page_title: Vamana
section_title: Bali
hierarchical_section_title: Vamana / Nomenclature and Etymology / Bali
caption_attribution_description: English: India, Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur, circa 1760-1770 Drawings; watercolors Opaque watercolor and gold on paper Sheet: 5 7/8 x 9 1/2 in. (14.92 x 24.13 cm); Image: 4 3/4 x 9 1/4 in. (12.07 x 23.5 cm) From the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Museum Associates Purchase (M.82.42.8) South and Southeast Asian Art
context_page_description: Vamana, also known as Vāmanadeva, Trivikrama, Urukrama, Upendra, Dadhivamana, and Balibandhana is a Brahmin avatar of the supreme almighty god Vishnu.
  Originating in the Vedas, Vamana is most commonly associated in the Itihāsa and Puranas with the legend of taking back the three worlds from the Asura-king Bali in three steps to give back to Indra. Vamana is listed as the fifth incarnation of the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
context_section_description: 'Bali' (बलि), also known as 'Mahabali' ('Great Bali'), 'Bali Mahārāja' ('King Bali'), and 'Baskali' ('of a teacher'), is the name of the noble Asura king defeated by the Vamana avatar of Vishnu.  As evidenced below, Bali is stated in Puranic literature to be the great-great grandson of Kasyapa and Diti; great-grandson of Hiranyakashipu (son of Diti, defeated by the Narasimha avatar); grandson of Prahlada (a Vaishnava protected by Narasimha); and son of Virochana.
  Bali is also stated to have had 100 sons (including Bana) as well as a daughter called Ratnamala. Ratnamala is particularly notable, as after seeing Vamana at her father's yajna, she desired to have a son just like Him to feed from her own breasts. This desire was granted by Krishna, hence incarnating at the demoness Putana, who attempted to kill baby Krishna by breastfeeding Him poison (e.g. Canto 10 of the Srimad Bhagavatam).
  A.B. Keith and A.A. Macdonell state that the word 'Bali' (बलि) 'occurs several times in the Rigveda and often later in the sense of a tribute to a king or offering to a god'. For example, in RigVeda 5.1.10 (see below), the Sanskrit word 'balim' is used to mean 'tribute'. J. Eggeling adds (footnote 2) that in the Shatapatha Brahmana (White YajurVeda; see below) 'Bali is the technical term of the portions of the daily food that have to be assigned to all creatures'.
  As evidenced below, the word 'Bali' is often used in the Puranas to refer to sacrificial offerings of food (as well as to the Asura King). According to the Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, Bali (or 'Balin') also means 'powerful, strong, mighty, stout, [and] robust' (i.e. as a sacrificial offering).
caption: Narasimha disemboweling King Hiranyakashipu, great-great grandfather of King Bali.
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