Stories 2
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Legend
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Pan-India 240
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West India 37
East India 37
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Tradition: Vaishnava · clear
Legend · 6 tellings · contested
The boar beyond the seven hills
A boar keeps the wealth of the Asuras beyond seven hills. Vishnu, the sacrifice hidden in the earth, tells Indra of it; Indra shoots through the hills with a bunch of darbha grass and Vishnu carries the spoil to the gods. In the Puranas the boar is Vishnu himself, who lifts the earth and kills Hiranyaksha.
Legend · 9 tellings · contested
The three strides of Vishnu, from the Rigveda to the dwarf and King Bali
In the Rigveda Vishnu's one deed is to take three steps that measure out the world and make room for people; the third step is a honeyed place out of sight. The Brahmanas turn the steps into earth, air and sky, the Ramayana gives them a dwarf and a king named Bali, and festivals in Kerala and the Deccan welcome that king home.