Of the ten great incarnations, the fifth one is Vaamana, and the very name indicates One who has a small body. It was in the form of a child (child student in a gurukula) that Vaamana approached the divinely righteous Emperor Mahaabali to beg of him a little land, of the length of his tiny three steps-and the Lord measured in His three steps all the three worlds and thus conquered Mahaabali. He checked (Vamayati) the rising pride of possession in Bali, hence He, in that incarnation as a Vatu, is called Vaamana. The term Vaamana also means worshipful: