śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajanasyāntaryāmi-bhajanād apy ādhikyaṁ śrī-gītopasaṁhārānusāreṇa evoktam—īśvaraḥ … mā śucaḥ | atra ca guhyaṁ pūrvādhyāyoktaṁ jñānam | guhyataram antaryāmi-jñānam | sarva-guhyatamaṁ tan-manastvādi-lakṣaṇaṁ tad-eka-śaraṇatva-lakṣaṇaṁ ca tad-upāsanam … | tasmāt sarvāntaryāmi-bhajanād apy uttamatvena tad-anantaraṁ ca sarva-guhyatamam ity atra sarva-grahaṇāt sarvata uttamatvena śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajane siddhe tad-avatāra-bhajanāt sutarām evottamatā sidhyati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 332)
“The superiority of worship (bhajana) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa even to worship of the Inner Regulator (Antaryāmī) [i.e., Paramātmā] is stated [here in Bhakti Sandarbha] specifically in accord with the conclusion of Śrī Gītā, that is, BG 18.61–66. … Here [i.e., in these concluding verses], furthermore, the knowledge [of Brahman] stated in the earlier chapters [of Śrī Gītā] is confidential (guhya) [i.e., is the confidential knowledge spoken of in BG 18.63]. Knowledge of the Inner Regulator is more confidential (guhyatara) [i.e., is the more confidential knowledge spoken of in BG 18.63]. Worship of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in the form of having one’s mind [fixed] upon him and so forth, and in the form of having him alone as one’s shelter, is the most confidential of all (sarva-guhyatama) [i.e., is the ‘most confidential of all’ knowledge spoken of in BG 18.64–66]. … Therefore, since worship (bhajana) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is established [in Śrīmad Bhagavat-gītā] as being superior even to worship of the Inner Regulator of all and thereafter as being superior to everything by use of [the word] ‘all’ (sarva) here in [the compound] ‘the most confidential of all’ (sarva-guhyatamam), [its] superiority to worship of his avatāras is established verily all the more.”
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