FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.19.13

गुणव्यक्तिरियं देवी व्यञ्जको गुणभुग्भवान् । त्वं हि सर्वशरीर्यात्मा श्री: शरीरेन्द्रियाशया: । नामरूपे भगवती प्रत्ययस्त्वमपाश्रय: ॥ १३ ॥
guṇa-vyaktir iyaṁ devī
[guna-vyaktir iyam devee]
vyañjako guṇa-bhug bhavān
[vyanjako guna-bhug bhavaan]
tvaṁ hi sarva-śarīry ātmā
[tvam hi sarva-shareery aatmaa]
śrīḥ śarīrendriyāśayāḥ
[shreeh shareerendriyaashayaah]
nāma-rūpe bhagavatī
[naama-roope bhagavatee]
pratyayas tvam apāśrayaḥ
[pratyayas tvam apaashrayah]
guṇa-vyaktiḥ — the reservoir of qualities iyam — this devī — goddess vyañjakaḥ — manifester guṇa-bhuk — the enjoyer of the qualities bhavān — You tvam — You hi — indeed sarva-śarīrī ātmā — the Supersoul of all living entities śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune śarīra — the body indriya — senses āśayāḥ — and the mind nāma — name rūpe — and form bhagavatī — Lakṣmī pratyayaḥ — the cause of manifestation tvam — You apāśrayaḥ — the support.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guṇa-vyaktir iyaṁ devī
guṇa-vyaktiḥ
the reservoir of qualities
iyam
this
devī
goddess
vyañjako guṇa-bhug bhavān
vyañjakaḥ
manifester
guṇa-bhuk
the enjoyer of the qualities
bhavān
You
tvaṁ hi sarva-śarīry ātmā
tvam
You
hi
indeed
sarva-śarīrī ātmā
the Supersoul of all living entities
śrīḥ śarīrendriyāśayāḥ
śrīḥ
the goddess of fortune
śarīra
the body
indriya
senses
āśayāḥ
and the mind
nāma-rūpe bhagavatī
nāma
name
rūpe
and form
bhagavatī
Lakṣmī
pratyayas tvam apāśrayaḥ
pratyayaḥ
the cause of manifestation
tvam
You
apāśrayaḥ
the support.
Mother Lakṣmī, who is here, is the reservoir of all spiritual qualities, whereas You manifest and enjoy all these qualities. Indeed, You are actually the enjoyer of everything. You live as the Supersoul of all living entities, and the goddess of fortune is the form of their bodies, senses and minds. She also has a holy name and form, whereas You are the support of all such names and forms and the cause for their manifestation.

Madhvācārya, the ācārya of the Tattvavādīs, has described this verse in the following way: “Viṣṇu is described as yajña personified, and mother Lakṣmī is described as spiritual activities and the original form of worship. In fact, they represent spiritual activities and the Supersoul of all yajña. Lord Viṣṇu is the Supersoul even of Lakṣmīdevī, but no one can be the Supersoul of Lord Viṣṇu, for Lord Viṣṇu Himself is the spiritual Supersoul of everyone.”

According to Madhvācārya, there are two tattvas, or factors. One is independent, and the other is dependent. The first tattva is the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, and the second is the jīva-tattva. Lakṣmīdevī, being dependent on Lord Viṣṇu, is sometimes counted among the jīvas. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, however, describe Lakṣmīdevī in accordance with the following two verses from the Prameya-ratnāvalī of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. The first verse is a quotation from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

nityaiva sā jagan-mātā viṣṇoḥ śrīr anapāyinī yathā sarva-gato viṣṇus tathaiveyaṁ dvijottama

viṣṇoḥ syuḥ śaktayas tisras tāsu yā kīrtitā parā saiva śrīs tad-abhinneti prāha śiṣyān prabhur mahān

“O best of the brāhmaṇas, Lakṣmījī is the constant companion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and therefore she is called anapāyinī. She is the mother of all creation. As Lord Viṣṇu is all-pervading, His spiritual potency, mother Lakṣmī, is also all-pervading. Lord Viṣṇu has three principal potencies — internal, external and marginal. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has accepted parā-śakti, the spiritual energy of the Lord, as being identical with the Lord. Thus she is also included in the independent viṣṇu-tattva. ”

In the Kānti-mālā commentary on the Prameya-ratnāvalī there is this statement: nanu kvacit nitya-mukta jīvatvaṁ lakṣmyāḥ svīkṛtaṁ, tatrāha-prāheti; nityaiveti padye sarva-vyāpti-kathanena kalākāṣṭhety ādi-padya-dvaye, śuddho ’pīty uktā ca mahāprabhunā svaśiṣyān prati lakṣmyā bhagavad-advaitam upadiṣṭam; kvacid yat tasyās tu dvaitam uktaṁ, tat tu tad-āviṣṭa-nitya-mukta jīvam ādāya saṅgatamas tu. “Although some authoritative Vaiṣṇava disciplic successions count the goddess of fortune among the ever-liberated living entities ( jīvas ) in Vaikuṇṭha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in accordance with the statement in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, has described Lakṣmī as being identical with the viṣṇu-tattva. The correct conclusion is that the descriptions of Lakṣmī as being different from Viṣṇu are stated when an eternally liberated living entity is imbued with the quality of Lakṣmī; they do not pertain to mother Lakṣmī, the eternal consort of Lord Viṣṇu.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Lakṣmī is the reservoir of all qualities, whereas you manifest and enjoy all these qualities. You live as the soul of all living entities, and the goddess of fortune is the form of their bodies, senses and minds. You are the revealer of names and forms and the shelter and the support of names and forms. Pratyayaḥ means the revealer of the names and forms. You are also the support (apāśrayaḥ) of the names and forms.
Mother Lakṣmī is reservoir of all spiritual qualities; You manifest and enjoy them; You live as Supersoul of all and she as their potency. Internal and external are paired in cosmic relation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I treat 'inner' and 'outer' as opposed when they may be paired?
  • What pairing in my life mirrors this divine model?
📝 My note

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