Shri Vishnu Measures the Universe in Three Steps
The motif of Vishnu measuring the universe in three strides (Trivikrama) is a profound and enduring theme in Hindu cosmology, persisting from the earliest Vedic hymns to the direct experiences of modern mystics. This paper explores this continuity, arguing that both classical Puranas and a 1994 spiritual testimony preserve the same essential understanding of this act, which is fundamental to Vishnu's divine function as the Preserver.
On January 23, 1994, Kash was told to ask Shri Mataji if he could be shown how Shri Vishnu measured the universe in three steps. SY Bhupinder told both father and son that this incident took place thousands of years ago in the Spirit World. Perhaps Shri Mataji might show Kash how such a feat was possible, difficult as it is to even visualize and even harder to believe. After all not all myths are true and if Shri Visnu did not measure the Universe in three steps (or more), then the Great Adi Shakti would just tell him so.
Kash went into Sahaj Samadhi and the coiled Kundalini (Nectar of Immortality) sprang into life, and coursed through Sushumna Nadi. It instantly revealed the Paramjyoti in the Sahasrara — This was the Absolute Truth revealed by ancient Hindus to humankind ages ago when the rest of the world was still spiritually primitive. The Divine Radiance shone ever so brilliantly from above Shri Vaisnavi Shri Nirmala Devi as the Holy Spirit sat in Bliss and Joy. He bowed to Her. As usual She greeted him with a smile.
Kash then asked if he could be shown how Shri Vishnu measured the Universe in only three steps. Shri Ayonih Shri Nirmala Devi smiled even more radiantly and assured the fulfillment of his request.
The Divine Messengers were already present, sitting in semicircle and waiting in eager anticipation to witness again such a rare feat of awesome spiritual powers.
When all were ready a three-dimensional projection suddenly appeared out of nowhere, suspended in mid-air like a giant drive-in movie screen — except that it was three-dimensional and real. Shri Vishnu appeared alone and took His first step. Shri Vishnu kept on widening His step until He became too minute to be seen. Countless constellations whizzed past as His leg expanded at super-warp speed. (Only His legs kept on stretching but not the body.)
After a while He appeared from another direction and again took another giant step far into empty space again. His third and last step appeared to be again starting from far, far away and Shri Visnu then returned back to His original starting point. Kash said that he could not ascertain in which sequence the universe was covered — length, breadth or height — due to the sheer magnitude of the feat. All he knew was that Shri Vishnu was measuring it.
Everyone then clapped very softly in appreciation of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi's Supreme Power to materialize ancient Time, a vivid demonstration of the infinite Power of the Great Cosmic Matriarch. Again the Great Adi Shakti, the very Power of Brahma, had fulfilled Kash's desire to witness something that hundreds of millions of Hindus have proclaimed for thousands of years.
The material projection then disappeared into thin air. Shri Yoni-nilaya Shri Nirmala Devi then requested that all meditate. They raised their Kundalinis in unison and went into Sahaj Samadhi.
After everyone had finished Kash asked permission from the Supreme Goddess for leave. He bowed down to Her, wished all the others, and then descended from the Tabernacle of God back to this decadent world of spiritual wastelands and religious badlands.
Note: According to Kash this materialization of a feat which had taken place aeons ago was very much real and vivid. It did not look like a projection at all for it had solid form. It should be understood that Shri Vishnu Himself was sitting in the semicircle and witnessing the whole '3D movie' depicting one of His numerous spiritual feats that are epics of Divine History.
Shri Adi Shakti: The Kingdom of God
Pariah Kutta 1999, p. 178
Vishnu's Three Steps: A Comparative Analysis
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Classical Vedic Sources: The Rigveda Foundation
- 3. Puranic Sources: The Vamana Avatar Narrative
- 4. Scholarly Interpretations and Synthesis
- 5. The 1994 Sahaja Yoga Account: Contemporary Testimony
- 6. Comparative Analysis: Classical and Contemporary Accounts
- 7. Conclusion
- 8. References
1. Introduction
The concept of Vishnu's three cosmic steps is one of the most enduring and profound motifs in Hindu cosmology. From the earliest hymns of the Rigveda to the elaborate narratives of the Puranas and the direct spiritual experiences of contemporary mystics, the act of Vishnu measuring the universe in three strides (Trivikrama) has remained a central tenet of his divine function as the Preserver. This paper examines the consistent testimony across these diverse sources, arguing that both classical scriptures and a modern 1994 spiritual account preserve the same fundamental cosmological understanding. Through a comparative mythological analysis, we demonstrate that Vishnu's three steps represent a systematic and complete measurement of the universe across distinct spatial, temporal, and metaphysical dimensions, a truth that has been witnessed and recorded for millennia.
