Sri Rama hearing about Vamana Avatara of Lord Vishnu at Siddhashrama

Siddhashrama: Sri Rama hearing the story of Vamana Avatara:

(Valmiki Ramayana - Bala Kanda - 28 to 29)

• Meditation: I meditate on Sri Rama visiting Siddhashrama and hearing the story of the Vamana Avatara of Lord Vishnu.

• Lord Vishnu performing penance at Siddhashrama: Sage Vishwamitra told about the penance of Lord Vishnu at Siddhashrama. Lord Vishnu abided at this place and performed penance for many hundreds of yugas. Hence Siddhashrama is the hermitage of Lord Vishnu. Later, it also became the hermitage of Lord Vamana (when Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana avatara).

• King Bali performing Vedic ritual during that time: During that time emperor Bali, the son of king Virochana, was conducting a grand Vedic ritual after conquering the abodes of the gods.

• Gods praying to Lord Vishnu: The gods approached Lord Vishnu in that hermitage with Agni deva leading them. They appealed to Lord Vishnu to ask for a gift from Bali for the welfare of the gods. Bali was well-known for his magnanimity, hence anything asked from him is expected to be granted. Hence Lord Vishnu can approach him in the form of Vamana (a dwarf).

• Sage Kashyapa and Devi Aditi performing penance at Siddhashrama: During the same time sage Kashyapa and Devi Aditi were also performing penance in this place which continued for thousand divine years. After completing their penance, sage Kashyapa started eulogizing Lord Vishnu. He described Vishnu as Tapomaya (who is full of Tapas), Taporashi (Who is an aggregate of Tapas), Tapo Murti (Who is an embodiment of Tapas) and Tapaatmakam (Whose essence is Tapas). Sage Kashyapa said that within the form of Lord Vishnu he is seeing the entire universe which is without any end.

• Lord Vishnu giving boon to sage Kashyapa to incarnate as his son: Pleased by the eulogy of the sage, Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told him to ask for a boon. Sage Kashyapa asked the boon that Lord Vishnu himself descend as his son and help the gods to get back their kingdom from king Bali. The sage also declared that since his penance got accomplished here, the hermitage will be known as Siddhashrama (or the hermitage of accomplishment). Lord Vishnu should arise from there as his son.

• Lord Vishnu incarnating as son of sage Kashyapa: Granting the boon of sage Kashyapa, Lord Vishnu descended here as the Vamana Avatara from Devi Aditi. Approaching emperor Bali, the Lord took away the whole empire of Bali with three strides and gave it to Indra deva.

• Sage Vishwamitra getting Siddhashrama as his hermitage: Sage Vishwamitra then told that due to his devotion to Vamana, the hermitage of Lord Vishnu was accorded to him, this hermitage which is the remover of stress. However demons were causing disturbances in that hermitage. This hermitage belongs to him (i.e. sage Vishwamitra) as much as it belongs to Sri Rama (since he practised penance here as Lord Vishnu).

• Sri Rama spending a night at Siddhashrama: Sri Rama spent that night in the hermitage of sage Vishwamitra (Siddhashrama).

Vamaneshwar Dham, Charitravan, Buxar, Bihar

Vamaneshwar Dham, Charitravan, Buxar, Bihar

- Buxar (Siddhashrama) (Buxar district, Bihar)

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