(O janamejaya!) I told you about the (manifestation of viShNu as) man-lion. Now I shall tell you about another (manifestation of viShNu as) vAmana in which the best among the experts who can take many forms, took the form of vAmana,

in which, during the sacrifice conducted by the powerful (asura king) bali, long ago, the highly powerful viShNu, took away all the three worlds, with his valiant three steps,

in which, the splendorous viShNu took away the earth surrounded by ocean, decorated by many elephants, and gave to the indra of deva-s, shakra.

O Brahman! (vaishampAyana!) There I have a doubt. I have a great curiosity to know how lord nArAyaNa (viShNu) took up the form of the dwarf (vAmana)?

The lord nArAyaNa, the ancient soul in purANa-s, the one who has a lotus on his navel, the one with powerful arms, the true nature of the world, the immovable eternal one,

the one who does not have the beginning and middle (and the end) and the source of the three worlds, the eternal one, the lord of lords, the Lord of the deva-s, the one with the dark body, the one, whom the world bows to,

the lord who carries all oblations and sacrifices, the auspicious one, the one who enjoys all oblations and sacrifices, the one who has no decline - how did the lord enter the womb of aditi, the mother of deva-s?

How did the creator of indra become the younger brother of vAsava (indra)?

How did the Lord, the lord of lords, after he was born, attain the state of being viShNu? O the one who is excited internally (vipra, vaishampAyana)! Tell me all about the manifestation of the great soul (viShNu).

O king! (janamejaya!) Hear the divine story worshipped by the great among the sages. The poets also state this in purANa-s, spoken by brahma and recited by brahmins.

O janamejaya! (vaishampAyana continued): The son of marIchi, the lord of deva-s, kashyapa, the lord of beings, had two wives, aditi and diti.

To the great soul kashyapa, the deva-s, dhAtA, yama, and also mitra, varuNa, aMsha, bhaga, indra, vivasvAn, pUSha, parjanya as the tenth, tvaShtA as eleventh and viShNu as the twelfth were born from aditi.

From diti, the powerful lord hiraNyakashipu was born (to kashyapa). The splendorous indra (king) of demons, hiraNyAkSha was born (to kashyapa from diti) as his younger brother.

hiraNyakashipu had five sons of terrible valiance, prahrAda, anuhrAda, jambha and also samhrAda.

virochana is the son of prahrAda and his (virochana's) son is remembered as bali. They have a powerful group of sons and grandsons having no decline and fall.

O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) There are a many groups of the splendorous enemies of deva-s, the indra-s (kings) of demons, who are having great minds, in each land, in thousands.

Seeing that hiraNyakashipu is killed by the man-lion, the demons, made bali, the indra (king), for killing the deva-s.

The one who is always fixed in dharma, who speaks truth, who has conquered the senses, endowed with valiance and learning, who is an expert of all knowledge,

the one who has understood the meanings of future and posterior, the one who has realized the principles having no decline, the splendorous one, the enemy of the devas like hiraNaykashipu,

bali, the son of virochana was divinely anointed (as the king). All the sons of diti (demons) appointed bali as the king of demons and all of them worshipped him.

The sons of diti (demons) anointed bali, the best among the powerful, as the king, in the place of hiraNyakashipu. brahmA also became happy.

abhiShikto.asuragaNairbalirvairochanistadA |
kA~nchanaiH kalashaiH sphItaiH sarvatIrthAmbusaMvR^itaiH ||3-48-22

The groups of demons anointed bali, the son of virochana, as the king with large golden pots, filled with the water from all holy bathing places.

jayashabdaM tatashchakrurabhiShiktasya dAnavAH |
baleratulavIryasya siMhAsanagatasya vai ||3-48-23

The demons anointed bali as the king pronouncing the word jaya, as bali with incomparable valiance was seated on the lion's seat (of the king).

kR^itvendraM dAnavAH sarve baliM balavatAM varam |
tapo vij~nApayAmAsuH shirobhiH patitAH kShitau ||3-48-24

All the demons made bali, the best among powerful, as indra (king). They bowed to him by making their heads touch the ground and informed him.

daityA UchuH

viditaM tava daityendra hiraNyakashipo yathA |
trailokyamAsIdakhilaM jagatsthAvaraja~Ngamam ||3-48-25

The sons of diti said:

O the indra (king) of demons! It is known to you how hiraNyakashipu obtained all the three worlds of the universe including all fixed and moving beings.

pitAmahaM tu hatvA te sureshvaraniShUdana |
hR^itaM tadaiva trailokyaM shakrashchaivAbhiShechitaH ||3-48-26

O the slayer of lord of deva-s! Killing your grandfather, they took away all the three worlds and anointed shakra (indra) as the king.

tatpitAmaharAjyaM tvaM pratyAhartumihArhasi |

The land of your grandfather deserves to be taken back.

asmAbhiH sahito nAtha trailokyamidamavyayam |
pratyAnayasva bhadraM te rAjyaM paitAmahaM prabho ||3-48-27

O king! O lord! Along with us, take back all the three worlds having no decline, the kingdom of your grandfather. Let there be good to you.

asuragaNasahasrasaMvR^itastvaM
jaya divi devaganAnmahAnubhAvAn |
amitabalaparAkramo.asi rAja-
nnatishayase svaguNaiH pitAmahaM svaM ||3-48-28

O king! Surrounded by thousands of groups of demons, conquer the groups of deva-s enjoying the pleasures of heaven. O king! Having unlimited power and valiance, you excel your own grandfather with your qualities.

