802
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 20]
in the service of the Lord, but such competition is without malice. In the Vaikuṇṭha worlds if a devotee excels in the service of the Lord, others do not become envious of his excellent service but rather aspire to come to the platform of that service.
TEXT 28
जगज्जनन्यां जगदीश वैशसं
स्यादेव यत्कर्मणि नः समीहितम् ।
करोषि फल्ग्वप्युरु दीनवत्सलः
स्व एव धिष्ण्येऽभिरतस्य किं तया ॥२८॥
jagaj-jananyām jagad-īśa vaiśasam
syād eva yat-karmaṇi naḥ samīhitam
karoṣi phalgu apy uru dīna-vatsalaḥ
sva eva dhiṣṇye 'bhiratasya kim tayā
jagat-jananyām —in the mother of the universe (Lakṣmī);  jagat-īśa —O Lord of the universe;  vaiśasam —anger;  syāt —may arise;  eva —certainly;  yat-karmaṇi —in whose activity;  naḥ —my;  samīhitam —desire;  karoṣi —You consider;  phalgu —insignificant service;  api —even;  uru —very great;  dīna-vatsalaḥ —favorably inclined to the poor;  sve —own;  eva —certainly;  dhiṣṇye —in Your opulence;  abhiratasya —of one who is fully satisfied;  kim —what need is there;  tayā —with her.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord of the universe, the goddess of fortune Lakṣmī is the mother of the universe, and yet I think that she may be angry with me because of my intruding on her service and my acting on that very platform to which she is so much attached. Yet I am hopeful that, even though there is some misunderstanding, You will take my part because You are very much inclined to the poor, and You always magnify even insignificant service unto You. Therefore even though she becomes angry, I think that there is no harm for You, because You are so self-sufficient that You can do without her.
PURPORT
Mother Lakṣmījī, the goddess of fortune, is well known for always massaging the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa. She is an ideal wife because she takes care of Lord Nārāyaṇa in every detail. She not only takes care of His lotus feet but of the household affairs of the Lord as well. She cooks nice foods for Him, fans Him while He eats, smoothes sandalwood pulp