Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 19
Varṣa-devatā Worship in Jambūdvīpa: Hayagrīva/Hayaśīrṣa, Nṛsiṁha, Kāmadeva (Pradyumna), Matsya, Kūrma, and Varāha
स्त्रियो व्रतैस्त्वा हृषीकेश्वरं स्वतो ह्याराध्य लोके पतिमाशासतेऽन्यम् । तासां न ते वै परिपान्त्यपत्यं प्रियं धनायूंषि यतोऽस्वतन्त्रा: ॥ १९ ॥
striyo vratais tvā hṛṣīkeśvaraṁ svato hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate ’nyam tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato ’sva-tantrāḥ
O Hṛṣīkeśvara, master of the senses: women may worship You through vows, yet, seeking sense-pleasure, they hope for another husband—this is delusion. Such a husband is not independent; he is bound by time, by the fruits of karma, and by nature’s guṇas, all of which are subordinate to You. Therefore he cannot truly protect wife or children, nor safeguard wealth or length of life; everything rests under Your dominion.
In this verse, Lakṣmīdevī (Ramā) shows compassion toward women who worship the Lord for the benediction of possessing a good husband. Although such women desire to be happy with children, wealth, a long duration of life and everything dear to them, they cannot possibly do so. In the material world, a so-called husband is dependent on the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many examples of a woman whose husband, being dependent on the result of his own fruitive actions, cannot maintain his wife, her children, her wealth or her duration of life. Therefore, factually the only real husband of all women is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme husband. Because the gopīs were liberated souls, they understood this fact. Therefore they rejected their material husbands and accepted Kṛṣṇa as their real husband. Kṛṣṇa is the real husband not only of the gopīs, but of every living entity. Everyone should perfectly understand that Kṛṣṇa is the real husband of all living entities, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti (female), not puruṣa (male). In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa:
FAQs
This verse notes that people may worship the Lord through vows yet still seek worldly outcomes; however, children, wealth, and longevity are not fully controllable, so devotion aimed at material security is inherently uncertain.
He highlights a common human tendency: even after worshiping the Supreme Lord, one may still place ultimate dependence on worldly relationships—yet those cannot guarantee protection or lasting fulfillment.
Perform spiritual practices sincerely, but shift the goal from controlling outcomes (relationships, money, longevity) to cultivating surrender and steadiness, recognizing that results rest with the Supreme.