This festival Vaman Jayanti or Vamana Dwadashi is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Maha Vishnu’s fifth avatar, Vamana. This auspicious occasion is celebrated on Sukla Dwadashi or the 12th day of the waxing phase of moon in the month of Bhadrapada. Lord Vamana appeared on the earth as the son of Aditi and the sage Kashyapa muni.
He was also known as the younger brother of the king of heavens, Lord Indra. As per the legends, Lord Vamana was born in the Shravan Nakshatra on this day as a dwarf priest. The Sanskrit word Vamana means “dwarf”. He is also known as Trivikrama meaning three steps, representing the Svarga (heaven), the earth, and the Patala (netherworld). The devotees worship Lord Vishnu with proper rituals and full of devotion on Vamana Dwadashi to get freedom from all sufferings, surrender bad thoughts, bad energy, ego and try to attain salvation.
Lord Bali was getting all his powers from the Yagnyapurush -Lord Vishnu but was not using those powers for the right purpose and feeling very proud and ridiculing other gods and human beings. That is the reason Lord Vishnu was born as a Vaman to teach a lesson to King Bali. The grandson of Bhakta Prahlada was a very valorous and mighty asura who conquered all the three worlds. Indra and other gods feared that the world is going to end and went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu was then born as a dwarf Vamana in the household of a Brahmin priest.
He grew up as a wise and clever priest and decided to go to King Bali on the day of his 100th Ashwamedh Yagna. King Bali was delighted to offer Dakshina to Brahmin Vamana even though his own priest Shukraacharya warned him that he is no other than Lord Vishnu who came in this Avatar to defeat him.
Vamana, a poor Brahman, then requested only for three pieces of land that he could measure with his feet. Bali gracefully agreed. Vamana took the first step, encompassing the whole earth. With the second step, he covered the heavens. He conquered two of the three worlds. There was no place to keep the third step hence realizing that the dwarf Brahmin was God Vishnu, Bali offered his head. Vamana placed his last step on Bali’s head and crushed Bali to the nether or the Patala Loka (underground world), thus helping the other gods and good human beings in the world. This giant form of Vamana is known as Trivikrama.
In all the avatars, Lord Vishnu punished the Asuras like Kans and Ravan but never blessed them or made them a king after their defeat as he did Lord Bali the king of Patala after crushing him.
Lord Vishnu was pleased by the integrity of Bali. He blessed Bali with his three desires. 1) Bali asked Lord Vishnu to be present with him so that he can worship him. To fulfill Bali’s desire Lord Vishnu became his Dwarapalak (gatekeeper). 2) Lord Vaman also blessed Bali that he will become Indra in the next coming Manvantara and until then he shall live on the planet Sutala which is free from mental and bodily miseries, fatigue, dizziness, defeat and all other disturbances. 3) Lord Vaman blessed Bali’s simple gift of land to the Brahmin and his faithfulness to that gift shows the purity of his intent not ego.
Bali was punished for misusing his power due to his bad thoughts, bad energy and ego even though he was a grandson of Bhakta Pralhad and had satvaguna/good virtues. When he realized his mistake, he not only surrendered whatever he possessed but also whatever belonged to him such as his mind that was the reason behind his bad thoughts, bad energy, and ego. That is why, in Bhagawat, he is called as Bhakti-Atma Nivedan Acharya.
In the Kali Yuga also people are spiritual and offer charities to earn God’s blessings and powers but not using them for the right purposes and feeling proud and showing arrogance. That is the reason, on Vamana Dwadashi, Lord Vishna in the form of a dwarf Brahmin -Vaman – comes four days before the Pitru Paksh which starts in the Ashwinin Mas and asks his devotees to offer /surrender to him their bad thoughts, bad energy and ego and become purified.
It is very important to note that this offering/surrender is made for your own advantage/excellence in life and obtain his protection for your and your family members of the next generations whereas the offerings made during Pitru Paksh are for the welfare and transfer of your ancestors’ souls from Pitru Loka to Dev Loka. Lord Vishnu protects not only his devotees but also their whole family as he did with Bali because of his favorite Bhakta Prahlada.
Devotees therefore observe fasting and perform puja with proper rituals to please Lord Vamana and in the evening, they listen to Vamana Katha and stay awake the entire night to recite the Vishnu Sahasranama along with the family members and distribute Prasad to everyone. Devotees offer food, rice, curd, umbrella and other small gift articles to the Brahmin boys and offer charity to the poor which certainly brings Punya/virtue for them.
I invite you all and your family along with relatives and friends to the event of Lord Vaman Jayanti which is being performed on September 3 for the first time in the Hindu Mandir of Lake County, Grayslake, IL to take active part in the Puja and chanting of Lord Vishnu Sahasranama.
Pt. Anil Joshi is the Priest, Hindu Mandir of Lake County
Pt Anil Joshi
Grayslake, IL.
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