न वै तृतीयाय तदीयमण्वपि ।
उरुक्रमस्याङ्घ्रिरुपर्युपर्यथो
महर्जनाभ्यां तपसः परं गतः ॥३४॥
padaá¹ dvitÄ«yaá¹ kramatas triviá¹£á¹apaá¹
na vai tá¹›tÄ«yÄya tadÄ«yam aṇv api
urukramasyÄá¹…ghrir upary upary atho
mahar-janÄbhyÄá¹ tapasaḥ paraá¹ gataḥ
padam - step; dvitÄ«yam - second; kramataḥ - advancing; tri-viá¹£á¹apam - all of the heavenly planets; na - not; vai - indeed; tá¹›tÄ«yÄya - for the third step; tadÄ«yam - of the Lord; aṇu api - only a spot of land remained; urukramasya - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who performs uncommon activities; aá¹…ghriḥ - steps occupying above and below; upari upari - higher and higher; atho - now; mahaḥ-janÄbhyÄm - than Maharloka and Janaloka; tapasaḥ - that Tapoloka; param - beyond that; gataḥ - approached.
As the Lord took His second step, He covered the heavenly planets. And not even a spot remained for the third step, for the Lord’s foot extended higher and higher, beyond Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and even Satyaloka.
When the Lord’s footstep exceeded the height of all the lokas, including Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka, His nails certainly pierced the covering of the universe. The universe is covered by the five material elements (bhÅ«mir Äpo ’nalo vÄyuḥ kham). As stated in the Å›Ästra, these elements are in layers, each ten times thicker than the previous one. Nonetheless, the nails of the Lord pierced through all these layers and made a hole penetrating into the spiritual world. From this hole, the water of the Ganges infiltrated into this material world, and therefore it is said, pada-nakha-nÄ«ra janita jana-pÄvana (DaÅ›ÄvatÄra-stotra 5). Because the Lord kicked a hole in the covering of the universe, the water of the Ganges came into this material world to deliver all the fallen souls.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Twentieth Chapter, of the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam, entitled “Bali MahÄrÄja Surrenders the Universe.â€
