Vamana (Trivikrama) Avatar

Vamana (the little man) is the fifth incarnation (avatara, literally: 'descent') of Vishnu. In a battle between the gods and the demons, the gods have been defeated. Vishnu then appears in the form of a little man and asks the king of the demons, Bali, for a small piece of ground that he can cover in three steps. Bali agrees. Vishnu transforms into a giant figure and steps over the earth, the underworld, and the heavens. According to another tradition, with one step he conquers the heavens and the earth, with the second step the universe. Because there is no place for the third step, Bali offers his own head. This form of Vishnu is also called Trivikrama (Sanskrit: three steps).