SB 3.16.20 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

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

Verse text

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

Synonyms

yam — whom ; vai — certainly ; vibhūtiḥ — Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune ; upayāti — waits upon ; anuvelam — occasionally ; anyaiḥ — by others ; artha — material facility ; arthibhiḥ — by those who desire ; sva — śirasā — on their own heads ; dhṛta — accepting ; pāda — of the feet ; reṇuḥ — the dust ; dhanya — by the devotees ; arpita — offered ; aṅghri — at Your feet ; tulasī — of tulasī leaves ; nava — fresh ; dāma — on the garland ; dhāmnaḥ — having a place ; lokam — the place ; madhu — vrata — pateḥ — of the king of the bees ; iva — like ; kāma — yānā — is anxious to secure .

Translation

The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, the dust of whose feet is worn on the head by others, waits upon You, as appointed, for she is anxious to secure a place in the abode of the king of bees, who hovers on the fresh wreath of tulasī leaves offered at Your feet by some blessed devotee.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Lakṣmī, whose foot dust people desiring wealth hold on their heads, also serves you on various occasions with a desire for attaining the powerful position of the king of bees perched on the tulasī garland offered by the devotees to your feet, You have said that Lakṣmī does not give you up because you have served the brāhmaṇas. That is difficult to understand, since it is impossible. This is expressed in two verses. Laksmī, the form of wealth (vibhūtiḥ), whose foot dust others, desiring material benefit, hold on their heads, serves you at various times. She desires the place (lokam) occupied by the chief of the bees, situated on new garland of tulasī offered by the devotees at your feet. Laksṁī is also only your devotee.

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.