Shloka 48

Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

पूर्वमुक्तस्तव पिता मया राजन् पदत्रयम् देहि मह्यं प्रमाणेन तदेतत् समनुष्ठितम्

Transliteration

pūrvamuktastava pitā mayā rājan padatrayam dehi mahyaṃ pramāṇena tadetat samanuṣṭhitam

Translation

“O King, your father was earlier addressed by me: ‘Give me three steps (of land) according to proper measure.’ That very request has been duly carried out.”

Speakers

• Trivikrama (Viṣṇu) to Bali

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Trivikrama)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Binding force of a promised gift (dāna)
• Pramāṇa (proper measure/valid standard)
• Continuity of vow from request to fulfillment

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is ‘tava pitā’ (your father) in this context, and why is he invoked?

The phrase functions rhetorically: Trivikrama appeals to Bali’s lineage/authority and precedent to underscore that the request was not irregular. Even if read literally as ‘father,’ the point is genealogical legitimacy—Bali’s house is bound by the standards of kingship and dāna.

What does ‘pramāṇena’ contribute to the meaning?

It stresses that the gift is not vague sentiment but a formally measurable grant. In dharma discourse, pramāṇa implies a valid standard—here, the ‘measure’ becomes Viṣṇu’s own stride, the ultimate metric that cannot be contested.

Is ‘three steps’ a geographical measurement or a cosmological act?

Both in layered reading: it begins as a small, measurable land-gift, but culminates as a cosmological spanning of realms. This verse highlights the legal/ritual framing (‘according to measure’) that makes the later cosmic expansion a legitimate fulfillment rather than a breach.