Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 20

Kriyā-yoga, the Virāṭ-Puruṣa Mapping, and the Sun-God’s Monthly Expansions

Devanagari script

अनपायिनी भगवती श्री: साक्षादात्मनो हरे: । विष्वक्सेनस्तन्त्रमूर्तिर्विदित: पार्षदाधिप: । नन्दादयोऽष्टौ द्वा:स्थाश्च तेऽणिमाद्या हरेर्गुणा: ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

anapāyinī bhagavatī śrīḥ sākṣād ātmano hareḥ viṣvaksenas tantra-mūrtir viditaḥ pārṣadādhipaḥ nandādayo ’ṣṭau dvāḥ-sthāś ca te ’ṇimādyā harer guṇāḥ

Translation

Śrī, the blessed goddess of fortune who never departs from Hari, appears with Him in this world as the manifest form of His internal potency. Viṣvaksena, chief of His personal associates, is known as the personification of the Pañcarātra and other tantras. And the Lord’s eight gatekeepers, headed by Nanda, are His mystic perfections, beginning with aṇimā.

Synonyms

• अनपायिनी: inseparable, unfailing
• अनपायिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनपायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘not departing’; qualifies śrīḥ

• भगवती: divine, venerable
• भगवती: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; honorific adjective to śrīḥ

• श्रीः: Śrī (Lakṣmī), fortune
• श्रीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; subject (implicit ‘is’)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: directly, manifestly)

• आत्मनः: of the Self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive relation to hareḥ (of the Self/own)

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of Hari’

• विष्वक्सेनः: Viṣvaksena
• विष्वक्सेनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्वक्सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; subject/apposition in next clause

• तन्त्रमूर्तिः: the embodiment of the system/discipline
• तन्त्रमूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता) / Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्त्र + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तन्त्रस्य मूर्तिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to viṣvaksenaḥ

• विदितः: known, renowned
• विदितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित (कृदन्त; √विद्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifies viṣvaksenaḥ/pārṣadādhipaḥ

• पार्षदाधिपः: lord of the attendants
• पार्षदाधिपः: Karta (कर्ता) / Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षद + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (पार्षदानाम् अधिपः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to viṣvaksenaḥ

• नन्दादयः: Nanda and others
• नन्दादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नन्दः आदिः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; subject of implied ‘are’

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; agrees with nandādayaḥ

• द्वाःस्थाः: doorkeepers, gate-attendants
• द्वाःस्थाः: Karta (कर्ता) / Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार् + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (द्वारि स्थाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicate/apposition to nandādayaḥ

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun referring to those (nandādayaḥ)

• अणिमाद्याः: beginning with aṇimā (minuteness)
• अणिमाद्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अणिमा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (अणिमा आदिः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; qualifies guṇāḥ

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive with guṇāḥ

• गुणाः: qualities, attributes
• गुणाः: Karta (कर्ता) / Predicate-nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicate noun: ‘are qualities’

Purport

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the goddess of fortune is the original source of all material opulence. Material nature is directly controlled by the Lord’s inferior energy, Mahā-māyā, whereas the goddess of fortune is His internal, superior energy. Still, the opulence of the Lord’s inferior nature has its source in the supreme spiritual opulence of the goddess of fortune. As stated in Śrī Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra:

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Viṣvaksena
• Nanda

FAQs

Who is Śrī (Lakṣmī) according to Srimad Bhagavatam 12.11.20?

This verse states that Śrī is never separated from the Lord and is directly His own intrinsic spiritual potency.

Who is Viṣvaksena in the Bhagavata Purana?

Viṣvaksena is described here as the personified form of the Lord’s sacred system of worship and as the chief among the Lord’s attendants.

What is the practical lesson about siddhis (mystic powers) from this verse?

The verse frames siddhis like aṇimā as belonging to the Lord’s qualities, reminding seekers to revere such powers as subordinate to devotion and the Supreme, not as the ultimate goal.