The information is scarce and Vamana is described as a Brahmachari, unmarried, when he eked alms from Mahabali.
So there is a general assumption that, having been called as Brahmachari, he could not have married.
There is also the general rule, according to Puranas, that Vishnu is never separated from His consort, Vishnu, even in His Avatars.
I have written on the wife of Parashurama, who is an Avatar of Vishnu and his marital status is not generally known.
Vamana had a wife, Padma.
‘For in like manner as the lord of the world, the god of gods, Janárddana, descends amongst mankind (in various shapes), so does his coadjutrix Śrí. Thus when Hari was born as a dwarf, the son of Adití, Lakshmí appeared from a lotus (as Padmá, or Kamalá); when he was born as Ráma, of the race of Bhrigu (or Paraśuráma), she was Dharańí; when he was Rághava (Rámachandra), she was Sítá; and when he was Krishńa, she became Rukminí. In the other descents of Vishńu, she is his associate. If he takes a celestial form, she appears as divine; if a mortal, she becomes a mortal too, transforming her own person agreeably to whatever character it pleases Vishńu to put on.
urukramasya — of Urukrama; devasya — the Lord; māyā — by His internal potency; vāmana-rūpiṇaḥ — having the form of a dwarf; kīrtau — in Kīrti; patnyām— His wife; bṛhacchlokaḥ — Bṛhatśloka; tasya — of him; āsan — were; saubhaga-ādayaḥ — sons beginning with Saubhaga.
Translation:
By His own potency, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has multifarious potencies, appeared in the form of a dwarf as Urukrama, the twelfth son of Aditi. In the womb of His wife, whose name was Kīrti, He begot one son, named Bṛhatśloka, who had many sons, headed by Saubhaga.
I came across a reference that one of the Avatars of Vishnu had three manifestations!
And that is Vamana, the Dwarf Avatar to correct the errant Mahabali.
After being granted three steps by his feet, Vamana took Cosmic Form, measured by one foot, the earth:the second Heavens and the the third, for want of place, Mahabalis Head.
Vamana then pushed Mahabali down the earth.
Vamana also granted the boon to Mahabali to visit his subjects once a year and this day is celebrated as Onam Festival by people from Kerala.
Vamana is the child of Adhitya and Kashyapa and Vamana, an Avatar of Vishnu is listed as one of the twelve Adityas(all born of Adithi and Kasyapa) along with Vishnu, one of the Three Divinities of Hinduism.
And this is rare.
None of the Avatars of Vishnu is listed as an Aditya.
There is also some reference in later texts there were three Vamana Avatars!
I am reproducing the information below.
To the best of knowledge there is no authentic source for the three Vamana Avatars in the Eighteen Puranas, Upapuranas and the Ithihasas.
‘
But according to Rupa Goswami, an Acharya of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect (which the popular organization ISKCON is a part of), this isn’t the first time that Vishnu has incarnated as a dwarf;hereis what he says in his Laghu-Bhagavatamrita:
Lord Vamana appeared three times in this kalpa. During the reign of the first (Svayambhuva) Manu, He visited the sacrifice performed by Vaskala, the king of the danavas. Then, in the reign of Vaivasvata Manu, and visited the sacrifice performed by Dhundhu. Then, in the seventh catur-yuga of that manvantara, He appeared as the son of Kasyapa and Aditi. In this way, to accept a donation, He appeared three times as Lord Trivikrama.
The third incarnation is the famous one I discussed above. But my question is, what is the story of Vishnu’s two earlier Vamana incarnations, involving Vashkala and Dhundhu? Are these described in Hindu scriptures?
Are there any commentaries on Rupa Goswami’s work that shed light on this?’
The Vamana Avatar of Vishnu ,comparatively speaking,is less dicussed about and the temples for Vamana and Vishnu revealing himself as Trivikrama are limited.
Vamana’s famius temple from where He took His step to measure the world given to Him by Mahabali is in Kerala and there is a Temple for Trivikrama ,when Vishnu measured the world is in Kanchipuram,Tamil Nadu.
The incident narrated about Vamana Avatar is this.
King Mahabali ,Grandson of Prahlada and son of Virochana was found harassing the Dhanavas and Lord Vishnu took the Avatar as Vamana,Dwarf to discipline him.
Mahabali,because of his pious nature and the boons he had received,was difficult to vanquish by any done by warfare.
So,when Mahabali performed a Yagnya,Lord Vishnu,in the form of a Dwarf,Vamana took part in the Yagnya.
It is mandatory to gift Brahmins,the Realized ones,at the end of the Yagnya.
When Vamana,the Dwarf,asked for Three Feet of Land measured by his feet,Mahabali gave him the gift despite the warning by his Guru Sukracharya.
Vamana,it is interpreted,measured the Earth with his first step,the sky with the second and as there was nothing else was available to measure for the third step,Mahabali offered his head as the third step and Vamana pushed Mahabali to Patala Loka and gran.ted him the boon to visit his people once a year.