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi vAmane balerabhiSheke aShTachatvAriMsho.adhyAyaH

Thus this is the fouty-eighth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbharata, in the manifestation of vAmana, oronation of bali.

Note 1:
Gita Press has

hiraNyakashipoH putrAH pa~ncha ghoraparAkramAH |
prahrAdashchaiva saMhrAdastathAnuhrAda eva cha ||
hradashchaiva tu vikrAntaH pa~nchamo.anuhradastathA |

Also see

hiraNyakashipoH putrAH pa~nchaiva sumahAbalAH |
prahrAdashchaiva saMhrAdastathAnuhrAda eva cha ||3-36-33
hradashchaiva tu vikrAntaH pa~nchamo.anuhradastathA |

nIlakaNTha commentary

3-48-1 nR^isiMha iti ||
3-48-4 atra me iti | nArAyaNa iti prakhyAtarItyA kR^itsnabrahmANDalayasthAna bhUta brahmANDa devAsuravibhAgamupajIvya devAnAM pakShapAtenAsurAn vidhvaMsayatItyuktaM sarvAtmanaH svAvayavoShNiva teShu viShamabuddhaya yogAditi sha~NkArthaH ||
3-48-8 viShNutvaM vAmanasyApi kathaM trailokyavyApakatvaM cheti bhAvaH ||
3-48-9 uttaramAha - shR^iNviti | divyAM laukikadR^iShTAntAgamyAm athApi R^iShipuMgavairmantradraShTapravarairarchitAM kavibhirbrahmaniShThaiH svAnubhavaprAmANyena prakarShaNoktAM brahmoktAM mantrasUchitAM brAhmaNe mantravivaraNarUpe.api IritAm | ayaM bhAva -
indro mAyAbhi pururUpa Iryate
ityAdi shrutau ekasyAM mAyAyAmasamavetaM bahuvachanaM pAshanyAyena tadavayaveShu sattvarajastamaH suparyavasati | tatra sattvapradhAnAni rUpANi devatAdIni | rajaH pradhAnAni yakSharakShaH prabhR^itIni | tamaH pradhAnAni bhUtapretAdIni trividhAnIdrasya rUpANi | taiH sattvakAryaM kadAchidupakaroti kadAchidubhayasyApyabhibhavaM karoti ubhayenApyibhUyate cha | tadevaM mUlaguNAnAM yathA virodha evaM tatpradhAnAnAM devAdInAmapi | tatra yathA salilasya mAdhuryaM ikShudrAkShAdau bIjaguNAdatishayenAvirbhavati | nimbUmarIcharasAdautu niravasheShenAvR^itaM bhavati | aupAdhikaM chAmlakaTutvAdhikaM atIva prakAshate | evamindrasya svarUpabhUtaM j~nAnaM sAttvikeShu devatAdiShvAvirbhavati itareShvanu tasya tirobhAvaH aupAdhikAnAM cha kAmakrodhAdInAmatishayenAvirbhAvo bhavati | indriyasyApi savisheSharUpavataH svarUpaprakAshahetutvAddeveShu pakShapataH | tattirodhAnahetutvAditareShu drohashcha yujyate | sati hIndriyasya pa~ncha rUpANi bhUbIjA~NkurataruphalopamAni shuddhashabalasUtravirADviShNu saMj~nAni | tatra shuddhaM nirvisheShaM | viShNustu sarva visheShayukto rAjavachChiShTeShvanugrahaM duShTeShu drohaM cha karotIti cha yujyata evaM svA~Ngamapi
tyAjyo duShTaH priyo.apyAsIddR^iShTo.a~NguShTha ivAhinA
iti nyAyena bAdhituM shakyameva | mayAvitvAchchAsya vAmanatvaM vyApakatvaM cha yujyata iti sarvamanavadyam |
3-48-13 purANAntare hiraNyAkShasya jyeShThatvakathanaM kalpabhedAbhiprAyam |

iti shrImahabharate khileShu harivamshe bhaviShyaparvaNi TIkAyAmashTachatvArIMsho.adhyAyaH ||

##Itranslated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr October 29, 2008
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
June 16, 2012 ##