The analogy of Vamana is not restricted the Mahabali episode alone. There are references to a character like Vamana in Sikhism and Jainism.
In the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, Vamana is mentioned as the enticer of Baliraja. It is also stated
‘’ In Satyayuga, you sported as the dwarf incarnation, and fooled Bali.”
According to Jainism there lived a king of Ujjain called Srivarman. Srivarman had an excellent minister Namuchi whose only weakness was his pride. Namuchi dared to challenge a Jain sanyasi Suvratan as a result of which he was banished from Ujjain.
Namuchi managed to reach Hastinapur where he impressed Prince Mahapadman who made Namuchi his minister. Namuchi soon became the trusted aide of Mahapadman.
Mahapadman’s father King Padmothaman and elder brother Prince Vishnukumaran had relinquished their kingdom and had become Jain sanyasis with Suvratan as their guru.
Namuchi requested Mahapadman to gift his kingdom to him for the purpose of conducting a sacrifice. Being obliged Mahapadman hands over his kingdom to Namuchi who conducts the sacrifice attended by a lot of sanyasis. Except Suvratan.
Realizing that Suvratan did not attend his function he curses Suvratan and threatens to kill him. Suvratan and other Jain sanyasis come to Vishnukumaran and ask him to pacify Namuchi. Vishnukumaran is unable to do so and in despair asks Namuchi only to give the sanyasis land measuring just three feet to live. Namuchi agrees to their demand.
Suddenly Vishnukumaran grows in size and grabs Namuchi in his mighty hand and throws him away. His younger brother Mahapadman immediately comes to see Vishnukumaran and falls at his feet. It is only then that Vishnukumaran returns to his normal form.
What the above parallel interpretations show is that Vamana is symbolic for the priestly class who are able to keep an upper hand over the king. The ruler may be a righteous king Mahabali or an arrogant minister like Namuchi. But what matters in the end is that the priest manages to defeat him! If the priest is able to defeat a powerful person such as a king or a minister what hope is there for the voiceless masses?..
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