Vamana Avathaaram in Thiruppugazh

Though his Ishta devata was Lord Murugan, Saint Arunagirinathar showed equal love for Vishnu and Shiva. In his poems he decribes the divine sports of Vishnu and then addresses Murugan as His beloved nephew, just as he sings the glories of Shiva and eulogises Murugan as His son. In this way, he brings about a rapproachment between Vaishnavites and Shaivites.

The Vamana Avatar is the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a human and the fifth of the Dasavatars. In the Vamana Avatar Lord Vishnu incarnates as Mahabali, the grandson of Prahlada, a great ruler who is loved by his people. Mahabali learns the Vedhas from his grandfather Prahlada and from the great Asura teacher Shukracharya.

Mahabali performs severe penance to please Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma grants him invincibility against Indra. Subsequently, Bali defeats Indra and takes over the heavens. However, Bali remains always righteous and is devoted to Lord Vishnu. Indra begs Lord Vishnu to help him.

Lord Vishnu incarnates as the son of Aditi and Kashyap, who performs his sacred thread ceremony and teaches him all the scriptures.

Meanwhile Mahabali has performed 99 Ashwamedha Yagna and has to perform just one more yagna after which he can be crowned as the King of the Gods.

As the final Ashwamedha Yagna is about to be get completed, Vamana appears before him. Despite Guru Shukracharya's warning that the guest Brahmana is none other than Lord Vishnu, Mahabali agrees to give Vamana three steps of land, as measured by his feet. Soon, Vamana grows non-stop. He grows so huge that He measures up the entire earth with one step, the skies with another, and for the third step of land, He keeps His feet on the Asura's head and pushes him to the Nether world (Paatala).

In the following Thiruppugazh poems, Saint Arunagirinathar refers to Lord Vishnu as:

1. அநக வாமனாகார முநி — pure and dimunitive sage (மன கபாட பாடீர)
2. உலகளவு மால் — Vishnu who measured the earth (கருவின் உருவாகி வந்து
3. உலகம் ஊடு சீர்பாத உவணம் ஊர்தி மாமாயன் — a mystic whose feet measured the earth and whose vehicle is the garuda அதல சேடனார்)
4. மாபலியை சிறை வைத்தவன் — One who imprisons Mahabali (எலுப்பு நாடிகள்)
5. அலங்கல் புனைந்து அருளும் குறள் வடிவன் — short-staured Vamana who gracefully wears a garland (சருவி இகழ்ந்து)
6. ஆகாயக பாலம் பீறநி மிர்ந்துநீள
   விதரண மாவலி வெருவ மகாவ்ருத வெள்ள வெளுக்க நின்ற
   நாராயண மாமன் (வதன சரோருக )
7. ஆண்டார்த லங்கள ளந்திட நீண்டார் முகுந்தர் (மாண்டார்)