Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 16


Sanskrit:

तस्मात् त्वत्तो महीमीषद् वृणेऽहं वरदर्षभात् ।पदानि त्रीणि दैत्येन्द्र सम्मितानि पदा मम ॥ १६ ॥

ITRANS:

tasmāt tvatto mahīm īṣadvṛṇe ’haṁ varadarṣabhātpadāni trīṇi daityendrasammitāni padā mama

Translation:

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.

Purport:

Lord Vāmanadeva 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.