The little Vaamana!
by Megha Subramanian
“Hehehe” I giggled, looking at the little dwarf just like me, but he was dressed as a Brahmana. My Bharu akka’s dance teacher finally gave me a role in one of their dance productions as Vaamana because I was small like a dwarf, only six years old. Bharu akka’s teacher glared at me with the dance-stick in her hands, usually she went ‘tak, tak, tak’ with it on a wooden board, but for now I could read her thoughts of making it land on my feet.
I stopped giggling and looked all serious.“I told you raise your leg high in the air like this” and she showed me again, it looked huge when she took it above her head and landed it on the floor. “He covered the earth in his first step, in the second akash or the sky” and the third..I ran to take the place because I had to place the 3rd step on Bharu akka’s head, that was the best part of being Vaamana. Ask me why? Because at home she keeps going, “I am elder to you so call me akka, I am elder to you so do this for me..” and the list is never ending! This was my one chance to show her I am superior!
I walked into my room with a sense of pride, my facing upwards, unresponsive to Bharu akka’s calls, what pleasure! “Chinnu, chinnu”, amamma called. “Tch, amamma, I was feeling so big, you now spoiled it by calling me chinnu! What amamma!” Amamma laughed her toothless laugh, she looked really cute. I immediately hugged her. “Chinnu, you feel big on becoming Vaamana the dwarf?” She asked. “Guess how big Bharu akka must be feeling being Mahabali, who became the lord of the three worlds by replacing Indra?” I looked at her surprised.
“Then why did Vaamana put his last foot on his head?” I asked. “You feel ‘big’ on becoming Vaamana, like that Mahabali was also feeling ‘big’ on conquering the three worlds. Like you don’t listen to Bharu akka’s calls anymore, he probably stopped responding to Lord Vishnu’s calls,” She said. “But who can ignore Mahavishnu?” I asked. “That’s called pride,” said amamma, “You know pride, ’cos I saw you feel it sometime back..” I felt ashamed. “Sorry, Bharu akka”, I screamed from amamma’s room. “It’s okay you twit!” She screamed back. “Amamma, see her!” I complained. Amamma smiled, “If not you, who else will she tease?” That was also true, I thought.
So Mahavishnu attained this small, dwarf like stature to bring Mahabali back to realization, I understood. Imagine a great king, bowing down to a little figure like me. I looked into the mirror and held the posture, with mushthi hasta in both hands, signifying the umbrella and the kamandalam in a Brahmana’s hands. One can see that in the pictures of Vaamana roopa.
The next day, on the stage, in Madhyamavati raga, when the teacher sang,
“Kalita Vaamana roopa Kanditodhattha maha
Baligar vajala, suguna apala”
(You took the dwarf-like form to save the world
From the pride of Mahabali, now save me.)
The ‘sanchari’ (the enactment of the episode) began and I walked in, humble, just like Lord Vishnu would have, still aware that he and Mahabali are one. I was startled by the awareness. When I asked for alms and Mahabali promised me anything I asked for, a sense of affection emerged for him, then I thought, “You are such a nice king, if I only rid you off your pride, there will be none to surpass your piety” and I placed my last step on his head, guaranteeing him my protection for time immemorium, because that’s how long we will live. Everyone clapped after the performance and my eyes swelled with tears of realization, only amamma noticed and smiled.
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