On the battlefield, the mighty Indra appeared, bearing his thunderbolt and mounted upon the majestic Airāvata. At the very sight of him, terror seized the Dānavas, and they perished before his power. Reflecting on this, Bāṣkali, the lord of the Dānavas, spoke with humility: “Those Dānavas whom you have conquered before, O Indra, were far stronger than I. Even with a thousandth part of your strength, I could never equal them. What am I to you, O king of the gods? Surely, you have come here only to rescue me.” He continued, resolute, “I will do what must be done, even if it costs me my life—there is no doubt. But tell me, O Indra, why have you spoken to me about this land?” Bāṣkali declared his generosity: “These wives, sons, cows, all wealth, and even the entire kingdom of the three worlds—let it be given to this Brāhmaṇa. If Śakra, having come to my house, receives a gift from Bāṣkali, there would be no disgrace to me or my ancestors. Otherwise, shame would surely come.” He assured Indra, “Any supplicant who comes is dear to me, but you especially—do not ever hesitate here. Great shame is mine, O Indra, for the three steps of land; you requested it especially for the Brāhmaṇa. I will give the best villages, the heavenly realm, horses, elephants, land, wealth, and women of surpassing beauty. By merely seeing these women, even the old become youthful. These, together with the earth itself, I offer to Vāmana. I will give it all, O lord of the gods; let your favor be upon me.” As Bāṣkali finished speaking, his priest, Uśanā, addressed him gravely: “O lord of the Daityas, you are the king, established in the ritual of sovereignty. Yet, you do not know what is proper or improper, nor to whom something should be given. Such matters should be considered with your ministers, after careful deliberation. Having conquered the gods with Indra, you now rule the three worlds. But at the end of this very speech, you will find yourself in bondage.” Uśanā cautioned further, “This dwarf before you is in truth Viṣṇu, the eternal one. You must not give to him; your father was slain by him, and he is the slayer of your mother and kin—he has always been the destroyer of your lineage. He is not devoted to righteousness, but to the welfare of Indra and the gods. He is a deceiver, by whom the Dānavas have been conquered through trickery. By his illusion, he has assumed the form of a Brāhmaṇa, appearing as a dwarf. Nothing at all should be given to him. If you give him even as much land as the footprint of a fly, you will quickly come to ruin—this is the truth, as I have heard it.” Despite his teacher’s warning, Bāṣkali replied firmly, “All this I have promised, O teacher, for the sake of righteousness. The keeping of a promise is the eternal duty of the virtuous. If this is indeed the Blessed Viṣṇu, then none is more fortunate than I. If he wishes to accept a gift from me, desiring the gods, then I am even more blessed by this god. He whom yogis, absorbed in meditation, do not obtain a vision of—such a one I have seen today. Those who give gifts with hands holding kuśa grass and water—may the Blessed Viṣṇu, the supreme soul, the eternal one, be pleased.” Yet, within Bāṣkali arose a doubt about what action to take. He reflected, “I have been instructed by you since my youth: even if an enemy comes to my house, nothing should be refused by me. Considering this, I say, O teacher, that I would give even my own life; I will give to Vāmana even the heaven of Indra. A gift that causes no harm is indeed a true gift; but a gift that causes harm is regarded as tainted.” Hearing these words, Uśanā stood with his head bowed in shame. Bāṣkali then addressed Indra: “O Lord, since you have requested, all the earth shall be given by me. It would be an embarrassment to me if only three steps of land are given.” Indra replied, “O lord of the Dānavas, what you have said is true. This Brāhmaṇa has asked me for three steps of earth; and you, too, have been requested by me on his behalf. O son of Danu, grant this boon.” Bāṣkali agreed: “O king of the gods, accept from me three steps of land for Vāmana. There, may you dwell happily for a long time, O lord of the gods.” Having spoken thus, Bāṣkali gave three steps of land to Vāmana, performing the ritual with water, praying that Hari himself be pleased. At that moment, when the lord of the Dānavas had given the gift, Hari abandoned the form of Vāmana. Desiring the welfare of the gods, Hari strode across the worlds. Reaching the Yajña mountain, he turned northward. The abode of the Dānavas was placed at the god’s left foot, and upon the sun he made his first step. With his second step he reached Dhruva, and with the third, O king, the cosmic egg itself was struck by that wondrous god. From the tip of his great toe, when the egg was pierced, abundant water flowed forth, flooding all the worlds, even Brahmaloka, in succession. The flood covered the realm of Dhruva, the world of the sun, and Yajña mountain, and the stream entered Puṣkara, washing the footprints of Viṣṇu. The footprints that appeared on the earth are called Vaiṣṇava. Whoever visits that hermitage and bathes in the pond there is truly blessed.