guṇa-vyaktir iyaṠdevī
vyañjako guṇa-bhug bhavÄn
tvaá¹ hi sarva-Å›arÄ«ry ÄtmÄ
Å›rīḥ Å›arÄ«rendriyÄÅ›ayÄḥ
nÄma-rÅ«pe bhagavatÄ«
pratyayas tvam apÄÅ›rayaḥ
guṇa-vyaktiḥ - the reservoir of qualities; iyam - this; devÄ« - goddess; vyañjakaḥ - manifester; guṇa-bhuk - the enjoyer of the qualities; bhavÄn - You; tvam - You; hi - indeed; sarva-Å›arÄ«rÄ« ÄtmÄ - the Supersoul of all living entities; Å›rīḥ - the goddess of fortune; Å›arÄ«ra - the body; indriya - senses; ÄÅ›ayÄḥ - and the mind; nÄma - name; rÅ«pe - and form; bhagavatÄ« - Laká¹£mÄ«; pratyayaḥ - the cause of manifestation; tvam - You; apÄÅ›rayaḥ - the support.
MadhvÄcÄrya, the ÄcÄrya of the TattvavÄdÄ«s, has described this verse in the following way: “Viṣṇu is described as yajña personified, and mother Laká¹£mÄ« is described as spiritual activities and the original form of worship. In fact, they represent spiritual activities and the Supersoul of all yajña. Lord Viṣṇu is the Supersoul even of Laká¹£mÄ«devÄ«, but no one can be the Supersoul of Lord Viṣṇu, for Lord Viṣṇu Himself is the spiritual Supersoul of everyone.â€
According to MadhvÄcÄrya, there are two tattvas, or factors. One is independent, and the other is dependent. The first tattva is the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, and the second is the jÄ«va-tattva. Laká¹£mÄ«devÄ«, being dependent on Lord Viṣṇu, is sometimes counted among the jÄ«vas. The Gauá¸Ä«ya Vaiṣṇavas, however, describe Laká¹£mÄ«devÄ« in accordance with the following two verses from the Prameya-ratnÄvalÄ« of Baladeva VidyÄbhūṣaṇa. The first verse is a quotation from the Viṣṇu PurÄṇa.
nityaiva sÄ jagan-mÄtÄ
viṣṇoḥ Å›rÄ«r anapÄyinÄ«
yathÄ sarva-gato viṣṇus
tathaiveyaá¹ dvijottama
viṣṇoḥ syuḥ śaktayas tisras
tÄsu yÄ kÄ«rtitÄ parÄ
saiva śrīs tad-abhinneti
prÄha Å›iá¹£yÄn prabhur mahÄn
“O best of the brÄhmaṇas, Laká¹£mÄ«jÄ« is the constant companion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and therefore she is called anapÄyinÄ«. She is the mother of all creation. As Lord Viṣṇu is all-pervading, His spiritual potency, mother Laká¹£mÄ«, is also all-pervading. Lord Viṣṇu has three principal potencies — internal, external and marginal. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu has accepted parÄ-Å›akti, the spiritual energy of the Lord, as being identical with the Lord. Thus she is also included in the independent viṣṇu-tattva.â€
In the KÄnti-mÄlÄ commentary on the Prameya-ratnÄvalÄ« there is this statement: nanu kvacit nitya-mukta jÄ«vatvaá¹ laká¹£myÄḥ svÄ«ká¹›taá¹, tatrÄha-prÄheti; nityaiveti padye sarva-vyÄpti-kathanena kalÄkÄá¹£á¹hety Ädi-padya-dvaye, Å›uddho ’pÄ«ty uktÄ ca mahÄprabhunÄ svaÅ›iá¹£yÄn prati laká¹£myÄ bhagavad-advaitam upadiá¹£á¹am; kvacid yat tasyÄs tu dvaitam uktaá¹, tat tu tad-Äviá¹£á¹a-nitya-mukta jÄ«vam ÄdÄya saá¹…gatamas tu. “Although some authoritative Vaiṣṇava disciplic successions count the goddess of fortune among the ever-liberated living entities (jÄ«vas) in Vaikuṇá¹ha, ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu, in accordance with the statement in the Viṣṇu PurÄṇa, has described Laká¹£mÄ« as being identical with the viṣṇu-tattva. The correct conclusion is that the descriptions of Laká¹£mÄ« as being different from Viṣṇu are stated when an eternally liberated living entity is imbued with the quality of Laká¹£mÄ«; they do not pertain to mother Laká¹£mÄ«, the eternal consort of Lord Viṣṇu.â€