वामन अवतार

Daityaraj Prahlad ke pautra aur Virochan ke putra Bali atyant shaktishali, dharmatma aur daanveer raja the. Bali ne apne guru Shukracharya ke margdarshan mein sau Ashwamedh Yagya sampann kiye. In yagyon ke prabhav se Bali atyant shaktishali ho gaya aur usne Devraj Indra ko parajit karke swarg par adhikaar kar liya. Teenon lok Bali ke adheen ho gaye.

Devtaon ki mata Aditi apne putron ki durdasha se atyant dukhi thin. Unhone Bhagwan Vishnu se prarthana ki ki ve devtaon ki raksha karein aur unhe swarg punah pradaan karein. Bhagwan Vishnu ne Aditi ko vardaan diya ki ve unke garbh se putra roop mein avatar lenge. Bhadrapad maas ki Shukla Dwadashi ko Aditi aur Kashyap Rishi ke yahan Bhagwan Vishnu ne Vaman (baune Brahman) ke roop mein janm liya.

Vaman Bhagwan atyant tejaswi balak the. Unka shareer chhota tha parantu unka tej surya ke samaan tha. Unhone Brahmacharya vrat dhaaran kiya, mrigcharm pehna, haath mein dand aur chhatr liya, aur Raja Bali ke yagyashala ki or chal diye. Jab Vaman yagyashala mein pahunche to unke tej se sampoorn vatavaran prakashit ho gaya. Raja Bali ne unka bhavy swagat kiya.

Bali ne Vaman se poocha — "He Brahman Kumar, aap mujhse kya chahte hain? Main aapko gaay, sona, hathi, ghode, gaanv — jo chahein de sakta hoon. Bataiye, aapki kya ichchha hai?" Vaman ne muskurate hue kaha — "He Rajan, mujhe bahut adhik nahi chahiye. Mujhe keval teen pag bhoomi daan mein dijiye — mere teen kadmon mein jitni bhoomi aa jaye, bas utni."

Bali ne hanste hue kaha — "Keval teen pag? He Balak, tum to bahut kam maang rahe ho. Tumhare ye chhote-chhote pair kitni bhoomi naapenge? Maango, main tumhe dweep, rajya, sampatti de sakta hoon." Parantu Guru Shukracharya ne Bali ko saavdhaan kiya — "He Rajan, yeh saadharan balak nahi hai. Yeh Bhagwan Vishnu hain jo tumhe chhalane aaye hain. Inhe daan mat do!" Parantu Bali ne kaha — "Gurudev, yadi swayam Bhagwan Vishnu mujhse bhiksha maangne aaye hain to yeh mere liye sabse bada sammaan hai. Main vachan se peeche nahi hatooonga."

Bali ne jal haath mein lekar sankalp kiya aur teen pag bhoomi Vaman ko daan kar di. Usi kshan Vaman Bhagwan ne apna viraat roop dhaaran kiya. Unka shareer vishaal hota gaya — aakaash se bhi ooncha, brahmaand se bhi vishaal. Unhone pehle pag mein sampoorn prithvi ko naap liya. Doosre pag mein sampoorn swarg aur aakaash ko naap liya. Ab teesra pag rakhne ke liye koi sthaan shesh nahi tha.

Bhagwan Vaman ne Bali se poocha — "He Rajan, tumne teen pag bhoomi ka vachan diya tha. Do pagon mein maine prithvi aur swarg naap liya. Ab teesra pag kahan rakhoon? Tumhara vachan apoorn reh jayega aur vachanbhang paap hai." Bali ne kshan bhar bhi vichaar nahi kiya aur vinamratapoorvak kaha — "He Prabhu, aap apna teesra pag mere mastak par rakh dijiye. Mere paas aur kuch shesh nahi hai." Bali ki is adbhut daanveerta aur samarpan se Bhagwan Vishnu atyant prasann hue.

Bhagwan Vaman ne teesra pag Bali ke mastak par rakha aur Bali Paatal Lok mein chale gaye. Parantu Bali ki bhakti aur daanveerta se prasann hokar Bhagwan ne unhe vardaan diya ki Bali Paatal Lok ke adhipati honge aur agle Manvantar mein Indra ka pad prapt karenge. Bhagwan ne swayam Bali ke dwaarpal banna sweekar kiya — yeh sarvochch sammaan tha. Kerala mein Onam ka tyohar Raja Bali ki smriti mein manaya jata hai, jab mana jata hai ki Bali Paatal se prithvi par apni praja se milne aate hain.

Vaman Avatar ki katha hamein sikhaati hai ki sachcha daan wahi hai jo bina kisi ahankaar ya lobh ke kiya jaye. Bali ne sab kuch jaante hue bhi apna sarvasva daan kar diya — yahi param tyaag hai. Bhagwan ka dwaarpal banna batata hai ki Ishwar apne bhakton ke sevak banne mein bhi sankoch nahi karte.