Bhagavatam, 1.11.26

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Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.11.26:

 

"The Lord’s chest is the abode of the goddess of fortune. His moonlike face is

the drinking vessel for eyes which hanker after all that is beautiful. His arms

are the resting places for the administrative demigods. And His lotus feet are

the refuge of pure devotees who never talk or sing of any subject except His

Lordship."

 

PURPORT

 

There are different classes of human beings, all seeking different enjoyments

from different objects. There are persons who are seeking after the favor of the

goddess of fortune, and for them the Vedic literatures give information that the

Lord is always served with all reverence by thousands and thousands of goddesses

of fortune at the cintämaëi-dhäma,* the transcendental abode of the Lord where

the trees are all desire trees and the buildings are made of touchstone. The

Lord Govinda is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows as His natural

occupation. These goddesses of fortune can be seen automatically if we are

attracted by the bodily features of the Lord. The impersonalists cannot observe

such goddesses of fortune because of their dry speculative habit. And those who

are artists, overtaken by the beautiful creation, should better see to the

beautiful face of the Lord for complete satisfaction. The face of the Lord is

the embodiment of beauty. What they call beautiful !

nature is but His smile, and what they call the sweet songs of the birds are

but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord. There are administrative

demigods in charge of departmental service of cosmic management, and there are

tiny administrative gods in the state service. They are always afraid of other

competitors, but if they take shelter of the arms of the Lord, the Lord can

protect them always from the attacks of enemies. A faithful servant of the Lord

engaged in the service of administration is the ideal executive head and can

well protect the interest of the people in general. Other so-called

administrators are symbols of anachronisms leading to the acute distress of the

people who are governed by them. The administrators can remain safely under the

protection of the arms of the Lord. The essence of everything is the Supreme

Lord: He is called the säram. And those who sing and talk about Him are called

the säraìgas, or the pure devotees. The pure devotees are al!

ways hankering after the lotus feet of the Lord. The lotus has!

a kind

of honey which is transcendentally relished by the devotees. They are like the

bees who are always after the honey. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, the great devotee

äcärya of the Gauòéya-Vaiñëava-sampradäya, has sung a song about this lotus

honey, comparing himself to the bee: “O my Lord Kåñëa, I beg to offer my prayers

unto You. My mind is like the bee, and it is after some honey. Kindly,

therefore, give my bee-mind a place at Your lotus feet, which are the resources

for all transcendental honey. I know that even big demigods like Brahmä do not

see the rays of the nails of Your lotus feet, even though they are engaged in

deep meditation for years together. Still, O infallible one, my ambition is

such, for You are very merciful to your surrendered devotees. O Mädhava, I know

also that I have no genuine devotion for the service of Your lotus feet, but

because Your Lordship is inconceivably powerful, You can do what is impossible

to be done. Your lotus feet can deride even the nectar of !

the heavenly kingdom, and therefore I am very much attracted by them. O supreme

eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fixed at Your lotus feet so that

eternally I may be able to relish the taste of Your transcendental service.” The

devotees are satisfied with being placed at the lotus feet of the Lord and have

no ambition to see His all-beautiful face or aspire for the protection of the

strong arms of the Lord. They are humble by nature, and the Lord is always

leaning towards such humble devotees.