Vāmana Avatāra

Vāmana (the dwarf) is the fifth of the ten avatāras (Daśāvatāra) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Bhagavān Viṣṇu takes the form of a short brāhmaṇa student and goes to the yajña (fire ritual) of Bali, the great asura king. He asks for three paces of land. Then he grows into Trivikrama, covers the whole universe in three steps and binds Bali.

The event

In Chapter 1 of the Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Bhūdevī, the earth, speaks to Bhagavān Viṣṇu and recalls this deed.

“In the same way, taking Vāmana form, you bound Bali.”

Gauramukha’s stotra

In Chapter 15 of the Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Gauramukha sings a stotra (hymn of praise) in which Vāmana is praised as the one who ruined Bali’s yajña. He is called the Aprameya (the immeasurable), the Yoga-svarūpa, the Yoga-deha and the Ātma-svarūpa. He carries the daṇḍa (staff), the black deer skin (kṛṣṇājina) and the vow of brahmacarya.

“The one who ruined Bali’s yajña — the Aprameya — the Yoga-svarūpa — Yoga-deha — the Ātma-svarūpa — with daṇḍa, skin (kṛṣṇājina), brahmacharya — who occupied all earth in three steps — may Vāmana-Trivikrama protect us!”

The stotra asks Vāmana-Trivikrama, who filled the whole earth in three steps, to protect us.

Other teachings in the Varāha Mahā Purāṇa

Chapter 17 teaches about the body and the devas. When the devas listed how important each of them is to the body, the body stayed whole even when all of them left, because Soma (Puruṣa) stayed.

In Chapter 7, Raikhya sings a stotra to Bhagavān Viṣṇu as Gadādhara (the bearer of the mace).

“Who with three strides/paces quelled Bali and lifted Bhūdevī — the Purāṇa-puruṣa who protects all humanity.”

Vāmana Dvādaśī in the month of Caitra

Chapter 43 of the Varāha Mahā Purāṇa teaches the Vāmana Dvādaśī vrata (a vow observed on the twelfth day) in the month of Caitra.

Archanā mantras

These mantras are spoken as the parts of the mūrti are worshipped.

The mūrti

The mūrti is a dwarf brāhmaṇa made of gold. He has a kamaṇḍalu (water pot), an umbrella, sandals (pādukā), a rosary and a mat of kuśa grass. He wears a white sacred thread. The mūrti is placed in a kumbha (pot).

Example: King Haryaśva

King Haryaśva had no children and was performing hard tapas (austerity). Bhagavān Viṣṇu appeared in the form of a brāhmaṇa and asked what the tapas was for. Haryaśva said, “For sons.” Bhagavān Viṣṇu told him:

“Observe this Vāmana Dvādaśī — a small effort brings a son.”

Haryaśva kept the vrata. He gave the Vāmana mūrti to a poor brāhmaṇa named Jyotirgārga and said:

“Just as you were born to the childless Aditi as a son — so too may a great son be born to me through this truth.”

Haryaśva was given a son, Kuvalāśva, who became a great cakravartī (emperor).

Fruits of the vrata

• A person with no children receives a son.
• A person with no wealth obtains wealth.
• A person who has lost a kingdom wins it back.
• After death, the person reaches Viṣṇu-pura and is born again as a cakravartī, like Yayāti, the son of Nahūṣa.

Why Vāmana is worshipped

Chapter 48 of the Varāha Mahā Purāṇa gives the purpose of this pūjā.

“To remove delusion (moha), worship Vāmana.”

The Agni Mahā Purāṇa account

Chapter 4 of the Agni Mahā Purāṇa tells of Vāmana as part of the Daśāvatāra. In a great war between the devas and the asuras, Bali and his forces defeated the devas and drove them out of Svarga. The devas took shelter with Hari.

Bhagavān Viṣṇu was asked by both Aditi and Kaśyapa. He was born among them as the dwarf brāhmaṇa Vāmana.

Bali Cakravartī was then performing a great yajña, and Śukrācārya was his purohita (priest). Vāmana came to the entrance of Bali’s yajña hall and stood there reciting the Veda. Bali saw the shining dwarf student. He decided to give him whatever vara (boon) he might ask, even though Śukrācārya advised him to hold back.

Vāmana asked for three steps of land. Bali said, “Grant it I shall.” As soon as the water of the gift (dāna-jala) touched his hand, Vāmana grew into the great Trivikrama form. He was beyond measure and filled all the worlds. With two steps he measured Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka. With his third step he pressed Bali down into Sutala (Pātāla).

Bhagavān Viṣṇu in the Vāmana form then gave the three worlds to Devendra. Indra, surrounded by the devas, praised Hari and ruled the three worlds in happiness.

The Bhāgavata account

The 8th Skanda of the Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa gives the fullest account of Vāmana.

