294 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 8
achieve the favor of the goddess of fortune without a doubt, but ma-
terialists who try to get the favor of the goddess of fortune only to possess
her for personal enjoyment are frustrated. Theirs is not a good policy.
The celebrated demon Ravana, for example, wanted to deprive Rama-
candra of Laksmi, Sita, and thus be victorious, but the result was just the
opposite. Sita, of course, was taken by force by Lord Ramacandra, and
Ravana and his entire material empire were vanquished. The goddess of
fortune is desirable for everyone, including human beings, but one
should understand that the goddess of fortune is the exclusive property
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot achieve the mercy of
the goddess of fortune unless one prays both to her and to the supreme
enjoyer, the Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 10
TM MAA AeA AeA |
afiaea: aftede Magri aA 112 oll
tasyd dsanam dninye
mahendro mahad-adbhutam
mirtimatyah saric-chrestha
hema-kumbhair jalam suci

tasyah—for her; dsanam—a sitting place; dninye—brought; mahd-
indrah—the King of heaven, Indra; mahat—glorious; adbhutam—won-
derful; miurti-matyah—accepting forms; sarit-sresthah—the best of
various sacred waters; hema—golden; kumbhaih—with waterpots;
jalam—water; Suci—pure.

TRANSLATION

The King of heaven, Indra, brought a suitable sitting place for
the goddess of fortune. All the rivers of sacred water, such as the
Ganges and Yamuna, personified themselves, and each of them
brought pure water in golden waterpots for mother Laksmi, the
goddess of fortune.
