खं च कायेन महता तार्तीयस्य कुतो गतिः ॥३४॥
kramato gÄá¹ padaikena
dvitīyena divaṠvibhoḥ
khaá¹ ca kÄyena mahatÄ
tÄrtÄ«yasya kuto gatiḥ
kramataḥ - gradually; gÄm - the surface of the land; padÄ ekena - by one step; dvitÄ«yena - by the second step; divam - the whole of outer space; vibhoḥ - of the universal form; kham ca - the sky also; kÄyena - by the expansion of His transcendental body; mahatÄ - by the universal form; tÄrtÄ«yasya - as far as the third step is concerned; kutaḥ - where is; gatiḥ - to keep His step.
VÄmanadeva will first occupy the three worlds with one step, then He will take His second step and occupy everything in outer space, and then He will expand His universal body to occupy everything. Where will you offer Him the third step?
ÅšukrÄcÄrya wanted to tell Bali MahÄrÄja how he would be cheated by Lord VÄmana. “You have promised three steps,†he said. “But with only two steps, all your possessions will be finished. How then will you give Him a place for His third step?†ŚukrÄcÄrya did not know how the Lord protects His devotee. The devotee must risk everything in his possession for the service of the Lord, but he is always protected and never defeated. By materialistic calculations, ÅšukrÄcÄrya thought that Bali MahÄrÄja would under no circumstances be able to keep his promise to the brahmacÄrÄ«, Lord VÄmanadeva.
