The Asuras have won the earth and are dividing it. They grant the gods only as much as Vishnu, a dwarf who is the sacrifice, can lie on; the gods enclose him with the metres and win the whole earth by worship. The Bhagavata Purana tells the bargain as Vamana and King Bali.
Gods and Asuras, both sprung from Prajapati, contend and the gods are worsted. The Asuras start dividing the earth with ox-hides. The gods come with Vishnu, who is the sacrifice, at their head and ask for a part. The Asuras allow only as much as Vishnu lies on, and he is a dwarf. The gods are content, lay him down toward the east, enclose him on three sides with the metres and set Agni on the fourth, and by worshipping with him they obtain the whole earth; that is why the altar is called vedi. Vishnu tires and hides among plant roots; they dig and find him three finger-breadths down and enclose him again with a blessing on the soil.
Here there is no dwarf. Indra and Vishnu have beaten the Asuras and propose terms; Indra says that as much as Vishnu crosses in three strides shall be theirs. Vishnu crosses the worlds, the Vedas and speech.
What is different here:
Three strides instead of lying down; Indra bargains; the gods are the winners offering terms, not the losers begging.
Taittiriya Samhita 6.2.4: Indra runs round the earth
Pan-IndiaAll traditions
The Asuras at first owned the earth and the gods had only as much as a seated person can see. The gods ask for a share, as much as a certain wild animal, the Salavriki, can run round three times. Indra takes that animal's form and runs three times round the whole earth, and so the gods win it; the altar is called vedi from that winning.
What is different here:
Indra, not Vishnu, wins the earth, by running round it in animal form; no dwarf and no lying down. Keith leaves the animal's name untranslated.
Bali, made strong by his Bhrigu priests, has taken Indra's heaven. Vishnu is born to Aditi and goes as a dwarf Brahmin student to Bali's horse sacrifice on the Narmada. Bali washes his feet and offers him anything; the dwarf asks three paces measured by his own foot. Bali's teacher Shukra recognises Vishnu and warns him; Bali will not break his word and is cursed by Shukra. He pours the water of gift. The dwarf grows; one pace covers the earth, his body the air, the second pace heaven. Bali restrains his fighting followers and is bound by Garuda. Asked for the third pace, he offers his own head. Prahlada, Bali's wife Vindhyavali and Brahma intercede. Vishnu praises Bali's truthfulness, gives him the world Sutala, promises to protect him there and to make him Indra in a later age, and returns heaven to Indra.
What is different here:
Joins the dwarf to the three strides; names Bali, Shukra, Prahlada and Vindhyavali; adds the warning, the curse, the head and the reward; the sympathy moves to the Asura king.
Sources: The Satapatha-Brahmana, tr. Julius Eggeling (Sacred Books of the East 12, 41); Original Sanskrit Texts, vol. 1 (2nd ed.), J. Muir; Rigveda Brahmanas: the Aitareya and Kausitaki Brahmanas, tr. A. B. Keith (1920); The Veda of the Black Yajus School (Taittiriya Sanhita), tr. A. B. Keith (1914); Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhaktivedanta Vedabase)