Worshipping a devotee is better than worshipping the Lord

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: How To Become Very Dear To God

There is a common word in English, “If you love me, love my dog.” That is very important. So Bhagavat-priyanam, one who is very dear to Krsna. If you love such a person, then Krsna is more pleased. Krsna is more pleased. Bhagavat-priyanam.

There is a version in the Puranas, Devi Purana. Parvati was asking questions to Lord Siva, and Lord Siva was replying. So the inquiry was “Which worship is the best? Lord Siva, or Brahma or Chandra?” There are so many demigods. Sometimes they are misunderstood that all of them are Gods. No. They are called demigods. God is one. That is… Originally, God is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah (BS 5.1).

So the inquiry was, “There are so many gods. So which worship is the best?” So Lord Siva replied,

                                                                           aradhananam sarvesam

                                                                           visnor aradhanam param

                                                                           tasmat parataram devi

                                                                           tadiyanam samarcanam

“Devi, aradhananam sarvesam. There are many kinds of recommendation. ‘If you want this, you worship this God. If you want this, you worship….’ These are described in the Bhagavatam. “So of all the different types of worship, the worshiping of Lord Visnu is the best,” he said. Aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param. And again he said, tasmat parataram devi: “There is still better worship.” What is that called? What is that? Tadiyanam samarcanam: “To worship the devotee of Visnu, Vaisnava.” Tadiyanam samarcanam. That is the best. First of all he said, visnor aradhanam param: “That is the supreme.” Then again he said, tasmat, “From that,” tasmat parataram, “still better,” tadiyanam samarcanam, “to worship the devotee of God.” So this is a very simple method. You cannot approach God. It is not a very easy thing. But God’s representative, God’s devotee, on behalf of God, who is canvassing, tadiyanam — that worship is better. Tadiyanam samarcanam.

Therefore here it is said that bhagavat-priyanam. These Pandavas… Why one should be interested in the Pandavas’ activities, Arjuna’s fight with his brothers? There are so many other people, they are fighting with their brother, with their enemies. Why we are not recommended to hear about that thing? Why the Battle of Kuruksetra? Because Arjuna is there, tadiyanam. We are not interested in any battlefield stories. Why we should be interested? There are so many cats and dogs fighting. So we are not interested. But why we are interested in the Bhagavad-gita, Battlefield of Kuruksetra? Tadiyanam samarcanam. Because there is Arjuna. He is fighting. So to worship God is very good, but to worship the devotee of God is still very good.