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TEXT 21
sri rupini kvanayati caranaravindam
lilambujena hari-sadmani mukta-dosa
samlaksyate sphatika-kudya upeta-hemni
sammarjativa yad-anugrahane nya-yatnah
SYNONYMS
sriLaksmi, the goddess of fortune; rupiniassuming a beautiful form; kvanayatitinkling; carana-aravindamlotus feet; lila-ambujenaplaying with a lotus flower; hari-sadmanithe house of the Supreme Personality; mukta-dosafreed from all faults; samlaksyatebecomes visible; sphatikacrystal; kudyewalls; upetamixed; hemnigold; sammarjati ivaappearing like a sweeper; yat-anugrahaneto receive her favor; anyaothers; yatnahvery much careful.
TRANSLATION
The ladies in the Vaikuntha planets are as beautiful as the goddess of fortune herself. Such transcendentally beautiful ladies, their hands playing with lotuses and their leg bangles tinkling, are sometimes seen sweeping the marble walls, which are bedecked at intervals with golden borders, in order to receive the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Supreme Lord, Govinda, is always served in His abode by many, many millions of goddesses of fortune. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. These millions and trillions of goddesses of fortune who reside in the Vaikuntha planets are not exactly consorts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but are the wives of the devotees of the Lord and also engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated here that in the Vaikuntha planets the houses are made of marble. Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the ground on the Vaikuntha planets is made of touchstone. Thus there is no need to sweep the stone in Vaikuntha, for there is hardly any dust on it, but still, in order to satisfy the Lord, the ladies there always engage in dusting the marble walls. Why? The reason is that they are eager to achieve the grace of the Lord by doing so.
It is also stated here that in the Vaikuntha planets the goddesses of fortune are faultless. Generally the goddess of fortune does not remain steadily in one place. Her name is Cancala, which means one who is not steady. We find, therefore, that a man who is very rich may become the poorest of the poor. Another example is Ravana. Ravana took away Laksmi, Sitaji, to his kingdom, and instead of being happy by the grace of Laksmi, his family and his kingdom were vanquished. Thus Laksmi in the house of Ravana is Cancala, or unsteady. Men of Ravanas class want Laksmi only, without her husband, Narayana; therefore they become unsteady due to Laksmiji. Materialistic persons find fault on the part of Laksmi, but in Vaikuntha Laksmiji is fixed in the service of the Lord. In spite of her being the goddess of fortune, she cannot be happy without the grace of the Lord. Even the goddess of fortune needs the Lords grace in order to be happy, yet in the material world even Brahma, the highest created being, seeks the favor of Laksmi for happiness.
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/3/15/21 Previous: SB 3.15.20 Next: SB 3.15.22
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