प्रतिमा या मयोद्दिष्टाः साक्षाद्भगवता समाः ।
तासामर्चनमाहात्म्यं तावदास्तां सुदूरतः ॥
आद्यामधुनिकीं वार्चां स्वधर्माद्यनपेक्षया ।
साक्षाच्छ्रीभगवद्बुद्ध्या भजतां कृत्रिमामपि ॥
न पातित्यादिदोषः स्याद्गुण एव महान्मतः ।
सैवोत्तमा मता भक्तिः फलं या परमं महत् ॥
pratimā yā mayoddiṣṭāḥ sākṣād bhagavatā samāḥ |
tāsām arcana-māhātmyaṁ tāvad āstāṁ sudūrataḥ ||
ādyām adhunikīṁ vārcāṁ sva-dharmādy-anapekṣayā |
sākṣāc chrī-bhagavad-buddhyā bhajatāṁ kṛtrimām api ||
na pātityādi-doṣaḥ syād guṇa eva mahān mataḥ |
saivottamā matā bhaktiḥ phalaṁ yā paramaṁ mahat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.207–209)
“Let well alone the greatness of worship (arcana) of those images [of Bhagavān], which have been designated by me to be equal to Bhagavān in person [by virtue of their being constituted of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss just as Bhagavān is], there shall be no fault as a result of disregard of svadharma [i.e., the duties of one’s varṇa and āśrama] and so forth in the form of degradation or otherwise [i.e., in the form of one’s being liable for a deviation from proper conduct (sadācāra) because of relinquishing one’s svadharma, or, because of ignorance regarding the proper manner of worship] for worshipers of ancient, modern [i.e., recently manifested], or even fabricated images with the understanding of [them being] Śrī Bhagavān in person; [rather,] verily a great quality is recognized. That [i.e., such worship], which is [itself considered] the supreme, ultimate attainment [because of its superiority to even the caturvarga], is recognized to be superlative bhakti.”