The Payovrata

The daitya Bali Cakravartī conquered Svarga and drove the sons of Aditi from their home. Aditi kept the Payovrata, a twelve-day vrata in which she took only milk. Kaśyapa Prajāpati taught it to her, as Brahmā had instructed him. Bhagavān Viṣṇu appeared before her and promised to be born as her son.

The birth

On Bhādrapada śukla dvādaśī, with the moon in Śravaṇa and at the Abhijit muhūrta (noon), Bhagavān Viṣṇu came out of Aditi’s womb in his full four-armed divine form. He wore a yellow garment (pītāmbara) and had the śrīvatsa mark, the kaustubha jewel, the conch (śaṅkha), the discus (cakra), the mace (gadā), the lotus (padma) and fish-shaped earrings (makarakuṇḍala). His colour was dark (śyāmala). This day became known as Vijaya Dvādaśī.

Then, in front of Kaśyapa and Aditi, he changed into the small brāhmaṇa child Vāmana.

The upanayana

• Sūrya himself taught him the Gāyatrī mantra.
• Bṛhaspati gave the sacred thread (yajñopavīta).
• Kaśyapa gave the mauñjī girdle (mekhalā).
• Bhūdevī gave a black deer skin.
• The moon gave the staff (daṇḍa).
• Aditi gave the loincloth (kaupeena) and the waistcloth.
• Brahmā gave the kamaṇḍalu.
• The Saptarṣis gave darbha grass.
• Sarasvatī gave the rosary (japa-mālā).
• Kubera gave the alms bowl (bhikṣā-pātra).
• Umā Devī herself gave him his first alms (bhikṣā).

Bhṛgukaccha

Vāmana walked to the northern bank of the Narmadā, where Bali was doing an Aśvamedha yajña. When he came in, the radiance (teja) of all the Bhārgavas gathered there and of Bali himself became pale. Bali was full of joy. He washed the feet of the small brāhmaṇa and offered to give whatever he asked.

The three paces and Trivikrama

Vāmana asked only for three paces of land, measured by his own feet. Bali laughed and offered more. Vāmana spoke about contentment (santoṣa): “Three worlds cannot satisfy one who has no inner contentment.” Bali agreed.

Śukra warned Bali that this was Bhagavān Viṣṇu himself. Bali would not take back his word. He pointed to the example of Prahlāda, to the offering made by Dādhīci and to the honour of his family line.

Vāmana grew into the great Trivikrama. One step measured all of Bhūloka. The second step measured Svarga and all the upper worlds. The third step had no space left, and Bali offered his own head.

Brahmā worshipped the feet of Trivikrama. The water that touched them became the Gaṅgā.

The release of Bali

Bhagavān Viṣṇu was moved by Bali’s steady sattva (goodness). He freed Bali from the bonds of Varuṇa and gave him Sutala. Bhagavān Viṣṇu himself called Sutala a realm better than Svarga. He promised to stand at its gate as the guard (dvārapāla). He gave Svarga back to Indra.

Brahmā then made Vāmana Upendra, the ruler of the Vedas, of all the devas, of dharma, kīrti, śrī, the vratas, svarga and mokṣa (liberation).

The Saro Māhātmya of the Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa

The Saro Māhātmya of the Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa (Chapters 2–10) tells the account of Vāmana at Kurukṣetra. Aditi did her tapas at Āditīvana, the holy forest of Aditi in Kurukṣetra. She kept severe austerities there for ten thousand years.

The ṛṣi Kaśyapa sang a stotra to Bhagavān Viṣṇu, praising him as Ekāśṛṅga, Trivikrama and Hiraṇyanābha. He received the vara that Bhagavān Viṣṇu would be born as their son. When Bhagavān Vāmana was born, Brahmā himself did the jātakarma (birth ceremony) and sang a great stotra. This account also tells of the request for three paces, the growth into Trivikrama and Bali being sent to Sutala.

It ends with the founding of the Viṣṇupadī tīrtha. This is the place at Kurukṣetra where the great foot of Trivikrama touched the earth. A person who bathes at this tīrtha (pilgrimage place) and worships Vāmana-Trivikrama is freed from all pāpa (sin) and reaches Viṣṇuloka.

Chapter 13 tells pilgrims to visit Āditīvana and bathe there. It says that bathing there gives a radiant son with the brightness of a hundred suns, because Aditi did her tapas for Vāmana at that spot.

Chapter 15 names the Vāmana-kṣetra, a separate place in Kurukṣetra where the Trivikrama event is remembered.

“It is here that Vāmana deceived Bali and granted Svarga to Indra.”

The Viṣṇupadī tīrtha lies inside the Vāmana-kṣetra.

Sources

• Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 1, 7, 15, 17, 43, 48
• Agni Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 4
• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 8th Skanda, Chapters 15–23
• Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapters 2–10, 13 and 15