Sri Vamana Pooja on 12th July, 2011 !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Sri Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Dwarf (Brahmin).  Sri Vamana Dwadashi is an auspicious day to worship Lord Vamana  on Shukla Paksha Dwashi  in the month Ashada.

Mahabali was grandson of Prahlada and a righteous King.  He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu.  He performed sacrifices and conducted a war ‘Digvijaya’ in order to conquer the entire world.  With the help of ‘Raja Guru’ – Acharya Shukra he conquered the Kingdom of Lord Indra – Mayavati and drove out the deities and Indra to the netherworld.

In the meantime, Rishi Kashyapa and his wife Adithi observed ‘Payovrata’ to attain virtuous offspring by consuming only milk for twelve days and constantly engaged in the worship of Lord Hari.  Lord pleased at the devotion of Rishi Kashyapa and Adithi, blessed them that He would be born as their youngest son in order to restore the glories of the deities.  As instructed by Lord a beautiful son was born to Adithi during the bright fortnight in the month Bhadrapada.  The child grew up into short statured ‘Vamana’.

Vamana arrived at the sacrificial gorund where Mahabali was conducting ‘Ashwamedha Yagna’.  Vamana’s face were resembled thousand adityas , holding a pitcher on his hand and an umbrella on top elegantly walked towards the King Mahabali.  The King Mahabali received the Brahmachari with due honor and respect, enquired the reason for his visit.  Mahabali revealed his desire to offer alms in the form of Gold, Elephant, Cow, Chariot, Horses, etc.. to Vamana.   Vamana humbly refused to have anything which was offered by Mahabali.  Instead, he exposed his wish to have three steps of land that he could measure with his own small feet.  It made the King and his assembly laughs out at the simplicity of the Brahmin.  But Shukracharya sensed the seriousness of the situation very well.  Shukracharya took the King privately to one of his chamber to inform the danger he was looking for.  He informed the King that the Brahmin was none other than Lord Sriman Narayana and advised the King to stop any offerings to Him.   Mahabali informed his helplessness to Shukracharya that he was already promised to offer alms to the Brahmin, so he could not take back his words. Infact, Mahabali took it as a great fortune and best opportunity to serve Lord Sriman Narayana.

                                     

Shukracharya cursed Mahabali at his self-less remark and his inability to listen his Acharaya. He cursed Mahabali that he would lose his power and glory very soon.  Mahabali called for his queen Vindyavali to initiate the rituals to give away the alms to a Brahmin – Vamana.  Vindyavali quite willingly followed her husband and started to pour water from the pitcher to wash the feet of the Brahmin as an initial process. Unfortunately, the water from the pitcher was stopped to come out, in its place a bee stuck on the hole of the pitcher blocking the flow of water.  Vamana realized the trick played by Shukracharya in order to save his disciple.   Shukracharya to save Mahabali from the unforeseen fall from his glory turned himself as a bee and blocked the free flow of the water.  Vamana took a piece of ‘Dharba’ (sacred grass) and pierced the opening, Shukracharya quivered with pain, which caused him to lose one of his eyes.   King Mahabali and Vindyavali continued the rituals and to everyone’s amazement, Vamana started to grow bigger and bigger finally turned out a huge size.  Vamana took his first step,  measured and covered the entire Earth, in the second step He covered the Heaven.   Vamana gracefully enquired the King, where should he keep his third step?  Mahabali humbly answered Vamana to keep his third feet on his head.

The most compassionate Lord blessed Mahabali and advised him to rule the nether world with his clan.

Jai Sriman Narayana !!