The story of Vamana Avatar is a common story in Hinduism. Lord Vishnu takes the Vamana Avatar in order to subjugate the powerful Mahabali, the king of the demons, who had defeated the gods and conquered the heavens. Vamana is a dwarf boy who outsmarts Bali by asking for only three steps of land as a gift from the great king. Though you may have heard this story, in this post, I will dive into the origins of the story and some interesting details.
Bali Conquers Swarga
This story is in the Bhagavata Purana, Book 8, Chapter 15
This story actually begins at the end of another famous incident in Hinduism, the Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the ocean. At the end of the Samudra Manthan, the Asuras (demons) are defeated by the Devas (gods). The gods drink the nectar of immortality and defeat the Asuras in a violent war. Bali, the king of the Asuras, is killed by Indra’s thunderbolt weapon. Indra and Vishnu slaughter many Asuras, and the remaining Asuras flee.
After the war, Bali and the other Asuras are revived by Shukracharya using the sanjivani mantra, a secret mantra that can resuscitate anyone. Although Bali was a righteous king, unlike the other Asuras, he was determined to take revenge after his defeat. He made the Bhargava Brahmins (descendants of sage Bhrigu) his mentors. The Bhargavas first consecrated Bali as the world emperor through the aindra ritual. After that, they made him perform the Visvajit sacrifice. In this yagna, the sacrificer must donate their wealth, so Bali donated his wealth to the Bhargavas. In return, many prizes emerged from the sacrificial fire: a golden chariot, green horses, a flag with a lion emblem, a celestial bow, a pair of inexhaustible quivers full of arrows, and a divine chainmail chestplate. Bali’s grandfather Prahlada gave him a wreath of flowers and his guru Shukracharya gave him a conch.
With all his new military equipment, Bali bowed down to the Brahmins, his grandfather, and his Guru. He mounted his chariot and surrounded by an army of demons, he marched against the heavens. He soon arrived at Amaravati, the beautiful capital of Indra. The charming city was filled with beautiful parks and gardens with chirping birds and blossoming flowers. The streets were lined with golden mansions studded with precious gems. Apsaras (nymphs) and Gandharvas roamed the paved streets. The city gates were made of crystal and ornamented with precious stones. Bali and his army laid siege to the city, causing destruction and terrifying the residents. The gods went to their preceptor Brihaspati for advice. Indra said, “Guru, Bali is stronger than ever before. He is invincible. What should we do? How did he get so powerful?”
“Indra, Bali has obtained all of this power from the great Bhargava sages. With the exception of Vishnu himself, nobody can defeat him. I think it is best that you leave heaven and go into hiding right now. When the time is right, Bali will be defeated,” Brihaspati said.
Thus, the gods fled and Bali established himself as the new Indra, the new ruler of heaven. He gained control over the three worlds. Under the guidance of the Bhargavas, he began performing 100 Ashwamedha (horse) sacrifices to solidify his position as the new Indra.
Aditi’s Penance
This story is in the Bhagavata Purana, Book 8, Chapters 16-18
When her sons were defeated, Aditi, the mother of Indra and other gods, was distressed. One time, when her husband the sage Kashyapa came home after a long penance, he opened the door to see his wife clearly upset about something. Kashyapa was confused and asked her why she was seemed distressed and unhappy.
“My sons and I have been thrown out of our home. The Asuras have taken over Swarga and taken all our wealth. My sons are in hiding and they have lost all their power. Please tell me how my sons can regain their power,” Aditi revealed.
“Worship Lord Vishnu. I promise you that he will grant you all of your desires,” Kashyapa advised. Kashyapa then taught Aditi the method of worshipping Vishnu, which he had learned from his own father Brahma. The original text (Bhagavata Purana) then features an extensive section on the details of this worship procedure called Payovrata. In the first 12 days of the month, one must survive only on milk, sleeping on bare ground and taking baths three times a day, while remaining in devotion. Then, on the thirteenth day, one must smear themselves with ashes and perform abhishek (ceremonial bath of idol) of Vishnu with five liquid substances, and then offer gifts to Brahmins, etc.
Aditi followed this exact procedure and on the thirteenth day, Lord Vishnu appeared in front of her. She bowed down to him and sang his praises. Vishnu already knew her heart’s desires. She wanted to see her son’s free and returned to their original glory. She wanted to see her son’s enemies defeated. Vishnu said, “Although the Asuras are almost invincible, I am very pleased with your penance and I shall grant you your wish. I will take birth as your child and save your sons.”
The Dwarf Boy
Accordingly, Aditi became pregnant with a son. On the twelfth day of the month, the child was born. Apsaras danced and Gandharvas sang. Sages and gods recited the praises of Vishnu. Yakshas, Kimpurushas, Kinnaras, and other divine beings showered flowers on Kashyapa’s hermitage (ashram). The baby instantly transformed himself into a dwarf Brahmin boy. The boy was armed with a conch, mace, lotus, and discus. He had dark-blue complexion and wore jewelry and yellow robes. All of the gods presented him with gifts during his sacred thread ceremony.
