Resonant Raman excitation by ultrafast vacuum ultraviolet laser pulses is a powerful means to study electron dynamics in molecules, but experiments must contend with linear background ionization: frequencies high enough to reach resonant core-valence transitions will usually ionize all occupied orbitals as well, and the ionization cross sections are usually dominant. Here we show that attosecond pulses can induce a process, transient impulsive stimulated Raman scattering, which can overwhelm

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... ence ionization. Calculations are performed for atomic sodium, but the principal is valid for many molecular systems. This approach opens the path for high fidelity multidimensional spectroscopy with attosecond pulses.