Chapter 18 - The Lord incarnates as Vāmana. Visit to Bali’s sacrifice

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. The Lord whose glorious acts and powers were thus extolled, by god Brahmā and who is above birth and death manifested himself through Aditi, in a form endowed with four arms wielding (in each) a conch, a mace, a lotus and a discus, clad in yellow garment and with eyes wide like a lotus.

2. Bright dark-blue in complexion, and with the splendour of his lotus-like face enhanced with the lustre of his alligator-shaped ear-rings, the Supreme Person, with the Śrī- vatsa mark on his chest, was adorned with bracelets, armlets, a shining diadem, a girdle and a pair of beautiful anklets.

3. Irradiated with his special splendid Vanamālā (wreath of forest flowers) resonant with a swarm of humming bees and with the Kaustubha gem suspended from his neck, Lord Hari dispelled with his splendour the gloom in the house of Kaśyapa, the Lord of Creation, with his effulgence.

4. At that time, the cardinal points became clear and bright; lakes and ponds became translucent; all the creatures became jubilant; the seasons exhibited their characteristic efflorescence; joy reigned in the heaven, the mid air, the earth, gods (whose tongue is fire), kine, the three twice-born classes and mountains.

5. On the twelfth day of the bright half of the month of Bhādrapada when the moon was within the mansion called Śravaṇa, and the auspicious time was the Abhijit (the first aṃśa of Śravaṇa), the Lord incarnated (on the earth) and all constellations of stars (e.g. Aśvinī), planets etc. (by their auspicious influence) indicated his descent to be beneficial.

6. That twelfth day (of the bright half of Bhādrapada), when the sun attained the meridian, and the birth of Lord Hari took place, is known to people as Vijayā (the victorious).

7. Conchs were blown and big drums, kettle-drums, tabors and paṇavas (a kind of musical instrument) were sounded. There was the tumultuous sound of various musical instruments.

8. The celestial damsels being highly delighted danced and prominent Gandharvas (like Hāhā, Hūhū) sang. Sages, gods, Manus, manes and fire-gods extolled the Lord.

9-10. Hosts of Siddhas and Vidyādharas, along with Kimpuruṣas and Kinnaras, Cāraṇas, Yakṣas and Rakṣas, Suparṇas (eagles), best of serpents, and the attendants of gods sang and danced. Highly extolling the Lord, they showered flowers on the hermitage of Aditi and its premises.

11. Beholding that Supreme Person as born from her womb, Aditi was astonished and was transported with joy. Amazed at the assumption of a human form by his yogic Māyā Power, even Kaśyapa, the Lord of Creation hailed him ‘May you be victorious’.

12. With that very form, decorated with ornaments and endowed with weapons which Hari, of unmanifest consciousness, manifested to them, he (instantly) transformed Himself in a dwarf Brāhmaṇa boy like a wonderfully active actor, while the parents were simply looking on.

13. Seeing (the transformation of the Lord as) the dwarf Brāhmaṇa boy, all great sages were delighted and with Kaśyapa, the Lord of creation, as their head, got performed all the religious rites and observances (from those beginning with the birth e.g. jātakarman and other).

14.^[1] While his sacred thread ceremony (Upanayana) was being performed, the sun-god (the presiding deity of Gāyatrī Mantra) taught him the Gāyatrī Mantra; Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of gods, gave him the sacred thread, and Kaśyapa, the cord of muñja grass to be tied round his waist.

15.^[1] The Earth-goddess conferred the skin of black-antelope on him, while Soma, the Lord of plant and herbs offered the sacred staff. The mother covered his nudity with a piece of cloth, and heavens gave an umbrella to the Lord of the Universe.

16.^[1] God Brahmā presented him a water pot (of gourd or wood) and the seven sages, the darbha grass. The goddess Sarasvatī gave a rosary of beads to the Immortal Supreme Soul.

17.^[1] When his initiation-ceremony (sacred-thread-investiture ceremony) was over, Kubera, King of Yakṣas gave him a begging-bowl with words “This is for him”. And the veritable Mother-goddess Satī (Umā) herself served him the alms.

