The Man from the Egg by Sudha Murty

Author:Sudha Murty
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789387326453
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2017-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

Bali’s consistently fair and just rule as well as his increasing strength worried Indra. He wondered what would happen if Bali ever decided to fight the devas and usurp his own throne. If such an event were to occur, Indra wasn’t sure if he’d be able to defeat Bali.

As feared, as the decades passed, Bali changed, becoming proud and arrogant. Inevitably, his actions took a turn for the worse. So Vishnu decided that Bali must be taught a lesson that he would never forget.

It was common knowledge that Bali fulfilled the desires of anyone who asked him for a gift during the performance of his yagnas. So Vishnu took the form of a young dwarf named Vamana and approached the king during one of his yagnas.

When Bali saw the dwarf coming towards him, he stood up and offered Vamana a seat.

Vamana said, ‘Emperor Bali, I have heard that you are a very generous man. So I have come to ask you for something.’

‘What is it that you want, little one?’ asked Bali. ‘If it is in my power, I will give you whatever your heart desires.’

‘My request is quite insignificant. But you have to promise to grant it.’

Bali smiled. ‘I promise,’ he said.

‘In that case, I want three steps of land. Each step must equal the size of one of my feet,’ said Vamana humbly.

Bali laughed and laughed. It took him several minutes to settle down from the hilarity of the idea—a request for such a small piece of land! ‘Ask for more than that, little man. You should request for something more befitting an emperor’s donation.’

Vamana bowed. ‘I know that you are a generous man, but I know my limits. Please forgive me if this is too trivial for a man such as yourself.’

Bali’s teacher Shukracharya, who had been observing this interaction keenly, instinctively grasped that something was out of place and that Vamana was not who he appeared to be. He called Bali and advised him, ‘O my king, please don’t accept Vamana’s condition. Something is wrong here and it makes me uneasy. I fear that this may be a scheme by the devas who are too afraid to face you directly. As your teacher and a well-wisher, I must advise you against getting entangled in this.’

‘Respected guru, I have already given my word to Vamana and hence I must fulfil it. In any case, what can this little man do to a mighty king like me?’ said the king.

Saying thus, Bali turned to Vamana, who was patiently waiting behind him.

Bali’s wife, who stood nearby, nodded to indicate that she was in agreement with her husband.

‘May I take the first step?’ asked Vamana.

‘Yes,’ replied Bali.

As was the custom in the olden days, the gift-giver would take some water in their right palm and drop it gently on to Mother Earth. This was a sign that the giver was donating wholeheartedly with Mother Earth as his true witness. The actual gift could only be given after this ritual was completed.

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