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The legend of King 'Mahabali' (IAST: mahābalī, sanskrit: महाबली
) or 'Māvēli' (as known locally) or 'Bashkali'^[1] is the most popular legend behind Onam. Onam celebrates the visit of King Mahabali, a king of ancient Dravida to the state of Kerala every year. The festival is celebrated with fervour as King Mahabali is greatly respected by his subjects. Mahabali is also popularly called ''Maveli'' and ''Onathappan''. He is believed to have ruled in South India before the Ramayana event and his empire is believed to have extended from the Vindhyas in the north to the far out in the south.

Contents

Reign of King Mahabali

Brief Sketch of King Mahabali

Challenge for the Devas

Lord Vishnu takes Vamana Avatar

Vishnu grants a great boon to King Mahabali

Genesis of Onam

Alternate Views of Bali

Historical

Festivals

References

See also

External links

Reign of King Mahabali

The story goes that the beautiful state of Kerala was the capital of the Asura (demon) king, Mahabali. However, he was very religious and performed Vedic Aswamedha sacrifices to enlarge his kingdom and like his grandfather (Prahlada), was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Vishnu on Earth as he sacrificed his kingdom for the Lord. The King was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in the kingdom, there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime, nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in that kingdom. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. But because he was a Daitya, a descendent of Diti who was a rakshasa or a cannibal, he was viewed by the Suras or Devas as unsafe.

Brief Sketch of King Mahabali

The king was from the line of Diti, a deity in the Rigveda. In the days of Ridveda, there were two major groups of Aryans; The Indo-Aryans who believed that Aditi was the true mother of the gods and Irano-Aryans (Dasyu) who believed Diti, the twin sister was. This caused a split between the Indians and the Aryans with many Daityas migrating towards Iran, but some remained in India. Mahabali is the descendent of this line. The real name of Mahabali is Indrasena.
Most of the incarnations of Vishnu were connected with the struggle with Maha Bali lineage.

Mahabali was the son of Veerochana and grandson of Prahlad, refused to side with his father who would severely punish him and worshipped Vishnu with great devotion. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says that out of the Daityas, He is Prahlada. Prahalada's father was the Asura King Hiranyakashipu who was killed by Vishnu in his avatar as Narasimha (The Man-Lion).
Hiranya Kasipu's brother Hiranyksha was killed by Vishnu in his Avatar of Varaha (Boar). Mahabali himself was tricked into surrendering his Kingdom to Vishnu because he cared more about his morality than his Kingdom. The war between vishnu and the Mahabali continued after Mahabali. We do have the story of killing of Mahabali's grandson Ravana. Evidently Vaishnavites and the people of Mahabali were historically opposing religions. The feud extended even beyond Mahabali till the time of Ravana.

Challenge for the Devas

Looking at the growing popularity and fame of King Mahabali the Devas became extremely concerned that the Daitya way '(cannibalism)' might conquer the people. They felt threatened about their own supremacy and began to think of a strategy to get rid of the dilemma.
To curb the growing reign of Mahabali and maintain their own supremacy, Aditi, the mother of gods sought help from Lord Vishnu (the preserver in the Hindu trinity). Asuras did not worship Vishnu.
It was said Mahabali was very generous and charitable. Whenever anybody approached him for help or requested for anything he always granted. To test the King, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a poor Brahmin boy called Vamana. He came to the Kingdom of Mahabali, just after Mahabali performed his morning prayers and was preparing to grant boons to Brahmins.

Lord Vishnu takes Vamana Avatar

Disguised as Vamana, Vishnu told Mahabali he was a poor Brahmin and asked for a piece of land. The generous King said he could have as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin said that he just wanted as much land as could be covered by three of his steps. The King was surprised to hear this humble request, and insisted that the boy ask for more. But the Brahmin again said that he only wanted as much land as he could cover in three steps. So Mahabali agreed.
As King Mahabali agreed to grant the land, Vamana began to expand and eventually increased himself to a size of cosmic proportions. With his first step the Brahmin boy covered the whole of earth, and with a second step he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali, where is the space for him to place his third step.
The King realised that he was no ordinary Brahmin. Mahabali with folded hands bowed before Vamana and asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep his promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on Mahabali's head, and was pleased and offered him patala, the nether world.

