In his fifth incarnation (avatar), Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation, manifested as the dwarf Vamana to thwart the grandiose sacrifice of the demon king Bali who had defeated Indra, the King of the Gods, and assumed his throne in the heavens of the gods (Indraloka or Svarga). When Bali offered the lowly Vamana anything of his choosing, Vamana humbly asked for all the land he could cover in three steps. After Bali granted his request, Vamana instantly transformed himself in the colossal Trivikrama (The Taker of Three Steps). His first step encompassed the earth, his second step traversed the entire sky, and his third step enveloped the celestial regions. Bali was thus defeated and relegated to rule a minor domain.
In this late 18th-century Nepalese manuscript illustration, Trivikrama stands with his left leg upraised and pointed to the heavens to represent his three cosmic strides. He is crowned, nimbate, and has red skin and eight arms. In his right hands, he holds a sword, discus, arrow, and a lotus (top to bottom). In his left hands, he holds a shield, mace, bow, and a religious manuscript representing the Vedas. He wears Vishnu’s floral garland (vana mala) and the Brahmanical sacred thread (yajnopavita) over his left shoulder. Beneath Trivikrama is the blue-skinned dwarf Vamana holding a mendicant’s staff. King Bali, wearing a Nepalese-style royal hat (see M.91.206), is shown twice in continuous narration. On the left, he is supporting Trivikrama’s right foot to indicate Vishnu’s domination. On the right, he is seated in the kingly posture of royal ease (maharajalila asana) and holding his hands in the gesture of devotion (anjali mudra).
A gilt copper alloy inlaid with gemstones crown of this Nepalese form is in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (91.536).