This visitation by Mahabali is celebrated as Onam Festival in Kerala every year even today.
Now,Indian texts have three meanings,at least.
One is the word to word textual meaning,
The second the philosophical interpretation and the third,
Historical/esoteric/tantric interpretation.
Seven Lokas explained as Land mass
In this incident word by word interpretation narrates the story and conveys that,however mighty one may be,if he is overwhelmed by power and resorts to unrighteous conduct he will be ruined.
If he has bee pious,Divine Grace shall prevent total ruin.
At the philosophical level,one who is steeped in Ahankaara ,the feeling of ‘I’ and attachments to power and riches would be blessed by Divine Grace to remember his Sattivic Swabhava or nature and realize the Reality.
I am providing the historical interpretation below.
Kerala was a part of Tamil kingdom in Lemuria and Lemurians were referred to as the Southerners,Dravida and were reported to be in Patala,down the earth.
The territories we call as south east Asia Australia were in the south.
One must remember that the landmass of the earth was different then.
Lemuria and MU territories encompassed these areas.
Ramayana and Sumerian texts state that Lemurians lived there.
Shiva,who predates Sanatana Dharma was in the south.
Shiva’s trishul marks are found as Nazca lines in Peru.
The Incas,Mayas were the descendants of the Tamils.
Moving to Patala Loka by Bali means that Bali moved further south or down to the areas we now know as SouthEast Asia,Asia-Pacific.
The Tolltechs,Incas,Mayas have a close link with Tamils/Keralites.
Spanish has affinity to Tamil.
‘Prahlada’s son was Virochana and his son was Bali (Mahabali).
When Bali was performing Yagna under supervision of his guru Sukracharya, Vishnu came as Vamana(dwarf or kid) and asked for donation of ‘three pada Bhoomi.’
This is wrongly interpreted as 3 foot land.
Infact it is 3 quarters of Land (pada here is similar to nakshatra pada in vedic astrology, where each nakshatra is divided into 4 padas [quarters]).
At that time, Bali was ruling over Asia, Europe and Africa. So he donated these 3 human inhabitated lands to Vamana and decided to leave.
Vamana was satisfied with Bali and gave him a boon of becoming next Indra, but until then he has to settle in Patala loka and perform yagnas….
Bali travelled towards east in a ship with his men in same path as described by Sugreeva in Ramayana and settled in South America.
On this path he discovered Sutala (Islands in South East Asia and Australia), Talatala (Antarctica) and Patala (South America).
His men created settlements even in Mahatala (North America)…
People residing in these places were known as ‘Talatalak’. This name corrupted to ‘Toltec’.
Toltecs still exist in Mexico of South America. Maya (founder of Mayan Calendar) was an engineer, who built three cities for Bali.
Maya built 3 cities for his king Bali and thus Bali was called as ‘tribhuvanak‘ (lord of 3 cities). This word later got corrupted to Tiahuanaco in Mexico.
The Nazca Lines in USA are supposed to be air plane landing markings made by Bali.
Patala was later inhabitated by people called as ‘Sarpa’, who went there on behest of Waman to keep
watch on Bali’s activities. Total seven colonies were new, therefore they were called as ‘Navatala’. Nava means new and Tala means colony. This word ‘Navatala’, in a corrupt form as ‘Nahuatl’, still exists in the South America. People residing in Mexico and around are known as ‘Nava’ and their language is called as ‘Nahuatl’.
The description of Vishnu is not found in the Vedas .
Narayana Suktham speaks of Narayana as the Principle, it may be noted that Narayana is different from Vishnu.
Balaji Tirupati,Srivathsam is visible.
Vishnu Suktham again describes the principle of Vishnu.
Sketchy description of Vishnu in Human form is found in the Puranas, especially in the Vishnu Purana,
Dhuruva Stuthi describes Vishnu’s Form, but does not provide details about His Ornaments and marks .
Gopala Uttara Tapini Upanishad( 75-78) has the first reference to Lord Vishnu’s Form.
‘His feet bear the auspicious signs of a celestial standard, a royal parasol.
His chest is adorned by srivatsa locks of hair, the brilliantly shining kaustubha gem and rows of forest-flower garlands (vanamala).
His four hands hold shankha (conch), chakra (discus), gada (mace) and padma (lotus).
He is adorned with armlets, garlands, jewels, diadem and earrings shaped like makara the sea monster (makara-kundala )
His form is enchanting and auspicious (divya mangala vigraha); radiant like the sharad -full moon ; his eyes glow like blue lotus blossoming amidst the
pool of clear water ; his brows like a well strung bow; his nose slender and shapely like the petals of champak flower ; the serene, cool, gentle smile, pure
like cow’s milk , dancing on his full and well shaped red lips lights up the whole world ; his chin firm and well proportioned; his throat bright and sound
shaped like a conch; the tilaka adorning his forehead between the brows is luminous like crescent moon in a clear cloudless sky; his arms long , strong and
supple like the elephant’s trunk; his chest wide , strong and healthy; he is adorned with golden-hue–silk garments (pitambara);he is richly and tastefully
ornamented; and he is the very embodiment of all the grace , beauty and joy in the universe.
