656 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 16

yas tam vivikta-caritair anuvartamanam
natyadriyat parama-bhagavata-prasangah

sa tvari dvijanupatha-punya-rajah punitah
Srivatsa-laksma kim aga bhaga-bhajanas tvam

yah—who; tam—Laksmi; vivikta—completely pure; caritaih—devotional
services; anuvartamanam-—serving; na—not; atyadriyat—attached; parama—
the highest; bhagavata—devotees; prasangah—attached; sah—the Supreme
Lord; tuam—You; dvija—of the brahmanas; anupatha—on the path; punya—
sanctified; rajah—dust; punitah—purified; srivatsa—of Srivatsa; laksma—the
mark; kim—what; agah— You obtained; bhaga—all opulences or all good
qualities; bhajanah—the reservoir; tvam— You.

TRANSLATION

O Lord, You are exceedingly attached to the activities of Your pure
devotees, yet You are never attached to the goddesses of fortune who
constantly engage in Your transcendental loving service. How can You be
purified, therefore, by the dust of the path traversed by the brahmanas,
and how can You be glorified or made fortunate by the marks of Srivatsa
on Your chest?

PURPORT

It is said in the Brahma-samhita that the Lord is always served by many
hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune in His Vaikuntha planet,
yet because of His attitude of renunciation of all opulences, He is not
attached to any one of them. The Lord has six opulences—unlimited
wealth, unlimited fame, unlimited strength, unlimited beauty, unlimited
knowledge and unlimited renunciation. All the demigods and other living
entities worship Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, just to get her favor, yet
the Lord is never attached to her because He can create an unlimited
number of such goddesses for His transcendental service. The goddess of
fortune, Laksmi, is sometimes envious of the tulasi leaves which are placed
at the lotus feet of the Lord because they remain fixed there and do not
move, whereas Laksmiji, although stationed by the chest of the Lord,
sometimes has to please other devotees who pray for her favor. Laksmiji
sometimes has to go to satisfy her numerous devotees, but tulast leaves
never forsake their position, and the Lord therefore appreciates the service
of the tulast more than the service of Laksmi. When the Lord says,
therefore, that it is due to the causeless mercy of the brahmanas that
Laksmiji does not leave I1im, we can understand that Laksmiji is attracted