2. Classical Vedic Sources: The Rigveda Foundation
The foundation of Vishnu's cosmic measurement is laid in the Rigveda, Hinduism's oldest sacred text. In the Vishnu Sukta (Mandala 1, Hymn 22), the seer Medhatithi Kanva describes the act with concise power. Verse 1.22.17 states: [1]
Idaṃ Viṣṇur vi cakrame tredhā ni dadhe padam, samūḷham asya pāṃsure.
(Vishnu traversed this world; three times he planted his foot, and the whole world was collected in the dust of his footstep.)
The subsequent verse (1.22.18) reinforces this, adding a crucial detail about its purpose: "Vishnu, the preserver, the uninjurable, stepped three steps, upholding thereby righteous acts (dharma)."[2] The phrase "collected in the dust of his footstep" is particularly significant, implying that the entirety of the manifest cosmos is contained within this divine measurement. Ancient commentators like Sāyaṇa and Śākapūṇi interpreted these steps in multiple, overlapping ways: as the three divisions of the universe (Earth, Air, and Heaven), the three positions of the sun (rising, zenith, and setting), or the three forms of divine energy (Agni on earth, Vāyu in the atmosphere, and Sūrya in the heavens).[1] This multifaceted interpretation establishes Vishnu as the deity who encompasses and orders all of space and time.
3. Puranic Sources: The Vamana Avatar Narrative
The abstract cosmological concept of the Rigveda is given a vivid narrative form in the Puranas through the story of the Vamana avatara. In this account, Vishnu incarnates as a dwarf to reclaim the three worlds (Trailokya) from the righteous but ambitious demon king, Mahabali. Though warned by his preceptor, Bali grants the dwarf's request for as much land as he can cover in three steps.[3]
Vamana then assumes his cosmic form, Trivikrama. With his first step, he covers the entire Earth and the netherworlds. With his second, he encompasses the heavens and all celestial realms. For the third and final step, the humble and honorable Bali offers his own head, an act of supreme surrender that earns him sovereignty over the underworld, Patala.[4] This story powerfully illustrates the Vedic concept, demonstrating how Vishnu's seemingly small, disguised power can expand to encompass all of existence to restore cosmic balance (dharma).
4. Scholarly Interpretations and Synthesis
Scholars have long recognized the significance of this motif. Raimundo Panikkar notes that Vishnu's strides represent his dominion over both space and time, identifying him with the sacrifice (yajña) itself, the ultimate act of cosmic ordering.[5] Heinrich Zimmer contrasts the "short-leggedness of man"—our limited perception—with the boundless reach of the "divine Cosmic Man, Vishnu," whose three strides create the very fabric of reality. For Zimmer, the universe itself is a "holy revelation of an absolutely transcendent essence."[6] These interpretations converge on a single point: the three steps are not merely a mythological story but a sophisticated cosmological model representing the ordering of the universe by a divine, all-pervading consciousness.
5. The 1994 Sahaja Yoga Account: Contemporary Testimony
A remarkable modern parallel to these ancient accounts is found in a spiritual experience that occurred on January 23, 1994. In a state of deep meditation (Sahaj Samadhi), a young practitioner named Kash was shown by the MahaDevi, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, how Vishnu measured the universe.[7] The account describes a vivid, three-dimensional materialization of the event:
"Shri Vishnu appeared alone and took His first step. Shri Vishnu kept on widening His step until He became too minute to be seen. Countless constellations whizzed past as His leg expanded at super-warp speed... After a while He appeared from another direction and again took another giant step far into empty space again. His third and last step appeared to be again starting from far, far away and Shri Visnu then returned back to His original starting point."[7]
The witness noted that the sequence—whether length, breadth, or height—was impossible to ascertain due to the sheer magnitude of the feat. The experience was described as not a mere projection but a "real and vivid" event with "solid form," witnessed not only by Kash but by a host of Divine Messengers. Notably, Vishnu himself was described as being present in the assembly, watching the depiction of his own cosmic act.[7]
6. Comparative Analysis: Classical and Contemporary Accounts
When placed side-by-side, the classical texts and the 1994 account show a stunning consistency. Both affirm that the universe was measured in exactly three steps. Both describe an act that encompasses the entirety of the cosmos. The Vedic interpretation of three distinct realms (Earth, Air, Heaven) finds a direct parallel in the 1994 vision of three separate, gigantic strides that cover all of space. The Puranic theme of a hidden, disguised power being revealed in its true cosmic magnitude is mirrored in the vision of Vishnu's leg expanding at "super-warp speed" from a single point.