Vishnu grants a great boon to King Mahabali

As he was pushed down into hell, King Bali made a last request. He requested that he be allowed to visit Kerala once in a year to ensure that his people were still happy, well-fed, and content. Lord Vishnu was pleased to grant Mahabali his wish.
Also, by the boon of Vishnu, Bali will be the next, that is, the eighth Indra (King of Devas) during the time of the eighth Manu, Savarni Manu.
Bali also asked Lord Vishnu to come to Patal with him and stay there. The goddess Laxmi (consort of Vishnu) was worried about her husband and sent a Rakhshabandhan (Rakhi) to Bali. When he accepted her as a sister, then Laxmi asked her husband back - which Bali granted happily.

Genesis of Onam

Onam celebrations are marked in Trikkakara, a place 10 km from Kochi (Cochin) on the Edapally- Pookattupadi road. Trikkara is said to be the capital of the mighty King Mahabali. A temple with a deity of ''Trikkakara Appan'' or ''Vamanamurthy'' who is Lord Vishnu himself in disguise is also located at this place. Nowhere else in Kerala can one find a deity of 'Vamanamurthy'. This fascinating legend is artistically depicted at the Suchindram Temple in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, where Lord Shiva slayed Banasura, the evil child of the holy Mahabali.

Alternate Views of Bali

There are two alternate views of Bali, who is also popularly known as Mahabali.
#Especially in Kerala, Mahabali is seen as a good ruler tricked by the jealous gods (suras), who vanquished him by deception.
#In the Hindu Puranas, Bali is a Daitya (descendents of Diti), an enemy of the Adityas (descendents of Aditi, twin sister of Diti), who claimed all of the heavens, earth and the underworld.
Accordingly, there are two versions, which differ in the connotations and not in the substance, of the same story of how Mahabali was stripped of his kingdom. These are (in the same order as the two views above):
# The gods (suras) grew worried of Mahabali's rule and popularity. Vishnu, in his avatar as the dimunitive Vamana, asked Mahabali for a piece of land only three paces wide. Bali, ever the generous king, granted this wish, whereupon Vamana grew to an immense size and covered the heavens with one step and the earth with another. There was no space left for Vamana to measure his third pace. "Where is my third foot of space?" asked Vamana. Tricked by this deceit, but as one who would never go back on his promises Mahabali offered his own head for Vamana to place his third step.
# According to mythology Bali was an efficient and popular ruler loved by all. His kingdom stretched the earth, the ''patal'' (the underground), and was threatening the skies. The ruler of the Heaven, Lord Indra got apprehensive of Bali's popularity and might, and approached Lord Vishnu for help and advice. Vishnu came to this mortal world as the boy (Vamana) Brahmin, went to Bali and asked for 3 steps of land. Bali readily agreed. With the first step, Vamana spanned the entire earth, with the next the underground, and there was nowhere to put his third step. The final step was put in heavan to reclaim the abode of the Devas, pushing out the cannibals.

Historical

It is interesting to note that the Pallava kingdom ruled from the capital city of Maha-bali-puram(Mahabalipuram) starting from around 7th century. There are mentions of many Bana chieftains, (Banasura being son of Bali), ruling Tamilnadu during the periods when the Chera, Chola and Pandiya were not as powerful.

Festivals

In the state of Kerala, the Onam festival is a celebration of the visit of Mahabali or Maveli (local name of Bali) to their land.
According to legend, Mahabali requested Vamana to grant him a boon to come and visit his homeland, Kerala, at least once a year, and he comes to visit his people and his land during Onam. Vamana also told Mahabali that he is destined to become Indra in the next cycle of creation.
In Maharashtra, the third day of Diwali is celebrated as 'Bali Pratipada'. On this day, a statue of Bali is worshipped at homes. In Bhavishyottara and Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Diwali is associated with the Daitya king Bali, who is allowed to return to earth once a year. Some believe that the "festival of lights" came from the theory that light would keep Bali away from your house.

References

1. Padma Purana Chapter Srishtikhand Section 9

See also

★ Onam

★ http://moralstories.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/bali-chakravartis-story/

★ Rakshasa

External links

★ Biography of Bali Maharaj