पदानि त्रीणि दैत्येन्द्र संम्मितानि पदा मम ॥१६॥
tasmÄt tvatto mahÄ«m Ä«á¹£ad
vṛṇe 'haá¹ varadará¹£abhÄt
padÄni trīṇi daityendra
sammitÄni padÄ mama
tasmÄt - from such a person; tvattaḥ - from Your Majesty; mahÄ«m - land; Ä«á¹£at - very little; vṛṇe - am asking for; aham - I; varada-ṛṣabhÄt - from the personality who can give charity munificently; padÄni - footsteps; trīṇi - three; daitya-indra - O King of the Daityas; sammitÄni - to the measurement of; padÄ - by a foot; mama - My.
O King of the Daityas, from Your Majesty, who come from such a noble family and who are able to give charity munificently, I ask only three paces of land, to the measurement of My steps.
Lord VÄmanadeva wanted three paces of land according to the measurement of His footsteps. He did not want more than necessary. But although He pretended to be an ordinary human child, He actually wanted the land comprising the upper, middle and lower planetary systems. This was just to show the prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
