Vamana's Three Steps — The Dwarf Who Measured the Worlds

Teen kadam. Bas teen kadam. Itni si maang ne teenon lokon ka naksha badal diya.

Bali — Prahlad ka pota — sabse taakatwar asur-raja tha jo kabhi jiya. Pehle ke atyaachaariyon se alag, woh udaar tha, gyaani tha, apni praja ka pyaara tha. Lekin uski taakat ne teenon lok jeet liye the — aur devta ek baar phir swarg se nikaal diye gaye the. Uske guru Shukracharya ne use chetaaya tha — tumhaare dil mein ghamand khar-patwaar ki tarah badh raha hai.

Devtaon ne Vishnu se bheekh maangi. Vishnu ne ek komal yojna chuni. Unka janm hua Vamana ke roop mein — ek bauna brahmin ladka. Chhota, tejasvi, lakdi ka chhaata liye hue. (Kashyap rishi aur Aditi ke putr ke roop mein — Indra ki maa Aditi ne swayam prarthana ki thi.) Bali ke mahaan yagya ka din tha — raja sab brahminon ko daan de raha tha. Vamana sabha mein chal kar aaya. Sab us pyaare chhote ladke ko dekh kar muskuraye. Sivaay Shukracharya ke — jinki aankhein shaq se sikud gayi.

'Jo chaho maang lo, yuva brahmin,' Bali ne pyaar se kaha. Vamana ne dheere se jawaab diya — 'O Raja, main sirf teen pag dharti maangta hun. Jitni main teen kadmon mein naap sakun.' Sabha hans padi. Bali bhi hansa. 'Sirf teen pag? Gaon maango! Sona maango!' Lekin Vamana ne sir hilaaya — 'Brahmin ko sirf utna maangna chahiye jitni use zaroorat ho.'

Shukracharya ne Bali ko ek taraf kheench kar turant kaha — 'Vaada mat karo! Yeh koi ladka nahi hai — yeh swayam Vishnu hain, tumhe thagne aaye hain!' Lekin Bali ka jawaab hamesha yaad rakha jaata hai. 'Gurudev,' usne kaha, 'agar swayam Bhagwan mere dwaar bhikhaari ban kar aaye hain, to main unhe kaise lautaaun? Diya hua vaada wapas nahi liya ja sakta — chahe uski keemat sab kuch hi kyun na ho.'

Ek lok-katha ke anusaar, Shukracharya ne antim upaay kiya. Jaise hi Bali ne sankalp-jal ke liye apna kamandalu uthaaya, Shukracharya cheenti ban kar uski tonti mein ghus gaye — jal ka pravaah rok diya. Vamana muskuraaye. Unhone kusha ki ek nukili ghaas uthai — tonti mein daal di. Ghaas ne cheenti ki aankh phod di. Shukracharya ko peeche hatna pada. (Tab se ve ekaakshi kehlate hain — ek aankh waale.) Jal baha. Bali ka vachan pakka ho gaya.

Phir chamatkaar ghatit hua. Vamana badhe. Aur badhte gaye. Jab tak unka roop brahmaand mein sama nahi gaya. Yeh Trivikrama ka roop tha — teenon lokon ko naapne waala. Pehle kadam se unhone poori dharti naap li. Doosre se swarg naap liya. Kehte hain, doosra pag jab brahmaand ke anda ko chhed kar upar nikla, to us chhed se jo jal-dhaara giri — wahi Ganga bani. Isiliye Ganga ko 'Vishnupadi' bhi kehte hain. Phir ve Bali ki taraf muskuraate hue mude — 'Raja, tumne mujhe teen pag ka vaada kiya tha. Maine do le liye. Teesra kahan rakhun?'

Bali ne sir jhukaya. Uske paas bachi aakhri zameen aage kar di — khud ko. 'Yahan rakhiye, Prabhu — mere sir par.' Vamana ne apna charan dheere se Bali ke sir par rakha — aur use Pataal mein daba diya. Lekin Vishnu raja ki bhakti aur imandaari se prabhaavit hue. Unhone Bali ko Sutala lok ka raajya diya — jo swarg se bhi sundar hai. Vaada kiya — main swayam tumhaare mahal ke dwaar ki raksha karunga. Aur vardaan diya — saal mein ek baar Bali apni praja se milne wapas aa sakta hai.

Us ghar-wapasi ko Kerala mein Onam ke roop mein manaaya jaata hai. Kehte hain, Bali aaj bhi Chiranjivi hain.

Yeh katha do darpan rakhti hai. Vamana mein — divyata sabse chhote roop mein chhup sakti hai. Bali mein — apna vachan nibhana apna raajya bachaane se zyada zaroori hai. Teen pagon ka arth bhi gehra hai — pehle do pag mein dharti-swarg, teesra pag Bali ke sir par. Arthaat ahankaar ka samarpan — jisse jeev mukta hota hai.

Us badhne ko mehsoos karo — ek bauna ladka, phir jawan, phir vishaal, phir itna bada ki dharti uske pairon tale chhoti lagne lagi. Aakaash uske sir se takraane laga. Devtaon ne dekha to haath jod liye. Asuron ne dekha to kaanp uthe. Aur Bali? Woh bas muskura raha tha — kyunki woh jaanta tha, uske dwaar par swayam Bhagwan aaye hain.

Aur Onam? Kerala mein aaj bhi log Bali ke swagat mein phoolon ki rangoli sajaate hain — pookalam. Kehte hain, us din Raja Bali apni praja se milne aate hain. Jo raja apna sab kuch haar kar bhi apnon ke dilon mein raaj kare — wahi to asli maharaja hai.