Shloka 20

The Lord’s Apology to the Kumāras and the Fall of Jaya and Vijaya

Devanagari script

यं वै विभूतिरुपयात्यनुवेलमन्यै- रर्थार्थिभि: स्वशिरसा धृतपादरेणु: । धन्यार्पिताङ्‌घ्रितुलसीनवदामधाम्नो लोकं मधुव्रतपतेरिव कामयाना ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

yaṁ vai vibhūtir upayāty anuvelam anyair arthārthibhiḥ sva-śirasā dhṛta-pāda-reṇuḥ dhanyārpitāṅghri-tulasī-nava-dāma-dhāmno lokaṁ madhuvrata-pater iva kāma-yānā

Translation

Nữ thần phú quý Lakṣmī—người mà kẻ cầu lợi còn đội bụi chân lên đầu—vẫn đúng kỳ mà hầu cận Ngài. Bởi nàng khao khát một chỗ trong thánh cư của Ngài, nơi tựa như chúa ong lượn quanh vòng lá tulasī tươi mới do một bhakta hữu phước dâng lên dưới chân Ngài.

Synonyms

• यम्: whom
• यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• वै: indeed
• वै: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• विभूतिः: prosperity; opulence (personified)
• विभूतिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपयाति: approaches
• उपयाति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुवेलम्: again and again; at every moment
• अनुवेलम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुवेल (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), accusative used adverbially: 'at every time'

• अन्यैः: with others; by others
• अन्यैः: सह/करण (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अर्थ-अर्थिभिः: with those seeking material gain
• अर्थ-अर्थिभिः: सह/करण (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (object-determinative: 'seeking wealth'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• स्व-शिरसा: with her own head
• स्व-शिरसा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (possessive determinative: 'with one’s own head'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (शिरस्), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• धृत-पाद-रेणुः: bearing the dust of (his) feet
• धृत-पाद-रेणुः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + रेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास: 'bearing the dust of (his) feet'; धृत = क्त-कृदन्त; रेणुः पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; whole compound as adjective to विभूतिः

• धन्या: fortunate; blessed
• धन्या: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण to विभूतिः

• अर्पित-अङ्घ्रि-तुलसी-नव-दाम-धाम्नः: of him whose radiant abode is adorned with fresh tulasī garlands offered at his feet
• अर्पित-अङ्घ्रि-तुलसी-नव-दाम-धाम्नः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्पित (अर्प् धातु + क्त) + अङ्घ्रि + तुलसी + नव + दाम + धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'of (him) whose abode/effulgence has fresh garlands of tulasī offered at (his) feet'; धाम्नः = नपुंसकलिङ्ग (धामन्), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; whole compound in genitive qualifying 'यम्' (the Lord)

• लोकम्: world; realm
• लोकम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मधुव्रत-पतेः: of the lord of bees (i.e., a flower)
• मधुव्रत-पतेः: उपमान-सम्बन्ध (Genitive in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुव्रत + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'of the lord of bees' (i.e., of a flower); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-निपात (particle of comparison)

• काम-याना: desiring; longing (to attain)
• काम-याना: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + या (धातु) + शानच्/आन (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'going for desire' i.e., 'desiring'; या धातोः शानच्/आन-प्रत्यय (present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण to विभूतिः

Purport

As previously described, tulasī has attained all superior qualities due to being placed at the lotus feet of the Lord. The comparison made here is very nice. As the king of bees hovers over the tulasī leaves offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, so Lakṣmī, the goddess who is sought by the demigods, brāhmaṇas, Vaiṣṇavas and everyone else, always engages in rendering service to the lotus feet of the Lord. The conclusion is that no one can be the benefactor of the Lord; everyone is actually the servant of the servant of the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī (Śrī)
• Viṣṇu (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about Lakshmi and devotion to Vishnu?

This verse says Lakṣmī-devī herself repeatedly approaches Lord Viṣṇu, carrying the dust of His feet, showing that true fortune is to seek His shelter—not merely material prosperity.

What is the importance of offering tulasi to the Lord in Canto 3?

The verse highlights that Vaikuṇṭha is especially the realm of those devotees who lovingly offer fresh tulasī at the Lord’s feet—devotion, not wealth-seeking, grants intimate access to His abode.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

Prioritize daily acts of devotion (like tulasī worship, prayer, and service) and treat wealth as secondary—using it in the Lord’s service rather than making it the goal.