Pasuram 3.8.9

Tamil text and transliteration:

கொள்வன் நான் மாவலி மூவடி தா என்ற
கள்வனே, கஞ்சனை வஞ்சித்து வாணனை
உள் வன்மை தீர, ஓர் ஆயிரம் தோள் துணித்த
புள் வல்லாய், உன்னை எஞ்ஞான்று பொருந்துவனே?

koḷvaṉ nāṉ māvali mūvaṭi tā eṉṟa
kaḷvaṉē, kañcaṉai vañcittu vāṇaṉai
uḷ vaṉmai tīra, ōr āyiram tōḷ tuṇitta
puḷ vallāy, uṉṉai eññāṉṟu poruntuvaṉē?

English translation of verse 3.8.9:

Oh Lord, flying the bird (Garuḍa)!
You did, on the sly, from Māvali demand
Three strides of land;
Kañcaṉ’s plans treacherous you foiled,
Vāṇaṉ’s mental attitude you dispelled
And lopped his arms thousand;
When do I get unto you bound?

Notes

(i) Indra, Chief of the Devas was dispossessed of his Kingdom by Māvali (Mahā Bali), the Asura Chief. The former prayed to Lord Viṣṇu for the restoration of the lost Kingdom. But then, Mahā Bali was a generous donor, although he belonged to the Asura clan. So, the Lord had to adopt the peculiar method of seeking alms from Bali for getting back the lost domain. Not being conversant with the art of begging, the Lord, came down as Vāmana, the little lad, addressed Bali, by name, instead of the adulatory form of address, usually resorted to, by seasoned beggars. Bali didn’t mind it so much, seeing that the supplicant was but a lad, but when the demand, made by the lad, was just three paces of land, the pompous donor didn’t take it seriously. Looking at the indifference of Bali to the seemingly paltry demand, Vāmanamūrti reiterated His demand and compelled Bali’s attention.

(ii) Kañcaṉ (Kaṃsa) kept himself in the background and hit upon many a treacherous plan to kill Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The felon of an uncle would not indulge in a frontal attack on Kṛṣṇa, the nephew, and was hoping that one or the other of the several agencies energised by him would be able to kill Kṛṣṇa, so that he (Kaṃsa) might bemoan, in public, the loss of his nephew.

Alas! all his plans were thwarted by the Divine Lad, who vanquished the formidable array of His opponents and finally slew Kaṃsa himself.

(iii) Vāṇaṉ (Bāṇāsura), an avowed enemy of Lord Viṣṇu, was, however, an ardent votary of minor deities. The Lord, appeared before him, mounted on Garuḍa, disabused him (Bāṇāsura) of his heretical notion of God-head and revealed His supremacy, chopping off his thousand arms, like felling trees in the forest. See also detailed notes under III-10-4.