FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.32-33

ब्रह्मादयो बहुतिथं यदपाङ्गमोक्ष- कामास्तप: समचरन् भगवत्प्रपन्ना: । सा श्री: स्ववासमरविन्दवनं विहाय यत्पादसौभगमलं भजतेऽनुरक्ता ॥ ३२ ॥ तस्याहमब्जकुलिशाङ्‍कुशकेतुकेतै: श्रीमत्पदैर्भगवत: समलङ्‍कृताङ्गी । त्रीनत्यरोच उपलभ्य ततो विभूतिं लोकान् स मां व्यसृजदुत्स्मयतीं तदन्ते ॥ ३३ ॥
brahmādayo bahu-tithaṁ yad-apāṅga-mokṣa-
[brahmaadayo bahu-titham yad-apaanga-moksha-]
kāmās tapaḥ samacaran bhagavat-prapannāḥ
[kaamaas tapah samacharan bhagavat-prapannaah]
sā śrīḥ sva-vāsam aravinda-vanaṁ vihāya
[saa shreeh sva-vaasam aravinda-vanam vihaaya]
yat-pāda-saubhagam alaṁ bhajate ’nuraktā
[yat-paada-saubhagam alam bhajate ’nuraktaa]
tasyāham abja-kuliśāṅkuśa-ketu-ketaiḥ
[tasyaaham abja-kulishaankusha-ketu-ketaih]
śrīmat-padair bhagavataḥ samalaṅkṛtāṅgī
[shreemat-padair bhagavatah samalankritaangee]
trīn atyaroca upalabhya tato vibhūtiṁ
[treen atyarocha upalabhya tato vibhootim]
lokān sa māṁ vyasṛjad utsmayatīṁ tad-ante
[lokaan sa maam vyasrijad utsmayateem tad-ante]
brahma-ādayaḥ — demigods such as Brahmā bahu-titham — for many days yat — of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune apāṅga-mokṣa — glance of grace kāmāḥ — being desirous of tapaḥ — penances samacaran — executing bhagavat — unto the Personality of Godhead prapannāḥ — surrendered sā — she (the goddess of fortune) śrīḥ — Lakṣmījī sva-vāsam — her own abode aravinda-vanam — the forest of lotus flowers vihāya — leaving aside yat — whose pāda — feet saubhagam — all-blissful alam — without hesitation bhajate — worships anuraktā — being attached tasya — His aham — myself abja — lotus flower kuliśa — thunderbolt aṅkuśa — rod for driving elephants ketu — flag ketaiḥ — impressions śrīmat — the owner of all opulence padaiḥ — by the soles of the feet bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead samalaṅkṛta-aṅgī — one whose body is so decorated trīn — three ati — superseding aroce — beautifully decorated upalabhya — having obtained tataḥ — thereafter vibhūtim — specific powers lokān — planetary systems saḥ — He mām — me vyasṛjat — gave up utsmayatīm — while feeling proud tat-ante — at the end.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
brahmādayo bahu-tithaṁ yad-apāṅga-mokṣa-
brahma-ādayaḥ
demigods such as Brahmā
bahu-titham
for many days
yat
of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune
apāṅga-mokṣa
glance of grace
kāmās tapaḥ samacaran bhagavat-prapannāḥ
kāmāḥ
being desirous of
tapaḥ
penances
samacaran
executing
bhagavat
unto the Personality of Godhead
prapannāḥ
surrendered
sā śrīḥ sva-vāsam aravinda-vanaṁ vihāya
sā
she (the goddess of fortune)
śrīḥ
Lakṣmījī
sva-vāsam
her own abode
aravinda-vanam
the forest of lotus flowers
vihāya
leaving aside
yat-pāda-saubhagam alaṁ bhajate ’nuraktā
yat
whose
pāda
feet
saubhagam
all-blissful
alam
without hesitation
bhajate
worships
tasyāham abja-kuliśāṅkuśa-ketu-ketaiḥ
anuraktā
being attached
tasya
His
śrīmat-padair bhagavataḥ samalaṅkṛtāṅgī
aham
myself
trīn atyaroca upalabhya tato vibhūtiṁ
abja
lotus flower
kuliśa
thunderbolt
lokān sa māṁ vyasṛjad utsmayatīṁ tad-ante
aṅkuśa
rod for driving elephants
ketu
flag
ketaiḥ
impressions
śrīmat
the owner of all opulence
padaiḥ
by the soles of the feet
bhagavataḥ
of the Personality of Godhead
samalaṅkṛta-aṅgī
one whose body is so decorated
trīn
three
ati
superseding
aroce
beautifully decorated
upalabhya
having obtained
tataḥ
thereafter
vibhūtim
specific powers
lokān
planetary systems
saḥ
He
mām
me
vyasṛjat
gave up
utsmayatīm
while feeling proud
tat-ante
at the end.
Lakṣmījī, the goddess of fortune, whose glance of grace was sought by demigods like Brahmā and for whom they surrendered many a day unto the Personality of Godhead, gave up her own abode in the forest of lotus flowers and engaged herself in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. I was endowed with specific powers to supersede the fortune of all the three planetary systems by being decorated with the impressions of the flag, thunderbolt, elephant-driving rod and lotus flower, which are signs of the lotus feet of the Lord. But at the end, when I felt I was so fortunate, the Lord left me.

The beauty and opulence of the world can be enhanced by the grace of the Lord and not by any man-made planning. When the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, the impressions of the special signs of His lotus feet were stamped on the dust, and as a result of this specific grace, the whole earth was made as perfect as possible. In other words, the rivers, the seas, the forests, the hills and the mines, which are the supplying agents for the necessities of men and animals, were fully discharging their respective duties. Therefore the riches of the world surpassed all the riches of all other planets in the three planetary systems of the universe. One should, therefore, ask that the grace of the Lord always be present on earth so that we may be favored with His causeless mercy and be happy, having all necessities of life. One may ask how we can detain the Supreme Lord on this earth after His mission is fulfilled and He has left this earth for His own abode. The answer is that there is no need to detain the Lord. The Lord, being omnipresent, can be present with us if we want Him at all. By His omnipresence, He can always be with us if we are attached to His devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.

There is nothing in the world with which the Lord is disconnected. The only thing we must learn is to excavate the source of connection and thus be linked with Him by offenseless service. We can be connected with Him by the transcendental sound representation of the Lord. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical, and one who chants the holy name of the Lord in an offenseless manner can at once realize that the Lord is present before him. Even by the vibration of radio sound, we can partially realize sound relativity, and by resounding the sound of transcendence we can verily feel the presence of the Lord. In this age, when everything is polluted by the contamination of Kali, it is instructed in the scriptures and preached by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that by chanting the holy name of the Lord, we can at once be free from contamination and gradually rise to the status of transcendence and go back to Godhead. The offenseless chanter of the holy name of the Lord is as auspicious as the Lord Himself, and the movement of pure devotees of the Lord all over the world can at once change the troublesome face of the world. Only by the propagation of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord can we be immune from all effects of the Age of Kali.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O best of the devatās! I lament for myself and you, and for the devatās, Pitṛs, sages, devotees and all the varṇas and āśramas.
Commentary

The words “devoid of the Lord” apply to this sentence.

Lakṣmī gave up her abode in the lotus forest to engage in service at the Lord's lotus feet. The goddess of fortune chooses devotional service. Even abundance serves love.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'lotus forest' (comfort, beauty) would I leave for service?
  • Where am I treating divine abundance as the goal rather than the means?
📝 My note

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