Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.11.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesŚrī Is the Lord’s Inseparable Spiritual Potency
“The goddess of fortune, Śrī, who never leaves the Lord’s side, appears with Him in this world as the representation of His internal potency. Viṣvaksena, the chief among His personal associates, is known to be the personification of the Pañcarātra and other tantras. And the Lord’s eight doorkeepers, headed by Nanda, are His mystic perfections, beginning with aṇimā.”
What the purport teaches
- Śrī, the goddess of fortune, is the Lord’s internal, superior energy and never leaves His side. She is pure consciousness under the direct shelter of Lord Viṣṇu.
- Material nature is directly controlled by Mahā-māyā, the Lord’s inferior energy. Its temporary opulence has its source in the spiritual opulence of the goddess of fortune.
- Viṣvaksena, chief of the Lord’s personal associates, personifies the Pañcarātra and other tantras. His eight doorkeepers, headed by Nanda, represent His mystic perfections, beginning with aṇimā.
Try this today
Choose one material comfort you use today and briefly remember that its opulence ultimately comes from the goddess of fortune.
Ask yourself
How does knowing the spiritual source of material opulence change my view of wealth?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.