18. Thus honoured by all, the newly initiated eminent Brāhmaṇa boy, with his splendid Brahmanic (divine) effulgence, surpassed the whole assembly of Brāhmaṇa-sages.

19. The twice-born boy instituted the sacred fire (on the altar) enkindling it, duly worshipping it by placing the Kuśa grass around it in their proper places (paristīrya), and oblated into the fire the sacred sticks (daubed with ghee—the samidhs).

20. Having learnt that Bali, of enormous wealth and power, was engaged as a sacrificer in a horse-sacrifice conducted by the Brāhmaṇas of the Bhṛgu clan, he (Vāmana) concentrating in himself all the power, proceeded (from the hermitage of Aditi) to that place (of Bali’s sacrificial hall), bending down the earth at every step, on account of his weight.

21. The sacrificial priests of the Bhṛgu clan who were conducting the best of sacrifices (viz. a horse-sacrifice) of Bali on the northern bank of the Narmadā, at a spot called Bhṛgu- Kacchaka (near modern Broach in Gujarat), beheld him (Vāmana) approaching them, brilliant like the sun risen just near them.

22. Oh King, their glory being eclipsed by the effulgence of Vāmana, the priests conducting the sacrifice, the sacrificer Bali and the members of the sacrificial assembly began to conjecture (among themselves) whether he (Vāmana) was the Sun-god himself or was the Fire-god or the (great) sage Sanatkumāra himself, coming with a view to observe the sacrifice.

23. While the Bhṛgus along with their disciples were thus variously expressing their surmise about him, Lord Vāmana carrying with him his umbrella, sacred staff, and water-bowl full of water, entered the panda! of the horsesacrifice.

24-25. Noticing the entry of Lord Hari, a dwarfish Brāhmaṇa boy with the (outward appearance of a Brahmacārin assumed with his Māyā powers, having the zone of Muñja-grass tied round his waist, and wearing as an upper garment a deer-skin in the fashion of the sacred thread (over his shoulder) and matted hair, the Bhṛgus along with their disciples and fires (fire-gods) as well, shrank before his divine lustre, and standing up to honour him, accorded unto him reception with all the due formalities.

26. Overjoyed to see his charming personality worth seeing, with limbs proportionate to his form, the sacrificer himself offered him a suitable seat.

27. According him courteous welcome, Bali washed the feet of the Lord, and worshipped him who is attractive to the minds of those who have abjured all attachment.

28. Bali, the knower of the path of righteousness, placed (sprinkled) on his head the water with which he washed his feet, and hence had become most auspicious and capable of removing all the sins of the people, and which Lord Śiva (the Lord of mount Kailāśa) the god of gods and the wearer of the crescent of the moon on his forehead, received on his head with utmost devotion.

Bali said:

29. (Hearty) welcome to you. I pay my obeisance to you. Oh Brahman! (Be pleased to tell us) what we should do for you. Oh noble Sir, I deem that you are the very embodiment of the penance of all Brāhmaṇa sages.

30. (Fully) satisfied are all our fore-fathers today. Our family and house have been purified. This very sacrifice has been successfully performed inasmuch as your worship has visited our house.

31. The sacrificial fires of mine whose sins have been completely annihilated by the waters used for washing your feet, stand properly worshipped with oblations, according to sacriptural injunctions. This land of our has been purified by your tiny feet, Oh son of a Brāhmaṇa!

32. Oh son of a Brāhmaṇa! Methinks you have come to seek something. Be pleased to accept from me whatever you desire, Oh Brahmacārin! Oh most worshipful Brāhmaṇa! Duly accept from me either the earth, gold, a well-furnished house, delicious food and drink or possibly even a girl or prosperous villages, horses, elephants or chariots, Oh Brāhmaṇa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

[verses 14-17] The list of deities who presented Vāmana different articles differs in other Purāṇas. Thus in Matsya-purāṇa 245-85 we find the black antelope skin given by Brahmā, the sacred thread by Bṛhaspati, the sacred staff by Marīci, Kamaṇḍalu by Vasiṣṭha. a bunch of Kuśa grass by Aṅgiras, rosary of beads by Pulaha, a pair of white garments by Pulastya. The four Vedas, Sāṃkhya, Yoga and other Śāstras attended upon Vāmana.