When Indra, the king of the gods, arrived, Bāṣkala, the chief among the Dānavas, warmly embraced him and led him into his own house. With great care and reverence, Bāṣkala honored his divine guest, offering water and other traditional tokens of welcome, and worshipped him with devotion. Overflowing with joy, Bāṣkala declared, “Today my birth has become truly meaningful, all my desires are fulfilled, for I behold you, Shakra, standing in my home in person. By your presence, O king of the gods, I am renowned among the foremost of the Dānavas; your visit to my house is the highest fruit of my merit. The very reward that comes from great sacrifices like the Agniṣṭoma is attained merely by seeing you, Purandara. The blessings earned from giving land, from gifting cows to a priest, or even from performing the Rājasūya sacrifice—may all those be mine today. “Your audience, O Vāsava, is not easily attained by small austerities. Now that you are here, please tell me what cherished act I may perform for you. Let no other thought trouble your heart; whatever you desire, no matter how difficult, consider it already accomplished. I am blessed and have gained great merit by seeing you, O destroyer of enemies; I have honored your feet, which are worshipped by the best of gods. Tell me, Lord, the purpose of your coming—reveal everything to me, for I consider the reason for your arrival to be most extraordinary.” Indra replied, “O Bāṣkala, chief among the Dānavas, seeing you here is no surprise, for you are renowned as the best of the Asuras. Those who come to your house as petitioners never leave disappointed. You are like a wish-fulfilling tree to all who seek your aid; there is no other giver like you. In brilliance you are like the sun, in depth like the ocean; in forbearance you are the very earth, and in splendor you are like Nārāyaṇa himself. “This brāhmaṇa Vāmana, born in the lineage of Kaśyapa, has approached me with a request: ‘Grant me three steps of land.’ It is for the sake of my fire-sacrifice, the ritual I wish to perform, that I make this request, O Lord. This is what I seek. O Bāṣkala, you have seized the three worlds with your stride, leaving me without means or wealth—what you wish to give, I do not possess. “Yet I ask you, whether for another’s sake or my own; since I am also a petitioner, do what is fitting in this matter. You are born of the Kaśyapa line, the increaser of the family; your mother is Diti, and your father is honored by all three worlds. Knowing you to be such, I now ask you: for the sake of this fire-sacrifice, grant three steps of land. To this Vāmana, whose body is exceedingly small, I am not able to give land belonging to another. I can only give what you have asked of me; if my elders or counselors approve, let him have the three steps. Whether as a petitioner for myself, my family, or my kin, or when someone comes to my house—whatever is proper, let that be done. If it pleases you, mighty lord of the Dānavas, then let the three steps be given quickly to this great-souled Vāmana.” Bāṣkala responded with respect, “Indra, welcome to you! May auspiciousness come to you without delay. Reflect upon your own self, the ultimate refuge of all. Having placed the burden upon you, Pitāmaha now rests comfortably, absorbed in meditation and contemplation of the supreme state. Wearied from many battles and having set aside concern for the world, Keśava dwells peacefully on the island in the milk ocean. All the other powerful Dānavas, armed and mighty, have been vanquished by you alone, O Śakra, without assistance. “Here are the twelve Ādityas, the eleven Rudras, the two Aśvins, the Vasus, and Dharma, the eternal one. Relying on the strength of your arms, they partake in sacrifices in heaven; by you, hundreds of rituals have been performed, complete with the granting of boons and gifts. By your hand, Vṛtra and Namuci were slain, O lord of the gods, as commanded by mighty Viṣṇu. Hiraṇyākṣa, brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu, was also killed; and Hiraṇyakaśipu himself was slain, placed upon the thigh. When you appear on the battlefield, bearing the thunderbolt and mounted upon Airāvata’s head, all the Dānavas perish. “Those Dānavas, stronger than others, whom you have conquered before—by even a thousandth part of your strength, I could never equal them. Such as you are, O Indra, what am I to you? You have come here for my sake, to rescue me. I will do it, without doubt; I will give even my life, certainly. But why, O king of gods, have you spoken of this land to me? “These wives, sons, cows, and all other wealth, the entire kingdom of the three worlds—let it be given to this Brāhmaṇa. Disgrace would come to me and my ancestors, without doubt, if, having come to my house, Śakra receives a gift from Bāṣkali, but not otherwise. If another supplicant arrives, he is always dear to me as well; but you, especially, must never hesitate here. Great shame is mine, O Indra, for these three steps of land; it was especially requested by you for the Brāhmaṇa, O lord. I will give the best villages, and for you, the heavenly realm; horses, elephants, land, wealth, and women with lovely features. By merely seeing them, even the old become youthful; these women and this earth are to be given as an offering to Vāmana.” Thus, with humility and generosity, Bāṣkala offered all he possessed, eager to fulfill the request made by Indra for the sake of the brāhmaṇa Vāmana.