अधिष्ठानविचारे श्रीमदर्चातो’पि यः पूरुषमात्रातिशयस्तत्रापि ज्ञानिनः, स च कैवल्यकामो भक्त्याश्रयः । … च भक्तस्यैव ततो’प्युत्कर्षः, किमुत तदुपास्यायाः श्रीमदर्चायाः । …
adhiṣṭhāna-vicāre śrīmad-arcāto’pi yaḥ pūruṣa-mātrātiśayas tatrāpi jñāninaḥ, sa ca kaivalya-kāmo bhakty-āśrayaḥ | … ca bhaktasyaiva tato’py utkarṣaḥ, kim uta tad-upāsyāyāḥ śrīmad-arcāyāḥ | …
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 286)
“In deliberation upon existential seats [of Śrī Bhagavān], a human being is [considered] greater [i.e., a great existential seat of Śrī Bhagavān] than even the sacred Deity. Furthermore among them [i.e., among human beings], a possessor of knowledge (jñānī) [is greater]. He [i.e., a jñānī], furthermore, is [understood to be] a seeker of liberation (kaivalya) whose shelter is in [the path of] bhakti. … Furthermore, the excellence of a bhakta is indeed even greater than him [i.e., than a jñānī], so what more of the sacred Deity, his object of worship? [Although it is said in general that a human being is a greater existential seat of Bhagavān than a Deity of Bhagavān because one who doesn’t recognize Bhagavān’s presence in all living beings has no eligibility (adhikāra) to perform worship of a Deity of Bhagavān, the Deity is also the object of worship of a bhakta, who is a greater existential seat of Bhagavān than a common human being and a jñānī. Thus, the Deity is actually the greatest existential seat of Bhagavān and highest object of worship for all, provided one has the necessary understanding.]”