Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.3.485, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 485 of Antya-khanda chapter 3—“Mahaprabhu’s Deliverance of Sarvabhauma, Exhibition of His Six-armed Form, and Journey to Bengal”.
Verse 3.3.485
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 3.3.485:
`কৃষ্ণ-সেবা হৈতেও বৈষ্ণব-সেবা বড’ ভাগবত-আদি সব শাস্ত্রে কৈল দঢ ॥ ৪৮৫ ॥
`कृष्ण-सेवा हैतेओ वैष्णव-सेवा बड’ भागवत-आदि सब शास्त्रे कैल दढ ॥ ४८५ ॥
`kṛṣṇa-sevā haiteo vaiṣṇava-sevā baḍa’ bhāgavata-ādi saba śāstre kaila daḍha || 485 ||
`krsna-seva haiteo vaisnava-seva bada’ bhagavata-adi saba sastre kaila dadha (485)
English translation:
(485) The service of Vaiṣṇavas is superior to the service of Kṛṣṇa. All scriptures headed by the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam confirm this.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has firmly established that devotion to a Vaiṣṇava servant of Kṛṣṇa is superior to devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
See Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.2.5, 11.11.47-48, and 11.19.21). In the
Padma Purāṇa it is stated:
ārādhanānāṃ sarveṣāṃ viṣṇor ārādhanaṃ param tasmāt parataraṃ devi tadīyānāṃ samarcanam
“Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is best, and better than the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaiṣṇava.” It is also stated:
sarvatra vaiṣṇavāḥ pūjyāḥ svarge martye rasātale devatānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ tathaiva yakṣa-rakṣanām
“The Vaiṣṇavas are worshipable in the heavenly planets, in the earthly planets, and in the hellish planets. They are superior to the demigods, human beings, Yakṣas, and Rakṣas.”