VAMANAVATAR

The fifth of ten avatars of Lord Vishnu was this Vamana,

Who took the appearance of a short statured, cute Brahmana.

Mahabali, an asur in the lineage of Hiranyakasip and though very just and powerful,

Was envied by the Devas, because he had all the worlds including theirs, to rule.

Knowing the difficulty of overcoming the virtuous Mahabali in any direct war,

To recover the Devas’s world, Lord Vishnu decided to take the Vamana Avatar.

Thus the Lord adopted a clever little ploy

And appeared in front of Mahabali as a Brahmin boy.

Mahabali,conducting a yajna, was giving, whatever asked,  to brahmins in charity,

Dimunitive Vamana asking only for land equaling his three steps, it hurt his vanity.

He saw Vamana cover the entire earth in the first, the sky and beyond in the second step,

Having nothing else to offer, Mahabali humbly offered his head for the third step.

Though the Lord sent Mahabali to the regions down under by pressing down,

Seeing his goodness, he made the asur king to sit on the underworld throne.