān Vāmana himself among his forms. The Mahāpāśupata gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva wear the Śrīvatsa mark, and the rākshasa Śrīdāma, who carried off Lakshmī Devī, resolved to steal even the Śrīvatsa of Vāsudeva.
In the Aśūnya-śayana vrata
The second tithi of the month of Śrāvaṇa, the day on which Prajāpati Viśvakarmā sleeps, is called the holy Aśūnya-śayana Dvitīyā, “the second tithi of the bed never empty”. On that day one places on a bed the four-armed Mahāvishṇu, who bears the Śrīvatsa mark, together with Mahālakshmī, worships him with fragrances, flowers and the other offerings, and places fragrant fruits on that bed. Then one prays to Madhusūdana: “O Trivikrama, Ananta, Jagannivāsa! As you remain with Lakshmī, never leaving her even for a moment, so by your grace may our beds never be empty. O Acyuta, Varada, Amitavīrya, Vishṇu, may there never be any loss of our household life.” That night one eats only food without oil and salt, and the next day gives a fruit and dakshiṇā to an excellent brāhmaṇa, praying that Lakshmīnātha be pleased. In this way the cāturmāsya vrata is kept until Sūrya enters Vṛścika.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 17
In the Vishṇupañjara stotra
In the Śrī Vishṇupañjara stotra, which Bhagavān Śiva once taught Kātyāyanī for her protection, Bhagavān Vishṇu is called upon in every direction with his weapons and signs. For the north-west the devotee prays: “O Prabhu Hayagrīva, wearing the Vaijayantī garland and the Śrīvatsa mark! Protect me in the north-west. Namaskāra to you.”
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 18
Worn by the Mahāpāśupatas
When Nandī called the gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva to battle against Andhaka, he named among them gaṇa-leaders who came with two and a half lotus-like eyes, wearing the Śrīvatsa mark and riding on birds, and others with bull banners. They are the Mahāpāśupatas, bearing the cakra and the śūla, who worship Bhairava and Vishṇu with a mind that sees no difference between them.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 41
Śrīdāma’s design
Dharmaśīlā told her son Upamanyu that long ago a fearsome rākshasa named Śrīdāma conquered the three worlds and carried off Lakshmī Devī, so that all the worlds were left without Śrī. That wicked one then resolved to steal even the Śrīvatsa of Vāsudeva. Knowing his design, Janārdana went to Maheśvara on the Himācala and performed tapas, standing on the big toe of one foot for a thousand years, and Bhagavān Śiva granted him the divine Sudarśana cakra as a vara.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 56
Śrīvatsāṅka in stotra
In the Vishṇu Sārasvata stotra, which Sarasvatī Devī spoke through the tongue of a brāhmaṇa boy, the seventh verse says: “Namas to Śrīvatsāṅka, Lakshmīpati, Śrīdhara, Śrīnivāsa, Śrīvallabha. May that Svāmī destroy my pāpas.” Śrī Hari, who loves stotras, destroys all the pāpas of those who praise him with this stotra.
When Bhagavān Vāmana told the brahmarshi Bharadvāja the places where his forms abide, he said that on the Narmadā they call him Vīra, Kuvalayārūḍha, Śaṅkha-cakra-gadādhara, Śrīvatsāṅka, Udārāṅga and Śriyaḥpati.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 59, 63
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 17–18, 41, 56, 59, 63