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Vamana Purana

The Vamana Purana (~10,000 verses, 96 chapters) — one of the 18 Mahapuranas, narrated by Pulastya to Narada. Presiding deity: Vishnu as Vamana (dwarf avatar, 5th Dashavatara). Central narrative: Mahabali, dharmic asura king, rules the three worlds justly. Vishnu incarnates as a dwarf Brahmin and asks for three steps of land; warned by guru Shukracharya, Bali gives anyway (dana-vrata). Ch1 Bali Charitra: 'balirvairochano rājā dānavīro...dharmeṇa vijayendriyaḥ' — Bali as exemplar of dharma beyond birth-category; 'dātavyam iti yad dānaṃ...sāttvikaṃ' — sattvic giving = giving because it is right, not for reciprocity. Ch2 Vamana Avatara: 'tribhiḥ padairjagat sarvaṃ vyāptaṃ' — Trivikrama covers all three worlds in two steps; three steps as cosmic measure = the infinite given any portion takes all. Ch3 Bali Mukti: 'dvārapālatvam ātmanaḥ' — Vishnu himself becomes Bali's doorkeeper; the supreme paradox: the completely surrendered devotee has the divine as personal servant. Core teaching: dharma is demonstrated conduct not inherited category; complete surrender (sarva-dana) draws the divine into intimate presence.