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The fourth lineal
descendant of Hiranyakashyap, named Bali, through his devotion and penance defeated Indra,
the god of firmament, humbled other gods and extended his authority over the three worlds.
All the gods appealed to Lord Vishnu for protection and He became manifest in His Dwarf
Avatar of Vaman for the purpose of restraining Bali.
Once when this king was making a great religious offering, Lord Vishnu in the form of
Vaman appeared before him in the company of other brahmins. Bali was extremely pleased to
see a holy man with such a diminutive form and promised to give him whatever he should
ask. Lord Vishnu asked only for as much land as he could measure by three steps. Bali
laughingly agreed to grant the boon of three steps. Lord Vishnu as dwarf stepped over
heaven in first stride and earth in the second stride. Then out of respect to Bali's
kindness and his grandfather Prahlad's great virtues, Lord Vishnu stopped short and left
him in pathal, the subterranean region. Bali's capital was Mahabalipuram. |
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