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KarmaVaani
Devotional painting: Lord Vamana as a small radiant brahmin boy, dark blue skin, a shaven head with a tuft, a sacred thread across his chest, a deer-skin and a simple saffron cloth, holding a small parasol in his right hand and a water pot in his left, standing before a royal sacrificial fire in a palace courtyard

Vaishnava tradition

वामन

Vamana

Trivikrama · Upendra · Urukrama

Vishnu as a dwarf brahmin boy who asked King Bali for three steps of land and measured the universe.

Abode
Vaikuntha
Colour
Dark blue
Arms
2

Vamana is the fifth avatar of Vishnu and the first in human form. The generous asura king Mahabali had won the three worlds; Vishnu came to his sacrifice as a small brahmin student and asked for only as much land as he could cover in three steps. Granted it, he grew into Trivikrama, the giant whose strides spanned earth and sky, and placed the third step on Bali's bowed head, sending him to rule the netherworld. The three strides of Vishnu are already praised in the Rigveda, and Kerala's Onam welcomes Bali back each year.

Mantra

ॐ वामनाय नमः

Om Vamanaya Namaha

Salutations to Vamana.

रूप और प्रतीक

How Vamana is shown

A small brahmin boy with a parasol, a water pot and the sacred thread; as Trivikrama, a giant with one leg raised to the heavens.

Parasol (chhatra)
The humble brahmin student, owning nothing.
Water pot (kamandalu)
The water poured to seal a gift, by which Bali gave his word.
Raised foot
As Trivikrama, the strides that measure the whole universe.
कथाएँ

Stories

Three steps of land

Bali's guru Shukracharya saw through the disguise and warned him not to give. Bali answered that he would not break his word to a guest, and poured the water of gift. With his first step Vamana covered the earth, with the second the heavens; there was nowhere left for the third, and Bali bowed his head to receive it. Moved by his truthfulness, Vishnu made him king of Sutala and promised to stand guard at his gate.

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