The Secret of Lord Trivikrama’s Third Step

Srimad bhagvatam

tad vāmanaṁ rūpam avardhatādbhutaṁ
harer anantasya guṇa-trayātmakam
bhūḥ khaṁ diśo dyaur vivarāḥ payodhayas
tiryaṅ-nṛ-devā ṛṣayo yad-āsata

All glories to Lord Narayana as Trivikrama

[Above: Ulagalantha perumal trivikrama temple, Kanchipuram India]

Most devotees know the story.

With His first step, Lord Narayana as Trivikrama measured the lower and middle worlds. With His second step, He covered the higher realms, reaching even Satyaloka. His toenails pierced the shell of the universe, and the sacred Gaṅgā descended through that opening. “pada-nakha-nīra janita jana-pāvana”

Then came the question.

Where was the third step placed?

Bali Mahārāja himself made a request to the lord:

padaṁ tṛtīyaṁ kuru śīrṣṇi me nijam

O lord “please place Your third step upon my head.”

At first glance, this seems straightforward. The Lord measured everything, and Bali offered himself as the final remaining place.

But a deeper question emerges.

If Bali was already within creation, was he not already encompassed by the Lord’s first two steps? Why was a third step necessary at all?

The ācāryas see something profound here.

Even when Bali offered “himself,” a subtle sense of ownership remained. There was still a possessor standing apart from the possessions. Thus the final step was not upon Bali’s kingdom—it was upon his ego.

The Lord was not measuring material space. He was measuring surrender.

Yet the topic goes even deeper.

Where exactly was the Third step?

Clearly Maharaj Bali offered himself for the third step, however it is not explicity said where that step was actually taken by the Lord

The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam never explicitly describes where the third step landed.

Kamba Rāmāyaṇam in Balakandam, Padalam8, states that the third step fell upon Bali’s head. As narrated by maharishi vishwamitra, about Sri Vamana avatar to Shri Rama and Lakshmana while they were at the siddhashrama location

But vaishnava ācāryas explore a more beautiful explanation.

This exact question was asked by Nanjīyar to Parāśara Bhaṭṭaru:

“Where exactly did the Lord place the third step?”

Parāśara Bhaṭṭaru: answers through Rigveda 1.154.4 (the Viṣṇu Sūkta, Maṇḍala)

parō mātrayā tanvā vidhānaḥ na ga mahitvan anuvashvu vanti upeste dhvitvma rahasit prasidyat visno devasya tvam parasmasya vikse

In the Viṣṇu Sūkta, he points to a truth beyond physical geography. The Lord’s stride is not merely spatial; it is transcendent.

The key phrase is:

tvaṁ paramasya vitse

“O Nārāyaṇa, You alone know the supreme secret.”

In other words, the final step is beyond human cognition. This is not understood by logic but by devotion. The exact place of the third step is known fully only to Bhagavān.

Some ācāryas even suggest that the Lord may have placed it upon His eternal devotees in Vaikuṇṭha as a gesture of his transcendental blessing.

And then comes Srimati Āṇḍāḷ’s (incarnation of Bhoomadevi) and her beautiful addition to this topic. Vaishnava acharyas say Sri Narayana as Trivikrama placed his third step in the holy granth of Tiruppāvai recited by Srimati Āṇḍāḷ

Trivikrama measured the universe in three steps.

Āṇḍāḷ glorified Him in three lines in her Tiruppāvai

Here is the evidence

• Tiruppāvai poem 3: Ōṅgi ulagaḷanda uttaman per paadi (— the Lord who measured the worlds in his cosmic stride)

  Ōṅgi ulagaḷanda uttaman pēr pāḍi
  Nāṅgaḷ nam pāvaikku cāṟṟi nīrāḍināl
  Tīṅginri nāḍellām tiṅgaḷ mummāri peydu
  Ōṅgu peruñ cennel ūḍu kayal ugaḷa
  Pūṅkuvaḷaip pōdil poṟivaṇḍu kaṇpaḍuppa
  Tēṅgādē pukkirundu cīrtta mulai paṟṟi
  Vāṅga kuḍam niṟaikkum vaḷḷal perum pasukkaḷ
  Nīṅgāda selvam niṟaintēlōr empāvāy

• Tiruppāvai poem 17: அம்பரம் ஊடறுத்து ஓங்கி உலகளந்த (Ambaram ūḍaṟuttu ōṅgi ulagaḷanda) “O Lord who pierced the heavens, grew vast, and measured the worlds.”

• Tiruppāvai poem 24: அன்றிவ்வுலகம் அளந்தாய் அடி போற்றி “Andru ivvulagam aḷandāi adi pōtri” — salutations to the very feet that measured this world on that day

Thirty pāsuram shlokas. Three sections of ten. One Trivikrama reference in each section.

The wonder lies in a single Tamil word:

adi

It means both a footstep and a poetic line.

The Lord covered the universe with three feet.

Āṇḍāḷ covered His glory with three lines.

Perhaps that is the final secret of Trivikrama.

The first step covered the worlds. The second covered the heavens.

The third continues to fall—upon the hearts of those who contemplate Him.

Moral of the story is “Fully surrender unto Sriman Narayana = Shri Krishna”

This is very important to devotees that under influence of maya they dont start thinking “Im the most pure devotee”, “ I am exalted and others are not qualified to do service”. Or thinking “Other bonfide vaishnava paramparyas need not be respected” “I need not hear the the glorification of Lord in other granthas”

All that is NOT USEFUL thinking.

The right attitude is explained most beautifully below

by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

śrī-kṛṣṇa-kīrtane jadi mānasa tohār, parama jatane tāhi labho adhikār

If your mind is always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord Krsna with great care, then by that process of Sri-krsna-kirtana you will attain transcendental qualification.

tṛnādhika hīna, dīna, akishcana chār, āpane mānobi sadā chāḍi’ ahańkār

You should give up all false pride and always consider yourself to be worthless, destitute, lower and more humble than a blade of grass.

vṛkṣa-sama kṣamā-guna korobi sādhan, prati-hiṁsā tyaji’ anye korobi pālan

You should practice forgiveness like that of a tree, and giving up violence toward other living beings, you should protect and maintain them.

jīvana-nirvāhe āne udvega nā dibe, para-upakāre nija-sukha pāsaribe

In the course of passing your life, you should never give anxiety to others, but rather do good to them while forgetting about your own happiness.

hoile-o sarva-gune gunī mahāśoy, pratiṣṭhāśā chāḍi koro amani hṛdoy

When one has thus become a great soul, possessing all good qualities, one should abandon all desires for fame and honor and make one’s heart humble.

kṛṣṇa-adhiṣṭhāna sarva-jive jāni’ sadā, korobi sammāna sabe ādare sarvadā

Knowing that Lord Krsna resides within all living creatures, one should with great respect consistently show honor to all beings.

dainya, doyā, anye māna, pratiṣṭhā-varjan, cāri gune gunī hoi’ koroha kīrtan

By possessing these four qualities-humility, mercifulness, respect toward others, and the renunciation of desires for prestige-one becomes virtuous. In such a state you may sing the glories of the Supreme Lord.

Therefore the prerequisite to spiritual advancement is Full Surrender to Krishna

Surrender of the Ego and focus only on lotus feet of Shri Krishna

Hare Krishna