1168
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 25]
tvam hrīr bhavāny asy atha vāg ramā patim vicinvatī kim munivad raho vane tvad-aṅghri-kāmāpta-samasta-kāmam kva padma-kośaḥ patitaḥ karāgrāt
tvam—you; hrīḥ—shyness; bhavānī—the wife of Lord Śiva; asi—are; atha—rather; vāk—Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning; ramā—the goddess of fortune; patim—husband; vicinvatī—searching after, thinking of; kim—are you; muni-vat—like a sage; rahaḥ—in this lonely place; vane—in the forest; tvat-aṅghri—your feet; kāma—desiring; āpta—achieved; samasta—all; kāmam—desirable things; kva—where is; padma-kośaḥ—the lotus flower; patitaḥ—fallen; kara—of the hand; agrāt—from the front portion, or palm.
TRANSLATION
My dear beautiful girl, you are exactly like the goddess of fortune, or the wife of Lord Śiva, or the goddess of learning, the wife of Lord Brahmā. Although you must be one of them, I see that you are loitering in this forest. Indeed, you are as silent as the great sages. Is it that you are searching after your own husband? Whoever your husband may be, simply by understanding that you are so faithful to him, he will come to possess all opulences. I think you must be the goddess of fortune, but I do not see the lotus flower in your hand. Therefore I am asking you where you have thrown that lotus.
PURPORT
Everyone thinks that his intelligence is perfect. Sometimes one employs his intelligence in the worship of Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva, in order to obtain a beautiful wife. Sometimes, when one wants to become as learned as Lord Brahmā, he employs his intelligence in the worship of the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī. Sometimes, when one wishes to become as opulent as Lord Viṣṇu, he worships the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. In this verse all these inquiries are made by King Purañjana, the living entity who is bewildered and does not know how to employ his intelligence. Intelligence should be employed in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As soon as one uses his intelligence in this way, the goddess of fortune automatically becomes favorable to him. The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, never remains without her husband, Lord Viṣṇu. Consequently, when one worships Lord Viṣṇu he automatically obtains the favor of the goddess of fortune. One should not, like Rāvaṇa, worship the goddess of fortune alone, for she cannot remain long without her husband. Thus her other name is