Vāmana Purāṇa

About this text

The Vāmana Purāṇa is one of the eighteen major Purāṇas of Hindu tradition. Although named after Vāmana, the dwarf incarnation of Viṣṇu who subdues the Daitya king Bali and restores the three worlds to Indra, the text is not limited only to that story. It contains a wide range of Purāṇic material, including myths of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Satī/Pārvatī, Prahlāda, sacred tīrthas, vows, gifts, pilgrimage, cosmology, and religious observances.
The Purāṇa is especially notable for its strong integration of Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions: while its title honors Viṣṇu’s Vāmana avatāra, many sections also glorify Śiva and narrate episodes connected to Satī, Pārvatī, sacred mountains, and holy places. It presents divine history not as separate sectarian traditions but as an interconnected sacred universe in which Viṣṇu, Śiva, Devī, sages, gods, and Daityas all participate in the unfolding of dharma.
In simple terms, the Vāmana Purāṇa is a sacred narrative that uses the story of Vāmana as one of its central themes, while also teaching devotion, austerity, pilgrimage, divine incarnations, sacred geography, and the moral-spiritual order of the cosmos.

Ch13 The Sacred Geography of Jambūdvīpa and Bhārata Varṣa Ch12 Karmic Sins, Infernal Punishments, and Ingratitude Ch11 Universal Dharma and the Seven Continents Ch10 Andhaka’s Victory Over the Gods Ch9 Andhaka’s War Against the Gods Ch8 Prahlāda’s Battle with Nara-Nārāyaṇa: Victory Through Devotion Ch7 The Birth of Urvaśī and Prahlāda’s Battle with Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ch6 Burning of Kāma Ch5 Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice Ch4 Vīrabhadra’s Assault Ch3 Śiva’s Liberation at Vārāṇasī Ch2 Śiva as Kapālī Ch1 Origin of Jīmūtaketu