bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ prabho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥsthena gadā-bhṛtā
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.13.10; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.63)
[Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura:] “O master, devotees like you are themselves manifest tīrthas. They make the tīrthas tīrthas by the presence of the Club-bearer [i.e., Bhagavān] within their hearts.”
na kaścin mat-paraṁ loke tejasā yaśasā śriyā |
vibhūtibhir vābhibhaved devo’pi kim u pārthivaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.72.11)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “No one in this world, [not] even a deva, much less a king, with power, fame, beauty, or resources, can subjugate one who is given over to me [i.e., one who has nothing in the world except me, so there is certainly no way anyone can subjugate you, Yudhiṣṭhira].”
na me‘bhaktaś catur-vedī mad-bhaktaḥ śva-pacaḥ priyaḥ |
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.127 and Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.50, 2.20.58)
“One who knows the four Vedas but is not my bhakta is not dear to me, whereas my bhakta, even if he is a dog-cooker [i.e., an outcaste], is [dear to me]. To him, things are fit to be given, and from him, things are fit to be accepted. He is indeed as worshippable as I am.”
yatra yatra mahīpāla vaiṣṇavī vartate kathā |
tatra tatra harir yāti gaur yathā suta-vatsalā ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 269)
“O Protector of the earth, Hari goes wherever kathā of the Vaiṣṇavas [i.e., discussion of Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇavas] is present like a cow full of affection for its calf.”
vaiṣṇavā viṣṇuvat pūjyā mama mānyā viśeṣataḥ |
teṣāṁ kṛte’pamāne’pi vināśo jāyate dhruvam ||
(Skanda Puṛāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.233)
[Yamarāja:] “Vaiṣṇavas are worshippable like Viṣṇu, and they are honorable to me in particular. If they are even dishonored, destruction certainly ensues.”
vaiṣṇavānāṁ parā-bhaktir ācāryāṇāṁ viśeṣataḥ |
pūjanaṁ ca yathā-śakti tān āpannāṁś ca pālayet ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.137)
“One should have great bhakti for the Vaiṣṇavas, and for the ācāryas in particular. One should worship them as one is able and protect them [when they are] in difficulty.”
