Vamana Purana
वामनपुराण
The Purana of the Dwarf Avatar
The story of Vishnu's Vamana avatara — from the cosmic three steps that bound King Bali to the Trivikrama theophany, woven with Shaiva-Vaishnava syncretism and tirtha-mahatmya.
Start ReadingAbout This Book
The Vamana Purana is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, narrated by the sage Pulastya to Narada. It centres on the story of Lord Vishnu's fifth avatar, Vamana — the divine dwarf who approached the generous King Bali during a great sacrifice, asked for three steps of land, and then expanded into the cosmic Trivikrama form covering the three worlds. Beyond the central Vamana narrative, this Purana is remarkable for its Shaiva-Vaishnava syncretism (Harihara theology), extensive tirtha-mahatmya sections covering Kurukshetra and other sacred sites, Devi mythology including the Katyayani-Mahishasura cycle, and detailed cosmographic and dharmic teachings across 69 adhyayas and approximately 7,679 verses.
How This Book Is Organised
The Vamana Purana is a two-level text: 69 Adhyayas (chapters), each containing individual Shlokas (verses).
Adhyayas
69 chapters spanning cosmology, mythology, and theology
Shlokas
~7,679 verses read one by one
Available Reading Features
This edition of the Vamana Purana on Vedapath includes:
Original Sanskrit verses (Devanagari)
Transliteration for guided reading
Word-by-word meanings
Translations in 30 languages
Vamana avatara context and Harihara theology
Adhyayas of the Vamana Purana
The Vamana Purana is divided into 69 Adhyayas.
Each Adhyaya explores narratives spanning Vishnu's avatara, Shaiva mythology, Devi legends, and tirtha-mahatmya.