page_title: Vamana
section_title: Symbolism
hierarchical_section_title: Vamana / Symbolism
context_page_description: Vamana, also known as Vāmanadeva, Trivikrama, Urukrama, Upendra, Dadhivamana, and Balibandhana is a Brahmin avatar of the supreme almighty god Vishnu.
  Originating in the Vedas, Vamana is most commonly associated in the Itihāsa and Puranas with the legend of taking back the three worlds from the Asura-king Bali in three steps to give back to Indra. Vamana is listed as the fifth incarnation of the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
context_section_description: Positions of the Sun: Roy states that 'Visnu's three strides alluded to in the Rigveda have been variously interpreted as meaning the three different positions of the sun at his rising, culmination, and setting. It is interesting to note in this connection the etymological explanation of the terms, Vamana and Visnu given in the puranas. Visnu is so-called from the verbal root vis. meaning 'to enter' or 'to pervade' because he, in his dwarf form, has pervaded or penetrated everything. A similar idea is also found in the Upanisad, where the soul is described as of the size of a thumb, always seated in everyone's heart'.
  Physical Reality: J. Muir relates the commentary of Sayana on the three steps of Vishnu mentioned in the White YajurVeda (5.15) as 'Vishnu, becoming incarnate as Trivikrama (the god who stepped thrice), strode over, - i.e. stepped by separate strides over, - this whole [universe]. It is this that [the rishi] expresses [in the worlds], 'In three places he planted his step,' i.e. one step on the earth, a second in the atmosphere, and a third in the sky: in the successive forms of Agni, Vayu, and Surya'. The meaning implied seems to be related to the fact that Agni (fire) is present on the ground, Vayu (air) is present in the atmosphere, and Surya (the sun) is present in the sky or heavens; thus the three steps symbolise the three worlds or planes of physical reality, i.e. the ground, the air, and the sky.
  All-pervasiveness of Sacrifice: N. Aiyangar states that 'As Vishnu is the all-pervading invisible Deity of sacrifice, it is as it should be if he is symbolised by all the sacrificial implements and, above all, by light wherever seen, by the sacrificial fire Agni here, by the fire of lightening in the atmosphere, by all the luminaries in the sky, most markedly by the grandest of them, the sun. This is how Vishnu, seen as a little dwarf in the symbol of the sacrificial fire on earth, is the giant striding from there through all the regions of the universe'.
  Three states of existence: S Chanda states that Mahabali symbolises samriddhi (prosperity), the three feet symbolize the three states of existence – Jagrat (awake), Swapna (dream sleep) and sushupti (deep sleep) and final step is on his head which elevates from these three states, unto moksha (spiritual liberation, release from rebirths).
caption: Positions of the Sun during the day.