Sūtra 3.3.41

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Sūtra 3.3.41:

आदराद् अलोपः

ādarād alopaḥ

ādarāt – because of devotion; alopaḥ – non-ending.

“Because of devotion it does not cease.” (41)

Sūtra pagination:
Adhyāya 3:
  Devotional Service;
Pāda 3:
  Worshiping the Lord’s Attributes;
Adhikaraṇa 18:
  The Goddess of Fortune.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary (Govinda-bhāṣya)

Although in truth the goddess of fortune is not different from the Lord, still, because the Lord is a jewel mine of wonderful qualities, and also because He is the root of the goddess of fortune’s existence, the love and devotion that the goddess bears for Him never ceases. The branch never ceases to love the tree, nor the moonlight the moon.

Her love and devotion for the Lord is described in many places in the Śruti-śāstra. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.29.37] it is said:

श्रीर् यत्-पदाम्बुज-रजश् चकमे तुलस्या लब्ध्वापि वक्षसि पदं किल भृत्य-जुष्टम्

śrīr yat-padāmbuja-rajaś cakame tulasyā labdhvāpi vakṣasi padaṃ kila bhṛtya-juṣṭam

“Dear Kṛṣṇa, the lotus feet of the goddess of fortune are always worshiped by the demigods, although she is always resting on Your chest in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. She underwent great austerity and penance to have some shelter at Your lotus feet, which are always covered by tulasī leaves.”

Here someone may object: “Is it not true that amorous love is possible only when there are two: the lover and the beloved? If there is no difference between the lover and the beloved, then love is not possible between them.”

If this is said, then the author of the sūtras gives the following reply.