3. Vaçiñöha-saàhitä

Another evidence forbidding worship of pitås and devatäs is found in the Vaçiñöha Saàhitä:

nityaà naimittikaà kämaà

dänaà saìkalpam eva ca

daivam karma tathä paitraà

na kuryäd vaiñëavo gåhé

“A householder Vaiñëava should not perform any fruitive activities prescribed on a daily or periodic basis, those arising from personal desire, charities or vows, that are in connection with either the worship of the demigods or the worship of the ancestors by çräddha and tarpaëa. “

'Daiva karma' means worship of devatäs. 'Paitra' means worship of pitås through çräddha and tarpaëa. What to speak of brahmacäris and others, even the gåhasthas, who are initiated by a bona fide spiritual master with Vaiñëava-mantra - being under the complete shelter of the Lord - must never do any rites apart from the worship of Lord Viñëu .

4. Rudra Yämala

(Another quotation forbidding deva and pitå worship.)

As stated in Rudra-Yämala :

Itäreñäà ca devänäà

manasä yadi püjanaà

Viñëu-bhaktas tu kurute

hy-aparädhät pataty-adhaù

“If a devotee of Lord Viñëu worships any other demigod even in his mind, he falls down because of this offence. “

The word 'itäreñäà' means other than Lord Viñëu, such as Gaëeça; 'manasa' means simply by mind, without doing ävähana, visarjana etc. and the word 'ca' indicates also nitya, naimittika, kämya actions and honouring the ancestors. What to speak of anything else, even if a devotee of Lord Viñëu does the activities, out of illusion, bewilderment or carelessness, he falls down because of commiting seväparädha and namäparädha ( offences to the service and holy name of Lord Viñëu, the Personalilty of Godhead.) What happens? One who is bound with the ropes of such material activities, sometimes goes to the heavenly planets and sometimes goes down to the lower planets. That is his position.

5. Padma Puräëa

(A Puräëic proof forbidding devatä worship.)

In Padma Puräëa it is stated:

Vaiñëavasya na saìkalpo

no dänaà na ca kämanä

präyaçcittaà ca no yägaù

sad bhü-deväd-püjanaà

çuddha-pütaù sadä-kärñëaù

kuça-dhäraëa-varjitaù

käma-saàkalpa-raitaç -

cäntar-bähya harir yataù

Vaiñëavo nänya vibhudhän

arcayet taàç ca no namet

na paçyetänna gäyec-ca

na néndenna smaret tathä

teñäà no bhakñed ucchiñöaà

ananyo naiñöhiko muniù

na taj janänäà devarñe

saìgam kuryät prayatnataù

“A Vaiñëava is not supposed to do saìkalpa, däna, keep material desires, perform atonement or sacrifice, but must perform worship of the Vaiñëavas and holy brähmaëas.”

The servant of Kåñëa is always pure, therefore he does not need to wear kuça grass(rings). He has no material desire because Lord Hari is situated within and without him.

A Vaiñëava should neither worship demigods nor offer them obeisances, observe, blaspheme, remember or sing about them.

O godly sage, Närada, one who is fully dependent on the Lord should not eat the remnants of food offered to the demigods and should try to avoid the association of those who serve the demigods.’

Because the Lord is the only worshipable object and the only shelter for a Vaiñëava, the devotee has no desire for material benefits gained by the performance of nitya, naimittika, kämya karmas, demigod and pitå worship, fasting, sacrifice, vows or charity. The meanings of saìkalpa, däna and yäga (sacrifice) are already explained. Atonement (präyaçcitta) which is undergone for the purpose of counteracting the reactions of the four kinds of sinful activities – mahä-pätaka, ati-pätaka, upa-pätaka, anu-pätaka -- is not for the Vaiñëavas.

The word 'ca' indicates another kind of atonement for the Vaiñëava. What is that atonement? One should again accept name and mantra from one’s own spiritual master. If the guru is not present (left his body), one should accept from the guru’s wife, son or godbrother or from any other pure devotee having similar qualities. Thus becoming exceedingly pure by having accepted the païca-saàskäras again, he should offer obeisances to and worship Lord Viñëu, by fully engaging in hearing, chanting and remembering the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Lord Viñëu.

(The following section is a footnote added by Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé)