BAWANA (VAMANA INCARNATION) Vishnu, who had assumed the form of Bawana (Vamana-dwarf), asked for two and a half steps of earth under some pretext, if (the demon king) Bali had recognised Him, why could he has been deceived for going to the nether-regions (Patala) ? (Prabhati M. l, p. 1344) O Lord! Thou has created the form of Bawana….. (Maru M. 5, p. 1082) Through his great penances, the good and virtuous demon king Bali had defeated Indra and subjugated the three worlds. The gods appealed to Vishnu for protection, who assumed the form of a dwarf (Vamana). He asked for two and a half steps of the earth from the king, but enlarged himself to such an enormous size that only with two steps, he covered all the three worlds. Out of the reverence for the king for his kindness and for the devotion of his grandfather Prahlada, Vishnu left Patala for him. See : Das Avatars and Bali
References :
1. Kohli, Surindar Singh, Dictionary of Mythological References in Guru Granth Sahib, 1993
