Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . ,according to a Hindu proverb, is out of the earth, andhe was not killed by a man or an ordinary animal. * 5. The Vamana or Dwarf Avatar a. The four Avataras that have already been describedare said to have occurred in the Satya-yuga, or age ofTruth, corresponding with the golden age of classicwriters ; it was in the Treta-yuga, or second age, thatthis incarnation is supposed to have occurred. It isnot easy to see how this belief could be formed ; for ifthe story of Prahlada be regarded as a true picture ofthe Satya-yuga, it was not very far superior to the
Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . ,according to a Hindu proverb, is out of the earth, andhe was not killed by a man or an ordinary animal. * 5. The Vamana or Dwarf Avatar a. The four Avataras that have already been describedare said to have occurred in the Satya-yuga, or age ofTruth, corresponding with the golden age of classicwriters ; it was in the Treta-yuga, or second age, thatthis incarnation is supposed to have occurred. It isnot easy to see how this belief could be formed ; for ifthe story of Prahlada be regarded as a true picture ofthe Satya-yuga, it was not very far superior to thepresent, the last and worst of all. This incarnation was undertaken to recover heavenfor the gods. Bali, a demon, grandson of Prahlada * Ward, ii. 7, 8. 158 THE PURANIC DEITIES. whose story has just been given, was king over thethree worlds—heaven, earth and sky. In the form of aBrahman dwarf, Vishnu appears, and asks, as a gift,all he could cross over in three steps. This the kinggrants. Immediately the pigmy becomes a giant, and. THtt VAMANA AVATARA. with one step strides over heaven, and with the secondover the earth, and thus fulfils his purpose. The THE V AM AN A OR DWARF AVATAR A. 159 Skanda Purana * gives the following legend as thereason of this incarnation. In the battle between the gods and asuras for thepossession of the amrita produced at the churning ofthe ocean, the demons were defeated. Bali prepareda costly sacrifice in order that he might regain hispower. As he presented his offerings to the sacredfire, he obtained from it a wondrous car drawn by fourwhite horses, a banner displaying a lion, and celestialarmour and weapons. The sacred rites being finished,he raised a large army, and in his newly-acquired cha-riot went and laid siege to Amravati, the capital ofIndras heaven. The gods in terror turned to theirpreceptor for advice. He told them that their enemieshad been rendered invincible by penance. On hearingthis, they were greatly alarmed, and Indra besoug
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