Bali’s Yagna
This story is in the Bhagavata Purana, Book 8, Chapters 18-21
During this time, Bali was busy with his horse sacrifice on the banks of the river Narmada. Vamana thus set out to journey to the Narmada River. He carried an umbrella, sacred staff, and bowl full of water. When he entered the premises of the sacrifice, Bali saw that he was a Brahmin and thus, following the custom, welcomed him. He offered Vamana a seat and washed his feet. “Great Brahmin, your presence has sanctified this yagna. Please, ask for whatever you need. Gold, a house, delicious food, maybe even a girl, or horses, elephants, or chariots; I can give you anything you need,” Bali said.
Oh Lord of Daityas! You are the foremost one among the bestowers of boons. From you, I seek a small piece of land three paces in length measured with my feet. Even though you are a liberal Lord of the earth, I do not seek anything else from you …
“You’re just a child. You don’t understand. I can give you anything you want. Why would you only ask for three steps of land. Ask for as much land as you want!” Bali insisted.
“Please, I don’t need anything more than three steps of land. If I had any desires for material possessions and worldly things, then I would ask for whole continents. But for me, three steps will make me happy and fulfill my needs,” Vamana replied.
Bali chuckled and accepted the innocent child’s strange request. But Shukracharya, the Guru of the Asuras, knew something was off. All the pieces came together in his head and he realized what was going on. “Bali, you can’t give this boy his wish! This is none other than Lord Vishnu himself! He will take all your land from you. You trapped yourself. Say no before Vishnu takes away the entire universe from you!” he whispered to the king.
“Let him be Vishnu! Let him take my land! I already gave him my word. I can’t go against it, even if it means I lose all my land. It is a sin to refuse a Brahmin’s wish at the yagna,” Bali replied. Bali’s dharma (moral compass) was so strong that even if he was warned that he might lose his entire kingdom, he still didn’t care.
Shukracnarya was enraged. His disciple had gone against him! He cursed him, saying, “You have disobeyed my orders. I curse you that you will lose your position as the king of the three worlds!”
Three Giant Steps
But Bali simply disregarded this curse. He washed the feet of Vamana. Suddenly, Vamana grew MASSIVE. He transformed into the cosmic form of Vishnu, and his body covered the whole region from the heavens to earth. With his first step, Vamana covered the entire Earth, and with his second step, he covered the entirety of the heavens. The entire universe radiated with bright light as the divine form of Vishnu extended across the universe.
The Asuras at the yagna realized that they had been deceived. They took up their swords and spears and started attacking the giant Vamana. Immediately, Vishnu’s attendants, such as Garuda, Jay, Vijaya, etc., appeared and fought the Asuras. A full-out battle broke out as Asuras and gods fought. Bali rallied his men and told them that there was no use in fighting. They were bound to lose. The defeated Asuras returned to the underworld when their king thus surrendered. Garuda then tied Bali up with ropes and brought him to Vamana.
“You granted me three steps of land. With two steps, I have covered both earth and heaven. Now where do I go for the third step. You lied to me. You confidently told me I could have three steps of land. Now you can’t even fulfill this simple promise. If you can’t carry out your promise, then I will send you to hell!” Vamana said.
Even though he was insulted by Vishnu, Bali remained calm and responded, “I will be true to my word. Please place your third step on my head! Lord, you are the greatest teacher. In the guise of an enemy, you have humbled us Asuras and showed us your power. I don’t feel at all ashamed of being cheated and tied up. Even though I have lost everything today, I have realized that none of it matters. It’s all temporary. Just like my grandfather Prahlad, I wish to take refuge in you.”
Vishnu Frees Bali
At that moment, Prahlad appeared on the scene. Bali, tied in ropes, couldn’t bow down, but nodded his head in respect as his grandfather arrived. He had tears in his eyes. Prahlad addressed Vamana: “It is good that you have taken Bali’s wealth and power from him. Wealth and power only leads to greed.” Brahma then brought Vindhyavali, Bali’s wife, to the scene. She was terrified when she saw the dramatic scene, seeing her husband tied down and in tears. She begged Vamana to forgive her husband and let him go.
Vishnu said, “My devotees should never let their ego, pride, or power take control of their actions. But this Bali has had his money and land taken away from him, lost his position as Indra, insulted, cheated, abandoned by his fellow Asuras, cursed by his own Guru, tied up and taken as a prisoner, and subject to so much humiliation, yet he carried out his promise to me. Bali, you will be the Indra in the next Manvantara. Till then, you will rule the land of Sutala, a beautiful world constructed by Vishwakarma. I will always be there to protect you. Now go to Sutala with your friends and family.”
Prahlad and Bali bowed down to the great Vamana and went to Sutala. Indra was then re-crowned as the king of the heavens, and Vamana was crowed the king of all three worlds!
Amazing writing.