Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali
प्रयो विधाताल्पधियां नराणां बहिष्कृतानां च महानुभाग्यैः धनादिकं भूरि न वै ददाति यथेह विष्णोर्न बहुप्रयासः
prayo vidhātālpadhiyāṃ narāṇāṃ bahiṣkṛtānāṃ ca mahānubhāgyaiḥ dhanādikaṃ bhūri na vai dadāti yatheha viṣṇorna bahuprayāsaḥ
सामान्यतः विधाता अल्पबुद्धीनां नराणां तथा बहिष्कृतभाग्यानां च धनादिकं भूरि न ददाति; महाभाग्यैरेव महत्सम्पद् लभ्यते—यथा अत्र विष्णोः बहुप्रयासो नास्ति।
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In Purāṇic idiom, vidhātā can denote providence shaped by karma (merit and demerit) and also the cosmic ordering principle. The verse uses it to explain differential outcomes—who receives ‘bhūri dhana’—as a function of ordained fortune.
It underscores divine sovereignty: the Lord accomplishes cosmic ends without strain. In the Vāmana episode, a simple request (three steps) suffices to reclaim the worlds—an effortless divine strategy.
It warns that apparent human calculations (wealth, power, ritual success) are subordinate to providence and the Lord’s will; thus Bali should recognize the extraordinary nature of the petitioner and the inevitability of the outcome.