232 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 18

considered; manasah—situated in the heart; sarva-bhitanam—of all
living entities; vésudevah—Vasudeva; sriyah—of the goddess of for-
tune; patih—the husband; sah—He; eva—certainly; devatd-lingaih—
by the forms of the demigods; ndéma—names; ripa—forms;
vikalpitaih—conceived; ijyate—is worshiped; bhagavan—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; pumbhih—by men; stribhih—by women; ca—
also; pati-ripa-dhrk—in the form of the husband.

TRANSLATION

A husband is the supreme demigod for a woman. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Vasudeva, the husband of the god-
dess of fortune, is situated in everyone’s heart and is worshiped
through the various names and forms of the demigods by fruitive
workers. Similarly, a husband represents the Lord as the object of
worship for a woman.

PURPORT
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.23):

ye ‘py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante Sraddhayanvitah

te ‘pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pirvakam

“Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really
meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.” The
demigods are various assistants who act like the hands and legs of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who is not in direct touch with the
Supreme Lord and cannot conceive of the exalted position of the Lord is
sometimes advised to worship the demigods as various parts of the Lord.
If women, who are usually very much attached to their husbands, wor-
ship their husbands as representatives of Vasudeva, the women benefit,
just as Ajamila benefited by calling for Narayana, his son. Ajamila was
concerned with his son, but because of his attachment to the name of
Narayana, he attained salvation simply by chanting that name. In India a
husband is still called pati-guru, the husband spiritual master. If hus-
