hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate 'nyam
hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate 'nyam
tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ
priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato 'sva-tantrāḥ
Worshipping you, Hṛṣīkeśa, the natural controller of the senses, by performing vows, women in this world ask for a husband other than you. The husbands cannot protect their children, wealth or duration of life because they are dependent.
Lakṣmī has pure bhakti. Other women, with mixed bhakti, lament. They worship you, the Lord, who is also their husband, but ask for a different husband.
|| 5.18.20 ||
sa vai patiḥ syād akutobhayaḥ svayaṁ
samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṁ janam
sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṁ
naivātmalābhād adhi manyate param
Since the Lord by nature has no fear, he protects all persons. He alone should be the husband. Otherwise there is mutual fear. The wise do not accept anything better than attaining you.
These women do not know the meaning of the word husband (pati). How can a person who cannot protect himself protect (pāti) another person (wife)? First of all, he should have no fear of anything. You alone are that person. They take another meaning of husband (itarathā). Or itarathā can have a locative sense, meaning “in another case.” In another case, all the leaders, protectors of citizens have fear of each other. Thus the citizens have fear. That actually is not protection. Those learned in scriptures consider that there is no greater object that attaining Paramātmā, you (ātma-lābhāt). All other attainments are not as great as attaining you. You actually are worthy of the word husband or protector.
|| 5.18.21 ||
yā tasya te pāda-saroruhārhaṇaṁ
nikāmayet sākhila-kāma-lampaṭā
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