Väsudeva sanätanaù

Viñëuù sarvagato nityaù

paramätmä maheçvaraù

“You are Näräyaëa, the Lord of Lakñmé, Väsudeva, the Eternal One. You are Viñëu, the All-Pervading One, the Super-Soul, the Supreme Controller.”

tvameva sevyo vipräëäà

brahmaëyaù çuddhasattvän

püjyatväd brähmaëanäm

Vai çuddha sattvaguëapi

“You are the Lord of transcendental goodness, the worshippable Lord of the brähmaëas. You are worshipped by all the brähmaëas and the demigods, By cultivating the quality of pure transcendental goodness, one attains the Supreme and remains fixed in Him.”

sarveñäm eva devänäà

brähmaëatvam väpyate

tvämeva hi sadä vipro

bhajanti puruñottamam

brähmaëatve vadhü vuste

nänya tatra na saàçayaù

“O Puruñottama! Since the brähmaëas are always engaged in Your worship, they attain the Supreme abode and no other place. Of this there is no doubt.”

It is also stated in the Skaìda Puräëa -

brahmajïo brähmaëaù proktaù

çuddha-sattväçayaù sadä

devädidevaà govindam-

måte nänyat prapüjayet

nityo naimitike kämyo

sarva-mäìgala-karmaëi

yadi mohät tu vibudhän

sa cäëòälo bhaved dhruvam

“That brähmaëa who knows the Absolute Truth, and who is eternally situated on the platform of pure goodness, only worships Govinda, the Lord of all the demigods in his nitya, naimitika and kämya püjäs. He worships no one else. If he does so due to illusion, he becomes equal to a cänòäla.”

The Brahma Vaivarta Puräëa says -

mohäd yo brähmaëo bhütvä

hyajïänäj jïäna-püvataù

arcchaye-dvibudhäàç-caitu

Vinä viñëum-adho-gatiù

“That brähmaëa who, due to illusion, whether knowingly or unknowingly, worships other deities other than Viñëu, takes birth again in a miserable lower species of life.”

The Uttara Gétä states -

Vaiñëavän bhaja kaunteya

mä bhajastänya devatäù

upadeväàs tathä yakña-

rakño bhütagaëän api

“O Kaunteya, one should only worship Vaiñëava Deities; one should never worship primary demigods, secondary demigods, yakñas, rakñasas or ghosts.”

Also in the Båhad Viñëu Puräëa -

mämåteha nyäàsta vibudhän

Vaiñëavo brähmaëo tathä

yadyarcchayed vaiñëaväàç -

cäëòälatvam aväpnuyät

“ If a Vaiñëava or a brähmaëa worships any other deity other than Lord Viñëu, he becomes equal to a cäëòäla.”

All this evidence is easy to understand, therefore we have not explained it any further as to do so would increase the size of the book. Further proof is also found in Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.2.26-29) -

mumukñavo ghora-rüpän

hitvä bhüta-patén atha

näräyaëa-kaläù çäntä

bhajanti hy anasüyavaù

rajas-tamaù-prakåtayaù

sama-çélä bhajanti vai

pitå-bhüta-prajeçädén

çriyaiçvarya-prajepsavaù

Väsudeva-parä vedä

väsudeva-parä makhäù

väsudeva-parä yogä

väsudeva-paräù kriyäù

väsudeva-paraà jïänaà

väsudeva-paraà tapaù

väsudeva-paro dharmo

väsudeva-parä gatiù

“Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viñëu and His plenary portions.

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny.

In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion (dharma) is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.”

Therefore, when worshipping Lord Viñëu, one should not begin by worshipping Gaëeça and the other devas, rather one should perform “Païca-Mahäbhägavata Püjä” instead by installing and worshipping Çré Viçvaksena, Sanaka, Sanätana, Sanandana and Sanat Kumära.

Similarly, instead of worshipping the navagrahas, one should worship Çré Kavi, Havya, Antarékña and the other navayogendras.

Instead of doing püjä to Indra and the dikpälas, the Vaiñëavas should worship the great devotees, namely Brahmä, Çukhadeva, Sadä-Çiva, Garuòa, Närada, Kapila, Bali, Bhéñma, Prahläda, Hanumän, Ambaréña, Janaka, Yamadeva, Svayambhüva Manu, Uddhava, and Vyäsa.

In Satya Yuga, Tretä Yuga, Dväpara Yuga and Kali Yuga, these Mahä-bhägavatas are always worshipped.

The devotees of the Lord substitute the worship of Gauré and the mätågaëas with the worship of the Vaiñëavés i.e. Paurëamäsé, Lakñmé, Antaraïgä, Gaìgä, Yamunä, Gopé, Våndävaté, Gäyatré, Tulasé, Sarasvaté, Påthivé, Go, Yaçodä, Devahüti, Devaké, Rohiëé, Sétä, Draupadé, Kunté, Rukmiëé, Satyabhämä, Jämbavaté, Nägnajité, Lakñmaëä, Kälindé, bhadrä, and Mitravindä.

The devotees of Lord Gopäla should also worship Çrédäma and the other cowherd boys. The devotee of Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa should also worship the Divine Couples’ intimate associates such as Lalitä and the other gopés. The devotees should worship Lord Çréman Näräyaëas’ expansions such as Matsya etc and His respective pärçada devotees.

Like this, Lord Väsudeva and his devotees, should be worshipped with sixteen, twelve, ten, or five items, with the Puruña Sükta prayers or other choice mantras from the Vedas or Ägamas. Then, one should perform the adhiväsa according to the rules of the çästras.

In this way, the brähmaëas and householder Vaiñëavas only worship the Supreme Lord in their daily activities, occasional activities, fruitive activities and other auspicious rites. They only worship the Lords’ associates such as Viçvaksena etc. and never worship the demigods, not even in their dreams.