1168 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 25

tvam hrir bhavany asy atha vag rama patim
vicinvati kim munivad raho vane
tvad-anghri-kamapta-samasta-kamam
kva padma-kosah patitah karagrat

tvam—you; hrih—shyness; bhavani—the wife of Lord Siva; asi—are;
atha—rather; vadk—Sarasvati, the goddess of learning; rama—the goddess of
fortune; patim—husband; vicinvati—searching after, thinking of; kim—are
you; muni-vat—like a sage; rahah—in this lonely place; vane—in the forest;
tvat-anghri-your feet; kdama—desiring; dpta—achieved; samasta—all;
kamam-—desirable things; kva—where is; padma-kosah—the lotus flower;
patitah—fallen; kara—of the hand; agrat—from the front portion, or palm.

TRANSLATION

My dear beautiful girl, you are exactly like the goddess of fortune, or the
wife of Lord Siva, or the goddess of learning, the wife of Lord Brahma.
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 search-
ing 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 Uma, the wife of Lord Siva, in order to
obtain a beautiful wife. Sometimes, when one wants to become as learned
as Lord Brahma, he employs his intelligence in the worship of the goddess
of learning, Sarasvati. Sometimes, when one wishes to become as opulent
as Lord Visnu,he worships the goddess of fortune, Laksmi. In this verse all
these inquiries are made by King Purafjana, the living entity who is bewil-
dered 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, Laksmi,
never remains without her husband, Lord Visnu. Consequently, when one
worships Lord Visnu he automatically obtains the favor of the goddess of
fortune. One should not, like Ravana, worship the goddess of fortune alone,
for she cannot remain long without her husband. Thus her other name is
