Vishnu’s Three Strides

Vishnu’s Three Strides is the episode in which Vishnu answers the Devas’ fear of Bali by taking a dwarfish form, securing a seemingly modest gift, and using it to reclaim the universe. The exchange turns Bali’s sacrifice into a cosmic reversal: the king grants three steps of land, and Vishnu’s transformed body makes that measure vast enough to subdue him and restore the worlds.

The Sacrifice and the Devas’ Appeal

Bali, the mighty son of Virochan, has begun a sacrifice. The account presents him as a demon king of boundless wealth, and the Devas approach Vishnu in fear, asking him to assume a dwarfish form and rescue them from danger. Their appeal establishes the stakes before Vishnu acts: Bali’s sacrifice is the immediate occasion for divine intervention, though the passage does not specify a particular threat beyond the Devas’ fear.

The Three-Step Request

Vishnu comes before Bali in the requested dwarfish shape and asks for three steps of land. Bali grants the boon. The request’s small measure and the scale of what follows create the episode’s decisive contrast: the Devas’ appeal has produced no open battle at this point, but a gift that permits Vishnu to act through Bali’s own agreement.

Expansion and Restoration

Once the boon is obtained, Vishnu’s form grows immense, extending through the worlds. With the third stride he passes through heaven. The account then describes Bali as hurled into the netherworld and the universe as restored. The strides thus resolve both the immediate appeal and the larger cosmic disorder: Vishnu’s transformation converts a three-step grant into the means of overcoming the king and re-establishing the universe.