Devanagari
जगज्जनन्यां जगदीश वैशसं
स्यादेव यत्कर्मणि न: समीहितम् ।
करोषि फल्ग्वप्युरु दीनवत्सल:
स्व एव धिष्ण्येऽभिरतस्य किं तया ॥ २८ ॥
Verse text
jagaj-jananyāṁ jagad-īśa vaiśasaṁ
syād eva yat-karmaṇi naḥ samīhitam
karoṣi phalgv apy uru dīna-vatsalaḥ
sva eva dhiṣṇye ’bhiratasya kiṁ tayā
Synonyms
jagat
—
jananyām — in the mother of the universe (Lakṣmī)
;
jagat
—
īśa — O Lord of the universe
;
vaiśasam
—
anger
;
syāt
—
may arise
;
eva
—
certainly
;
yat
—
karmaṇi — in whose activity
;
naḥ
—
my
;
samīhitam
—
desire
;
karoṣi
—
You consider
;
phalgu
—
insignificant service
;
api
—
even
;
uru
—
very great
;
dīna
—
vatsalaḥ — favorably inclined to the poor
;
sve
—
own
;
eva
—
certainly
;
dhiṣṇye
—
in Your opulence
;
abhiratasya
—
of one who is fully satisfied
;
kim
—
what need is there
;
tayā
—
with her .
Translation
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.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Lord of the universe! The mother of the universe may become angry that I desire her service. Affectionate to the miserable, you make great those who are small. What use do I have for her, since I have your power behind me?
This verse describes Pṛthu’s vīra-bhakti, which is defined in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:
kṛpāṁ tasya samāśritya prauḍhāṁ nānyam apekṣate |
atulāṁ yo vahana kṛṣṇe prītiṁ vīraḥ sa ucyate ||
The devotee who takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa and has incomparable attraction for Kṛṣṇa, though he does not notice others, is called a vīra pāriṣada or vīra anuga. BRS 3.2.53
There may be some conflict with Lakṣmī, who is also my mother, since I reside within the universe. Why? I have a desire for her service (yat karmaṇi). Let her sit on your chest! I am the son. I will do all service to your feet! Is she so stubborn that she cannot live without that service? “But you are a novice, she is experienced. You are low and she is exalted. Why do you compete with her?” True, but just as you took my side in the quarrel with Indra, you should favor me in this case as well. You make an insignificant person very great because you are affectionate to low creatures. “Are you not afraid of her anger?” I do not fear her anger. Since I am possess your power, why should I worry about her? My strength is your great mercy. This attitude is described in the following verse:
pralamba-ripur īśvaro bhavatu kā kṛtis tena me
kumāra-makara-dhvajād api na kiṣcid āste phalam |
kim anyad aham uddhataḥ prabhu-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-śriyā
priyā pariṣad-agrimāṁ na gaṇayāmi bhāmām api ||
Balarāma, enemy of Pralamba, may be the Supreme Lord, but what use do I have for him? What can I gain from the prince Pradyumna? Since I have been elevated by the wealth of Kṛṣṇa’s glance of mercy, I do not give regard even to Satyabhāmā, the head of all Kṛṣṇa’s followers. BRS 3.2.54
According to Amara Datta, dhiṣṇyaḥ means power and fire.
Purport
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.
When a person performs Vedic rituals and sacrifices, he does so to elevate himself to the heavenly planets. No one can become qualified to go back home, back to Godhead, by means of such sacrifices. But the Lord is so kind that He accepts a little insignificant service, and therefore it is stated in the
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
that by following the principles of
varṇāśrama-dharma
one can satisfy the Supreme Lord. When the Lord is satisfied, the performer of sacrifices is elevated to the platform of devotional service. Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore expected that his insignificant service to the Lord would be accepted by Him as being greater than that of Lakṣmījī. The goddess of fortune is called
caṣcalā,
“restless,” because she is very restless and is always coming and going. So Pṛthu Mahārāja indicated that even though she might go away out of anger, there would be no harm for Lord Viṣṇu, because He is self-sufficient and can do anything and everything without the help of Lakṣmījī. For example, when Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu begot Lord Brahmā from His navel, He did not take any help from Lakṣmī, who was just sitting by Him and massaging His lotus feet. Generally if a son is to be begotten, the husband impregnates the wife, and in due course of time the son is born. But in the case of Lord Brahmā’s birth, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu did not impregnate Lakṣmījī. Being self-sufficient, the Lord begot Brahmā from His own navel. Therefore, Pṛthu Mahārāja was confident that even if the goddess of fortune became angry with him there would be no harm, neither to the Lord nor to himself.