TEXT 28
tvam hrir bhavany asy atha vag rama patim
vicinvati kim munivad raho vane
tvad-anghri-kamapta-samasta-kamam
kva padma-kosah patitah karagrat
SYNONYMS
tvamyou; hrihshyness; bhavanithe wife of Lord Siva; asiare; atharather; vakSarasvati, the goddess of learning; ramathe goddess of fortune; patimhusband; vicinvatisearching after, thinking of; kimare you; muni-vatlike a sage; rahahin this lonely place; vanein the forest; tvat-anghriyour feet; kamadesiring; aptaachieved; samastaall; kamamdesirable things; kvawhere is; padma-kosahthe lotus flower; patitahfallen; karaof the hand; agratfrom the front portion, or palm.
TRANSLATION
My dear beautiful girl, you are exactly like the goddess of fortune or the wife of Lord Siva or the goddess of learning, the wife of Lord Brahma. Although you must be one of them, I see that you are loitering in this forest. Indeed, you are as silent as the great sages. Is it that you are searching after your own husband? Whoever your husband may be, simply by understanding that you are so faithful to him, he will come to possess all opulences. I think you must be the goddess of fortune, but I do not see the lotus flower in your hand. Therefore I am asking you where you have thrown that lotus.
PURPORT
Everyone thinks that his intelligence is perfect. Sometimes one employs his intelligence in the worship of Uma, the wife of Lord Siva, in order to obtain a beautiful wife. Sometimes, when one wants to become as learned as Lord Brahma, he employs his intelligence in the worship of the goddess of learning, Sarasvati. Sometimes, when one wishes to become as opulent as Lord Visnu, he worships the goddess of fortune, Laksmi. In this verse all these inquiries are made by King Puranjana, the living entity who is bewildered and does not know how to employ his intelligence. Intelligence should be employed in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As soon as one uses his intelligence in this way, the goddess of fortune automatically becomes favorable to him. The goddess of fortune, Laksmi, never remains without her husband, Lord Visnu. Consequently, when one worships Lord Visnu he automatically obtains the favor of the goddess of fortune. One should not, like Ravana, worship the goddess of fortune alone, for she cannot remain long without her husband. Thus her other name is Cancala, or restless. In this verse it is clear that Puranjana is representing our intelligence while he is talking with the girl. He not only appreciated the shyness of the girl but actually became more and more attracted by that shyness. He was actually thinking of becoming her husband and consequently was asking her whether she was thinking of her prospective husband or whether she was married. This is an example of bhoga-icchathe desire for enjoyment. One who is attracted by such desires becomes conditioned in this material world, and one who is not so attracted attains liberation. King Puranjana was appreciating the beauty of the girl as if she were the goddess of fortune, but at the same time he was careful to understand that the goddess of fortune cannot be enjoyed by anyone except Lord Visnu. Since he doubted whether the girl was the goddess of fortune, he inquired about the lotus flower she was not holding. The material world is also the goddess of fortune because the material energy works under the direction of Lord Visnu, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram).
The material world cannot be enjoyed by any living entity. If one so desires to enjoy it, he immediately becomes a demon like Ravana, Hiranyakasipu or Kamsa. Because Ravana wanted to enjoy the goddess of fortune, Sitadevi, he was vanquished with all his family, wealth and opulence. One can, however, enjoy that maya bestowed upon the living entity by Lord Visnu. The satisfaction of ones senses and desires means enjoying maya, not the goddess of fortune.

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