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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.18.20
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 20
- etāvatālaṁ nanu sūcitena
- guṇair asāmyānatiśāyanasya
- hitvetarān prārthayato vibhūtir
- yasyāṅghri-reṇuṁ juṣate 'nabhīpsoḥ
etāvatāso far — so far; alamunnecessary — unnecessary; nanuif at all — if at all; sūcitenaby description — by description; guṇaiḥby attributes — by attributes; asāmyaimmeasurable — immeasurable; anatiof one who is unexcelled-śāyanasyaof one who is unexcelled — of one who is unexcelled; hitvāleaving aside — leaving aside; itarānothers — others; prārthayataḥof those who ask for — of those who ask for; vibhūtiḥfavor of the goddess of fortune — favor of the goddess of fortune; yasyaone whose — one whose; aṅghrifeet — feet; reṇumdust — dust; juṣateserves — serves; anabhīpsoḥof one who is unwilling — of one who is unwilling.
It is now ascertained that He [the Personality of Godhead] is unlimited and there is none equal to Him. Consequently no one can speak of Him adequately. Great demigods cannot obtain the favor of the goddess of fortune even by prayers, but this very goddess renders service unto the Lord, although He is unwilling to have such service.
The Personality of Godhead, or the Parameśvara Parabrahman, according to the śrutis, has nothing to do. He has no equal. Nor does anyone excel Him. He has unlimited potencies, and His every action is carried out systematically in His natural and perfect ways. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full in Himself, and He has nothing to accept from anyone else, including the great demigods like Brahmā. Others ask for the favor of the goddess of fortune, and despite such prayers she declines to award such favors. But still she renders service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He has nothing to accept from her. The Personality of Godhead in His Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu feature begets Brahmā, the first created person in the material world, from His navel lotus stem and not in the womb of the goddess of fortune, who is eternally engaged in His service. These are some of the instances of His complete independence and perfection. That He has nothing to do does not mean that He is impersonal. He is transcendentally so full of inconceivable potencies that simply by His willing, everything is done without physical or personal endeavor. He is called, therefore, Yogeśvara, or the Lord of all mystic powers.