The Man from the Egg Read online

  Bhu Devi listened carefully, as if she was memorizing every word.

  ‘The sixth one will be Parashurama, and I will punish the powerful and mighty rulers for their thoughtless actions and their horrendous mistakes,’ continued Vishnu. ‘In the seventh avatar, I will kill King Ravana in my form as Rama. The eighth avatar will be Krishna, through whom I will kill Dantavakra, assassinate the cruel kings Kansa and Shishupala and become an integral part of the Mahabharata war. My ninth will be Buddha, the peaceful sage, who will teach the importance of following the middle path between materialism and spiritualism. In my

  last and final birth, I will appear as the white horse Kalki and destroy the evil in the world.’

  Finally, Vishnu looked at Bhu Devi affectionately and said, ‘You don’t have to worry about the weight of evil in the world. Whenever you need me, I will come and reduce your burden.’

  Bhu Devi bowed her head and smiled, thankful for the assistance she would be given in the times to come.

  The Big Fish

  The first human creation of Lord Brahma was a man named Manu. We are believed to be his descendants.

  One day, when Manu was offering water to the sun god, Surya, he noticed a tiny fish in the water cupped in his palms. He took pity on the little thing, put it in his kamandalu and brought it home.

  The next morning, Manu saw the fish peeping out from the small water pot. When he went closer, he found that the fish had grown many times its original size. So he took the fish and released it in a pond nearby.

  Within a day, the fish grew to such a size that it occupied the entire pond.

  Manu was surprised at the rate at which the fish was growing, but he still wanted to save it. So he transported the fish to the closest lake.

  But even the lake wasn’t big enough for it. Soon, the fish was placed in a river and eventually, in the sea. But it wouldn’t stop growing.

  Finally, Manu asked the fish, ‘Who are you?’

  ‘I am Vishnu,’ replied the fish. ‘I have come to warn you of an impending disaster. The world is about to be submerged in water. Gather as many seeds, plants, animals, men, women, children and sacred texts as you can, and build a boat that can carry all of it. When the flood comes, tie the boat to my fins and I will take you to a safe spot. After the water recedes, you can rebuild the world. Everyone will remember you, and you will come to be known as the father of mankind, or Manukula.’

  Manu didn’t quite understand the gravity of the situation but decided to obey the god anyway.

  Just as the end of the world was about to begin, an asura named Hayagriva stole the Vedas. And then, as predicted, the flood hit the earth and within seven days, it was completely submerged.

  Once Vishnu had transported Manu and the boat to a safe haven, he went in search of Hayagriva and killed him. He rescued the Vedas, which became a guide for the new world and the future generations.

  This story appears in various mythologies and holy texts in different forms. It is similar to the story of Noah’s ark, which is said to have taken place in the region of the Caspian Sea. According to an old Indian legend, the Caspian Sea is none other than the Kashyapa Samudra of the ancient world, named after the famous sage Kashyapa.

  The Large Dwarf

  The great asura king Bali, grandson of Prahlada, was frequently referred to as Mahabali because of his greatness. Unlike a lot of his ancestors, he was good to his subjects and very generous.

  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. Thus, a jug was brought to Bali, who cupped a little water in his palm and let it trickle on to the ground.

  Vamana lifted one foot, ready to take his first step. To everyone’s amazement, he no longer remained a dwarf. He grew taller and taller until the top of his head went beyond the clouds. His feet became so huge that they occupied all of the earth.

  ‘The earth is mine,’ announced Vamana and shrunk back to his original size.

  Bali was aghast. He had lost all that he had conquered. His guru had been right. Vamana was not an ordinary dwarf, after all. A fleeting thought crossed Bali’s mind. ‘Maybe he is Vishnu?’

  ‘O Mahabali, where should I take my second step?’ asked Vamana.

  ‘The sky, sir,’ replied Bali. Again, he took water from the jug and poured some on to the earth.

  Vamana grew in size again and took possession of the sky with one stride. With that, there was nothing left for the king to give.

  Vamana diminished in size and looked at Bali. ‘What about my third footstep?’ he questioned him.

  This time, Guru Shukracharya could not restrain himself any longer. He turned himself into a mosquito and entered the water jug. Quickly, he flew to the mouth of the jug and blocked the opening with his tiny body in such a way that no water would flow from the jug even when it was tilted.

  King Bali, however, was ignorant of his guru’s activities. He bowed his head and spoke to Vamana. ‘Sir, it is clear that you are none other than Vishnu. You first appeared in the form of a boar in front of my great-granduncle, Hiranyaksha, and then visited my great-grandfather, Hiranyakashipu, and my grandfather, Prahlada, in the form of Narasimha. You assisted the churning of the ocean in the fo