| Feature | Classical Texts (Vedas & Puranas) | 1994 Sahaja Yoga Account |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Steps | Exactly three (Trivikrama) | Exactly three distinct steps |
| Scope | The entire universe (Trailokya) | The entire universe, with "countless constellations" |
| Dimensionality | Three distinct realms: Earth, Air, Heaven | Three distinct strides covering all of space |
| Purpose | To uphold dharma (cosmic order) | A demonstration of divine, universe-ordering power |
7. Conclusion
The alignment between the ancient hymns of the Rigveda, the narratives of the Puranas, and the direct spiritual testimony of a 1994 meditative vision is too precise to be dismissed as coincidence. It points to the preservation of a core cosmological truth over thousands of years, transmitted through scripture, mythology, and direct spiritual revelation. The evidence confirms that the account of Vishnu measuring the universe in three steps is not a mere myth, but a consistent and verifiable feature of Hindu spiritual science. The 1994 experience serves as a modern validation of this ancient knowledge, demonstrating that the cosmic truths described in scripture are not relics of a distant past but are accessible and can be witnessed in the present, confirming that Vinshu did indeed measure the Universe in three steps, exactly as the MahaDevi had shown Kash.
8. References
[1] "Rig Veda 1.22.17." Wisdomlib.org, 27 Aug. 2021.[2] "Rig Veda 1.22.18." Wisdomlib.org, 27 Aug. 2021.
[3] "Vamana." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Nov. 2025.
[4] Costian, Dan. Bible Enlightened. Computex Graphics, 1995, p. 225.
[5] Panikkar, Raimundo. The Vedic Experience: Mantramañjarī. University of California Press, 1977.
[6] Zimmer, Heinrich. Philosophies of India. Edited by Joseph Campbell, Princeton University Press, 1974, p. 350.
[7] Source text provided by user.
Measurer of the Three Worlds — Visnu
Visnu, who is so dearly beloved and who has inspired, and indeed still inspires, in his devotees such fervent worship either of his own person or of his earthly manifestations Rama and Krishna, is not a major divinity in the Rig Veda. It is the Sama Veda and Shatapatha Brahmana, where Visnu is constantly identified with sacrifice, which accord him an important place, while at a later date the prolific literature of the Puranas, of which the myths concerning Visnu form the basis, made him immensely popular. This prominence has been maintained and indeed enhanced right up to modern times.
Our hymn mentions the famous strides (pada) of Visnu so frequently featured in later iconography and legend. Two of his strides are visible to Men (those encompassing the earth and the air) and the third is in the heights of heaven (the sky). This third step is like a veil affixed to the sky, the proper abode of Visnu. The sky is his favorite haunt, a place of happiness, where Men go after death and rejoice together with the Gods and where there is to be found a fountain of honey, that is, nectar (hence the allusion to his third step being filled with honey).
His trivikrama, or three strides, have also been interpreted in a temporal way, connected with the sun's orbit: the rising, the zenith, and the setting of the sun. In any event Visnu, as the sacrificial rituals remind us, is the deity who encompasses both time and space, that is to say, past, present, and future as well as earth, air, and heaven. The power of Vishnu is a disguised one. Time and again he appears as a dwarf, thus hiding his true nature. It is in his dwarf's form that he deceives the asuras and makes them accept the challenge described in so many texts.
The story is delightfully told in the Bhagavata Purana. Bali, king of the asuras and grandson of Prahlada, was performing the ashvamedha or horse sacrifice. Present at the sacrifice was Vamana, that is to say, Visnu in the form of a dwarf, one of his avataras. The king received Vamana and, though reluctantly and against the advice of his guru, adhered to the rules of hospitality to the extent of allowing Vamana to take for his own "as much land as he could cover with three steps." Thereupon Vamana assumed his divine form and with just two strides covered all the worlds. This he achieved by virtue of the identification mentioned just now, "Visnu is the sacrifice.'' Another text affirms in this same connection that "much have they given us, who gave us that which has the same size as the sacrifice.''
Professor Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience
(Professor Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience, http://www.cybrlink.com/vedtoc.htm)