Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 28
Lord Viṣṇu Instructs Pṛthu: Forgiveness, Ātmā-Deha Viveka, and the Bhakti Ideal of Kingship
जगज्जनन्यां जगदीश वैशसं स्यादेव यत्कर्मणि न: समीहितम् । करोषि फल्ग्वप्युरु दीनवत्सल: स्व एव धिष्ण्येऽभिरतस्य किं तया ॥ २८ ॥
jagaj-jananyāṁ jagad-īśa vaiśasaṁ syād eva yat-karmaṇi naḥ samīhitam karoṣi phalgv apy uru dīna-vatsalaḥ sva eva dhiṣṇye ’bhiratasya kiṁ tayā
My dear Lord of the universe, the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is the mother of the universe, and yet I think that she may be angry with me because of my intruding upon her service and acting on that very platform to which she is so much attached. Yet I am hopeful that even though there is some misunderstanding, You will take my part, for You are very much inclined to the poor, and You always magnify even insignificant service unto You. Therefore even though she becomes angry, I think that there is no harm for You, because You are so self-sufficient that You can do without her.
Mother Lakṣmījī, the goddess of fortune, is well known for always massaging the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa. She is an ideal wife because she takes care of Lord Nārāyaṇa in every detail. She takes care not only of His lotus feet but of the household affairs of the Lord as well. She cooks nice foods for Him, fans Him while He eats, smoothes sandalwood pulp on His face and sets His bed and sitting places in the right order. In this way she is always engaged in the service of the Lord, and there is hardly any opportunity for any other devotee to intrude upon His daily activities. Pṛthu Mahārāja was therefore almost certain that his intrusion into the service of the goddess of fortune would irritate her and cause her to become angry with him. But why should mother Lakṣmī, the mother of the universe, be angry with an insignificant devotee like Pṛthu Mahārāja? All this was not very likely. Yet Pṛthu Mahārāja, just for his personal protection, appealed to the Lord to take his part. Pṛthu Mahārāja was engaged in performing the ordinary Vedic rituals and sacrifices according to karma-kāṇḍa, or fruitive activities, but the Lord, being so kind and magnanimous, was ready to award Pṛthu Mahārāja the highest perfectional stage of life, namely devotional service.
FAQs
This verse teaches that the Lord, being dīna-vatsala (kind to the distressed), can grant abundant results even when the offering or effort is phalgu—small or imperfect—when offered with sincerity.
In the narrative, Prithu’s dealings with Bhūmi (Earth) involve strong corrective action for the welfare of citizens; he acknowledges that if any wrongdoing occurred in that intended act, it was unintentional and submits himself to the Lord’s judgment and mercy.
Offer your duty and worship sincerely, admit mistakes without defensiveness, and rely on divine mercy—knowing that even small, steady devotional efforts can bear great spiritual fruit.