Thread by @ainvvy

Another day and it is still Deepavali! Today is the first day after new moon, celebrated as Balipadyami in Karnataka and as Bali padwa in MH.

It is the story of two sisters, Aditi and Diti, both married to Kashyapa.

Aditi and Diti are children of Daksha. Their sister, also illustrious and well known, is Sati/Uma who married Shiva. Kashyapa is one of the Saptarishis.

Aditi is widely considered the mother of the Gods, because I guess her lineage, the adityas, won out.

The daityas eventually lost. Nevertheless we remember two of them to this day:

Bali, grandson of Prahalada, who in turn is a son of Diti's son Hiranyakashipu.

And Holika who is a daughter of Diti.

Bali is honoured as a great king. He returns to his subjects every year, though apparently on different days in Kerala and in Karnataka. So we have Onam and Balipadyami.

But the story of Bali is the story of his ancestors. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu are both sons of Diti. The former killed by Varaha and the latter killed by Narasimha.

They let Prahlada alone, but Indra killed his son Virochana by deception. Indra asked a generous Virochana a gift which was to cut his own head off! Later Indra would use the "gift" route with Karna.

Virochana's son is Bali. It is not clear why Indra did use the same trick. Anyway, Indra loses a battle with Bali. He then goes complains to his mother Aditi, about the growing influence of Bali.

Mother knows all. She decided she will *now* have a child to kill Bali!! (Remember Bali is her sister's grandson's grandson!) Kashyapa had probably retired to a more peaceful life. It is not clear if he had any say in this matter. His bets were hedged on both lineage!

Aditi did not want any child. She wanted Vishnu to be born as her child. Such was the rule of the generous and just Maha Bali.

And so Vamana the dwarf was born! Did he fight Bali? No, he took the gift route too! Bloodless coup I guess. We all know this story.

So three of Vishnu's avataras were to neutralise just Diti's descendants.

Not quite. Then there is Bali's son, Banasura. Whom Krishna kills ... this time no gift route because Banasura had probably learnt this trick by now.

So overall a Diti "mukt" Bharat. But not quite. We still remember Prahlada, Bali, Holika ...

The story of the sisters, Aditi and Diti, is the story for ages. They deserve to be better known.

Be as it may, today is about Bali, a generous and wise King. Who returns to his subjects.

Happy Deepavali!