Vaiñëavänäìñ käryäëäà

kriyaiñä sättviké yathaù

na räjasé na tämasé

päñaëòa-dharmabhétitaù

“These rituals that are performed by the devotees are very wonderful because they are in the mode of goodness. They are not in the modes of passion and ignorance unlike the so-called religious books of the atheists (demigod worshippers).”

Also in the Padma Puräëa, the sage Bhågu says to the Lord-

aho rüpam aho çélam-

aho çästir-aho dayä

aho sunirmalä kñantir-

aho sattvaà guëä hareù

“O Hari, Your form, nature, chastisement, mercy, purity, tolerance, munificent qualities are all wonderful.”

naisargikaà çubhaà sattvaà

tavaiva guëaväridhe

nänyeñäà vidyate kiïcit

sarveñäà tridivoikasäm

“O ocean of good qualities, Your nature is auspicious and transcendental. When You are in the midst of all the demigods, they become insignificant.”

brahmaëyaç ca çaraëyañ ca

tvameva puruñottama

brähmaëänäà tvameveço

nänyaù püjaù suraù kvacit

“O Puruñottama! You are the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Shelter, the Lord of the brähmaëas. One should never worship any other god at any time.”

yeharcchayanti suränanyän

tväà vinä puruñottamam

te päñaëòa-tvamäpannäù

sarva-loka-vigarhitäù

“O Puruñottama! If someone neglects Your worship and instead worships another deity, that person becomes a cäëòäla and is deemed as most abominable in all the worlds.”

Vipräëäà vedavidyñäà

tvamevejyo janärdana

nänyaù kaçcit suräëäntaà

püjanéyohagrajanmanäm

“O Janärdana! Those brähmaëas well versed in the scriptures worship You. Nobody should worship the multitudes of demigods.”

açuddha brahma-rudrädyä

rajas-tamo-vimiçritäù

tvaà çuddha-sattva-guëavän

püjanéyoha-grajanmanäm

“Other demigods such as Brahmä and Rudra are not completely pure and are tainted by the modes of passion and ignorance. However, You are made up of pure goodness and therefore the brähmaëas worship You.”

tvat pädasalilaà sevyaà

pitåëäïca divoikasäm

sarveñäà bhüsuräëäà ca

muktidaà kalmañäpaham

“By taking the water that has bathed Your lotus feet, all the sins of the pitås, demigods and brähmaëas can be destroyed and they can achieve liberation.

tvad-bhuktocchiñöa çeñam vai

pitåëäà ca divoikasäm

bhüsuräëäà ca sevyaà syät

nänyeñätaà tu kadäcana

“Your remnants are accepted even by the pitås, demigods and brähmaëas, but the remnants of other persons should not be taken.”

Itareñäà tu devänäà

annaà puñpaà jalädikaà

aspåçyaà tu bhavet sarvaà

nirmälyaà surayä samam

“Things such as rice, flowers, water and other items that are offered to the demigods should not be touched.”

tasmädaiva brähmaëo nityaà

püjayitvä sanätanam

ta térthaà bhuktamannaïca

bhaje tairäniçaà budhaù

“Therefore, a knowledgable brähmaëa always worships the Eternal Lord and respects His mahäprasäda and the transcendental water that has bathed His feet.”

nänya-devaà nirékñeta

brähmaëo na ca püjayet

nänya prasädaà bhuïjéta

nänya-däyatanaà viçet

“A brähmaëa should not look at the deities of the demigods neither should he worship them. He should not partake of their remnants, nor should he enter their temples.”

taddadäti hi yo vipra

pitåëäm çräddha-karmaëi

tad bhuktam annaà térthaïca

tat sarvaà viphalaà bhavet

“That brähmaëa that honours the forefathers by performing çräddha rites, and who eats the remnants of the devas and drinks the water that has washed their feet, accrues no merit whatsoever.”

kalpa-koöi sahasräëi

kalpa-koöi çatäni ca

patanti pitaras tasya

narake püyaçoëite

“That brähmaëas’ forefathers remain in the hellish planets, submerged in lakes full of blood and pus for one hundred thousand koöi kalpas.”

niveditaà bhava vibho

yo juhoti dadäti vä

devatänäïs ca pitåëäà-

änastyaà dhruvamaçnu te

“That person who offers Your remnants in sacrifice to the demigods and to the pitås, certainly recieves infinite benefit.”

tasmätvameva vipräëäà

püjyo näny’sti kaçcana

mohäd yaù püjayedanyaà

sa päñaëòé bhaved dhruvam

“Therefore, You alone are worshipped by the brähmaëas - and no other deity! If anyone, due to illusion offers worship to other gods, he is to be considered as a päñaëòi.”

@(FOOTNOTE) If one approaches a deva directly, the results are surely inauspicious. Rather one should worship them with the remnants of Lord Viñëu).

tvaà hi näräyaëaù çréman