The descendants of sage Bhrigu perform asvamedha yaga for Mahabali. Lord Mahavishnu, who has taken the Vamana avatara, knowing this, goes to Mahabali, with a plan to recover the kingdom of the devas, which Mahabali has usurped. Vamana plans to ask Bali for a daana, and to thereby get the kingdom back, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. But as the Lord of everything, He has never asked for anything. He needs nothing and there is nothing that anyone can give Him that He does not already possess. So, when He goes to ask Bali for daana, He is at a loss about how to go about it. So, He shakes with worry! This is brought out by Andal, in Her Nachiar Thirumozhi, where She says “adira pugutha”. Adira, meaning shaking. After all, since the Earth itself is His property, it is like asking for His own property! Who, but the Lord, would so humble Himself, in answer to the prayers of those who worship Him?
When Vamana arrives at the place of the yaga, even the lustre of the sages seems to pale. So lustrous is He. When a big lamp is lit, does not the flame of a smaller one seem insignificant? So does the Lord’s effulgence dim the brightness of the tapasvis. The sages wonder if the Sun, or Agni has come to witness the yaga, or if the Sanatkumaras have come. The sages welcome Vamana with agni. Vamana is handsome, with his kamandala, umbrella, danda and the maunji (girdle made of munja grass). Mahabali washes Vamana’s feet, and says that this water will confer auspiciousness on people, and will cleanse them of their sins. Usually, we bathe in sacred rivers to wash away our sins. But the Lord comes to Bali, and gives Him the opportunity of washing His feet, thereby getting rid of Bali’s sins. Mahabali was fortunate indeed, to be so blessed by the Lord.
