Aditi and the Dwarf Incarnation

Chapter 16, 17, 18

When the demigods fled, their mother, Aditi, became morose. Observing her demeanour, Kasyapa Muni tried to ascertain the cause and advised her that only the Lord could provide permanent solutions to life’s problems. When she enquired how to worship the Lord and seek His shelter, Kasyapa guided her through the intricate details of the payo-vrata sacrifice (a rigorous austerity in which one subsists only on milk).

After successfully completing the twelve-day sacrifice, the Lord suddenly appeared before Aditi, much to her delight. Aditi offered prayers in a faltering voice, and without her even mentioning it, the Lord understood her motherly concern for the demigods. Because of her devotion and Kasyapa Muni’s austerities, the Lord reassured them that He would find an ingenious way to overthrow the demons.

By mystic perception, Kasyapa Muni understood that the Lord had entered within him, and he thus impregnated Aditi. At the auspicious hour, Lord Vamanadeva appeared in the world, equipped with all transcendental paraphernalia, and then assumed the form of a dwarf brahmacari. Various demigods and sages spontaneously arrived to celebrate the Lord’s advent, bringing Him gifts of love and beautiful praise.