‘
In his mind one should meditate on Me standing on
the blossomed eight-petaled lotus of the heart, My two
feet marked with conchshell, flag and umbrella, MY
chest marked with srivatsa and splendid with the
kautabha gem, My four arms holding the conch, cakr
a, mace, and sarnga bow,
My arms decorated with
armlets. MY neck splendid with
a flower garland, My head circled
by a splendid crown, My ears
decorated with glistening shark-
shaped earrings, MY form splendid
and handsome, holding a flute and
buffalo-horn bugle, and granting
fearlessness to the devotees.’Gpala Tapini Upanishad 75 to 78)
How Sri Vathsam came into Being.
Once the foot of Trivikrama came to the place where Bharadwaaja Maharishi was performing Japam, he struck on the chest of VishNu with a handful of water. The spot where he was hit became the mole and this mole is called Srivatsam( Mahaabhaaratham Saanthi Parvam 3.5.2 vide Page 401 of Notes on BalakaaNDam of Vaalmiki Ramayanam by Sri C.R. Srinivasa Iyengar).
There is another interpretation found in the same Santhi Parva 3.5.2. According to this, on one of the several occasions in which Lord Siva came to fight with Mahavishnu, he aimed his trident (Soolam) at the latter creating a scar on Vishnu’s chest and this scar is Srivatsam.
There is also the view that Lakshmi resdies in the Sri Vathsam.
We find a near complete description of Lord Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama.
Lord Vishnu is beloved to have taken 10/12 primary Avatars.
Lord Vishnu is described as the protector.
The system that interprets the Mahavakyas as espousing the Duality of Reality is called the Visishtadvaita,Qualified Non Dualism, where the Reality Vishnu and the individual souls attain the abode of Lord Vishnu, Vaikunta, primarily by Bhakthi Yoga , the path of Devotion.
In Sri Vaishavism, total surrender to God, Vishnu is emphasized.
Lord Vishnu as Kaala Purusha
Vishnu, in the undifferentiated Universal aspect is called the Para Vasudeva.
At the empirical level He has many forms , in the Form of Avatars.
This aspect of Vishnu is called Vyuha.
Each signifies an aspect of the Reality.
Visnu Sahasranama states,
Chatur Vyuha Chatur gathi:
Four Formations and Four Goals.
The Four Formations/stages are,
Jagrat-The waking stage,
Swapna, the Dream State,
Sushupthi, the deep Dreamless state and
Turiya, the stage the individuality is merged in the Reality.
The Four Goals are,
Dharma, Righteousness,
Artha, Wealth, day-to-day affairs,
Kaama, desires and
Moksha.
To realize this at each stage, the Lakshmi Tantra, describes the Twelve Vishnus, one each for a Month.
Each month has an effect on the Humans and psyche.
So a Vishnu form is provided to meditate for every month.
They are,
Each of the twelve Vyuhantara is identified with a month and is revered as masa-devatha (lord of the month).And; collectively they are identified with the year.
Each of the twelve Vyuhantara is identified with a month and is revered as masa-devatha (lord of the month).
And; collectively they are identified with the year.
Vishnu here represents the Kaala Purusha.
Vyuha
– the source
Vyuhantara
form
Shakthi
or
the consort
Maasa
the month
Vasudeva
Keshava
Sri
Margashira
Narayana
Vagishvari
Pushya
Madhava
Kaanthi
Magha
Sankarshana
Govinda
Kriya
Phalguna
Vishnu
Shanthi
Chaitra
Madhusudana
Vibuthi
Vaishakha
Pradyumna
Trivikrama
Iccha
Jesta
Vamana
Prithi
Ashada
Sridhara
Rathi
Shravana
Aniruddha
Hrishikesha
Maaya
Bhadrapada
Padmanabha
Dhi
Ashviyuja
Damodara
Mahima
Karthika
From Lakshmi Tantra on Vyuhas.
The text elaborates that right after the final stage of Vyuha evolution and the onset of jagrat (wakeful) state of existence, each of the four Vyuha produced three further forms that resembled their creators (Vyuha) in all respects.
19.3. Accordingly, from Vyuha -Vasudeva, Keshava, Narayana and Madhava emanated; from Sankarshana emanated Govinda, Vishnu and Madhusudana; from Pradyumna emanated Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara; and from Aniruddha emanated Hrishikesha, Padmanabha and Damodara.
19.4. Vyuha is the major formation and the twelve forms that emanated from it constitute the secondary formation; and therefore known as upavyha or vyuhantara, which literally means ‘the one that within the Vyuha’.
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