—json {

  "name":"SB 8.8.19",
  "h1":"SB 8.8.19",
  "label":"Text 19",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.8.19",
  "description":"While walking among the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, asuras, Siddhas, Cāraṇas and denizens of heaven, Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, was scrutinizingly examining them, but she could not find anyone naturally endowed with all good qualities. None of them was devoid of faults, and therefore she could not take shelter of any of them."

} —

SB 8.8.19

Text

vilokayantī niravadyam ātmanaḥ
padaṁ dhruvaṁ cāvyabhicāri-sad-guṇam
gandharva-siddhāsura-yakṣa-cāraṇa-
traipiṣṭapeyādiṣu nānvavindata

Synonyms

vilokayantī—observing, examining; niravadyam—without any fault; ātmanaḥ—for herself; padam—position; dhruvam—eternal; ca—also; avyabhicāri-sat-guṇam—without any change of qualities; gandharva—among the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka; siddha—the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; asura—the demons; yakṣa—the Yakṣas; cāraṇa—the inhabitants of Cāraṇaloka; traipiṣṭapeya-ādiṣu—and among the demigods; na—not; anvavindata—could accept any one of them.

Translation

While walking among the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, asuras, Siddhas, Cāraṇas and denizens of heaven, Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, was scrutinizingly examining them, but she could not find anyone naturally endowed with all good qualities. None of them was devoid of faults, and therefore she could not take shelter of any of them.

Purport

The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīdevī, having been generated from the ocean of milk, was the daughter of the ocean. Thus she was allowed to select her own husband in a svayaṁvara ceremony. She examined every one of the candidates, but she could not find anyone suitably qualified to be her shelter. In other words, Nārāyaṇa, the natural husband of Lakṣmī, cannot be superseded by anyone in this material world.