Poem: Vamanadev

ON THE SHRAVAN DWADASHI IN THE YUGA NAMED TRETA
AT THE RISING IN THE HEAVENS OF THE ABHIJIT STAR.
PERFECT WIFE ADITI,WIFE OF MUNI KASHYAPA
GAVE BIRTH TO THE LORD VAMANADEV, VISHNU AVATAR.

THE THREE WORLDS AND THEIR SEASONS WERE FULL OF JUBILATION
THE DEVAS AND THE BRAHMANAS AND COWS WERE OVERJOYED.
THE LORD DID THEN ASSUME THE FORM OF VAMANA THE BRAHMAN
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING DHARMA LEST IT BE DESTROYED.

DRESSED AS BEST ASCETIC HE APPEARED AT BALI'S YAGNA.
WITH BELT OF MUNJA DEERSKIN GARMENT, UMBERELLA COVER.
A SACRED THREAD ADORNED HIS CHEST, HIS HAND HELD HOLY DANDA
THE GREAT AND GOOD GOT UP AND STOOD AND HONOURED LIKE NO OTHER.

MISTAKENLY, BALI THE GREAT, THOUGHT VAMANA A BRAHMAN
AND HEREIN DID THE DEMON ENGENDER A MIGHTY ERROR.
AND VAMANA ,HE GREATLY PRAISED THE DEMON'S DYNASTY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ALL ENGAGED IN GHASTLY ACTS OF TERROR.

FOLLOWING THE LORDS FOOT BATH CEREMONY BALI MAHARAJA
HUMBLY TOOK THE PURIFYING WATERS ON HIS HEAD.
AND GLADLY ORDERED VAMANA TO ASK FOR WHAT HE WANTED
PREPARED TO MAKE A GIFT TO HIM OF ANYTHING HE SAID.

"THREE STEPS OF LAND IS ALL I WANT PLEASE GIVE IT ME I BEG
NOUGHT BUT THREE STEPS OF LAND AND NOTHING MORE"
BUT SHUKRACHARYA , BALI'S GURU SAW THE LORD'S DUPLICITY
AND ORDERED "DO NOT GIVE HIM SUCH A GIFT I MUST IMPLORE.

FOR SHUKRACHARYA UNDERSTOOD THAT VAMANA WAS VISHNU
DISGUISED AS A DWARF BRAHMAN, BUT YET A FEW YEARS OLD.
BUT VISHNU'S ALL ATTRACTIVE FORM BEGUILED THE MIGHTY DEMON
AND SHUKRA'S TIMELY WARNING DULY LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.

BUT BALI WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT ENTRANCED BY THE LORD'S BEAUTY.
A KING MUST GIVE TO BRAHMANS NOT A JOT LESS WOULD SUFFICE.
HE KNEW HIS FAME WOULD LAST ETERNAL EVEN IF THE WORLD WAS LOST.
AND BRAVELY OPTED TO IGNORE HIS GURUDEV'S ADVICE.

IMMEDIATELY UPENDRA MANIFEST HIS UNIVERSAL BODY.
FILLING ALL DIRECTIONS WITH HIS IMPLAUSIBLE SIZE.
PRICELESS GEMS ADORNED HIS FORM OF BEAUTY BLUE AND CLOUDY
AS VAMANADEV MADE READY TO TAKE BACK THE DEVA'S PRIZE.

YELLOW GARMENTS SHRIVATSA MARK AND GOLDEN HELMET FLASHING.
JUST AS LIGHTNING PUNCTUATES A NEW BORNE MONSOON CLOUD.
AND BALI SAW HIS STEP GIGANTIC THEN A GIANT ANOTHER
AND KNEW THE THIRD MIGHT 'LIGHT UPON HIS HUMBLED HEAD A'BOWED.

THE FIRST STEP TOOK BACK ALL THE WORLD, THE SECOND TOOK THE HEAVENS.
AS HIGH AS LOFTY BRAHMALOKA HIS DARK LIMBS DID GO.
AND BROKE THE UNIVERSAL COVER WITH HIS SHINING TOENAIL.
SO MOTHER GANGAS HOLY WATERS TO THIS WORLD COULD FLOW.

THE DEMONS BECAME ANGRY WHEN THEY SAW THAT ALL WAS TAKEN
AND FURIOUSLY WIELDED WEAPONS GAINST VAMANA IN DISGUST.
BUT VAMANA'S ASSOCIATES CAME SWIFTLY THERE TO BEAT THEM.
GARUDA USED VARUNA'S ROPE AND BALI HE WAS TRUSSED.

IN TOTAL SELF-SURRENDER,BALI THEN IMPLORED LORD VISHNU.
PLEASE PLACE YOUR HOLY SANCTIFYING STEP UPON MY HEAD.
FOR DEATH IS MUCH TO BE PREFERRED TO WORDLY DEFAMATION
THEREFORE I SWEAR I MUST ADHERE TO ALL THAT I HAVE SAID.

GRANDFATHER PRAHLAD MAHARAJ APPEARED THERE IN A SECOND.
EXPLAINING TO HIS GRANDSON HE'D BEEN CHEATED AND YET BLESSED.
THE LORD'S SWEET TRICKS WERE FULL OF YET THE MOST STUPENDOUS FORTUNE
BALI'S WIFE, VINDHYAVALI AND BRAHMA WERE IMPRESSED.

BALI LEARNED THE HIGHEST GAIN IN LIFE IS FULL SURRENDER.
UNDER THE COOLEST SHELTER OF THE LORDS MERCIFUL FEET.
FIXED IN FIRM CONCLUSION,HEART, BRIM FULL OF PURE DEVOTION.
HE DEPARTED FOR SUTALA WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS SWEET.

IN SUBTERRANEAN SLENDOUR BALI LIVES THERE TO THIS MOMENT
WHILE INDRA'S HEAVEN ONCE AGAIN IS SURA POPULATED
POETS WRITE OF VAMANA'S DEEDS FOR AEONS EVER ONWARD
FOR VISHNU'S INTERVENTIONS, THEY SHOULD NOT BE UNDERRATED.

TRIVIKRAMA TAUGHT BALI THAT OUR ARROGANCE AND PRIDE
ARE OBSTACLES THAT MENACE THOSE UPON THE PATH OF BHAKTI.
WEALTH AND POWER TAKEN ALL FOR GRANTED SLIPS AWAY.
REGARDLESS OF POSITION OR OF INFLUENCE OR SHAKTI.

BALI KEPT HIS PROMISE DESPITE THE HEAVY LOSS INCURRED.
WHICH WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM THAN HIS GURU'S RANT AND RAVING.
AND TRIVIKRAM TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM HIM THAT DAY.
BUT GAVE HIMSELF TO BALI WHICH CURTAILED HIS MISBEHAVING.

TO THIS VERY DAY HE GUARDS THE SUBTERRANEAN PLANET
WHERE BALI MAHARAJ AND HIS DYNASTY RESIDE.
CONSIDERED BY THE LORD AS MAHAJAN OF GREAT ESTEEM
ETERNALLY HE GUARDS SUTALA AS HIS FRIEND AND GUIDE.