Vamana Purana — Narada Questions Pulastya, Shloka 3
Narada Questions Pulastya: The Vamana Purana Begins and Satī’s Monsoon Lament
कथं भगवता ब्रह्मन् विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना वामनत्वं धृतं पूर्वं तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः
kathaṃ bhagavatā brahman viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā vāmanatvaṃ dhṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ tanmamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ
O Brāhmaṇa (Weiser), wie nahm der erhabene Herr—Viṣṇu, der überaus Mächtige—einst den Zustand/die Gestalt Vāmanas an? Sage es mir, da ich frage.
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FAQs
Divine ‘descent’ (avatāra) is framed as purposeful intervention for restoring balance; inquiry into ‘how and why’ emphasizes that līlā is meaningful, not arbitrary.
It cues Vamśānucarita and manvantara-linked narratives (deva–asura episodes typically situated within manvantaras), preparing the text to situate the avatāra within cosmic-historical cycles.
Calling Viṣṇu ‘prabhaviṣṇu’ while asking about a ‘dwarf’ form highlights the paradox of omnipotence expressed through smallness—power perfected through restraint and strategic humility.