Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1589

c4.1589

At this time Mahābali was performing a sacrifice on the bank of the river Narmadā. Vāmana came to the place of sacrifice in the dress of a hermit boy and told Mahābali that he was a helpless hermit boy and requested that he might be given three steps of ground. Mahābali was pleased with the boy and told him that he was willing to give the boy even the country called Bhṛṅgāra and that he was prepared to forego the kingly pleasures for the boy. The hermit boy did not show any desire for them. So many gathered round them to witness this sight. The teacher Śukrācārya called Mahābali and said that the boy was a cheat and that his request should not be granted. But Mahābali decided to grant the wish of the boy and as a token of his gift he began to offer the boy water from a waterpot. The teacher got into the mouth of the pot in the shape of a mote and water would not flow freely out of the mouth of the pot. Knowing this Vāmana took a grass of Darbha and pushed it at the mouth of the pot. The grass pierced one eye of Śukrācārya. From that time onwards Śukrācārya had only one eye. Water flowed freely into the hands of Vāmana. Śukra got angry and cursed Bali. Vāmana began to measure the ground and simultaneously began to grow. The asuras who were