यद्यपि श्रीभागवतमते पञ्चरात्रादिवदर्चनमार्गस्यावश्यकत्वं नास्ति तद्विनापि शरणापत्त्यादीनामेकतरेणापि पुरुषार्थसिद्धेरभिहितत्वात्, तथापि श्रीनारदादिवर्त्मानुसरद्भिः श्रीभगवता सह सम्बन्धविशेषं दीक्षाविधानेन श्रीगुरुचरणसम्पादितं चिकीर्षद्भिः कृतायां दीक्षायामर्चनमवश्यं क्रियेतैव । ‘दिव्यं ज्ञानं यतो दद्यात्कुर्यात्पापस्य सङ्क्षयम् । तस्माद्दीक्षेति सा प्रोक्ता देशिकैस्तत्त्वकोविदैः ॥ अतो गुरुं प्रणम्यैवं सर्वस्वं विनिवेद्य च । गृह्णीयाद्वैष्णवं मन्त्रं दीक्षापूर्वं विधानतः ॥’ इत्यागमात् । दिव्यं ज्ञानं ह्यत्र श्रीमति मन्त्रे भगवत्स्वरूपज्ञानं, तेन भगवता सम्बन्धविशेषज्ञानं च । यथा पाद्मोत्तरखण्डादावष्टाक्षरादिकमधिकृत्य विवृतमस्ति ।
yadyapi śrī-bhāgavata-mate pañcarātrādivad arcana-mārgasyāvaśyakatvaṁ nāsti tad vināpi śaraṇāpatty-ādīnām ekatareṇāpi puruṣārtha-siddher abhihitatvāt, tathāpi śrī-nāradādi-vartmānusaradbhiḥ śrī-bhagavatā saha sambandha-viśeṣaṁ dīkṣā-vidhānena śrī-guru-caraṇa-sampāditaṁ cikīrṣadbhiḥ kṛtāyāṁ dīkṣāyām arcanam avaśyaṁ kriyetaiva | ‘divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam | tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ || ato guruṁ praṇamyaivaṁ sarvasvaṁ vinivedya ca | gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavaṁ mantraṁ dīkṣā-pūrvaṁ vidhānataḥ ||’ ity āgamāt | divyaṁ jñānaṁ hy atra śrīmati mantre bhagavat-svarūpa-jñānaṁ, tena bhagavatā sambandha-viśeṣa-jñānaṁ ca | yathā pādmottara-khaṇḍādāv aṣṭākṣarādikam adhikṛtya vivṛtam asti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 283)
“Although in the view of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam there is no necessity of the path of arcana [i.e., ritual worship] based on the Pañcarātra and other such texts because of attainment of the puruṣārthas even by means of any one [limb of bhakti] among [the limbs of bhakti such as] śaraṇāgati and so forth even without that [i.e., even without performing arcana] being declared [i.e., affirmed to occur], still arcana necessarily should be performed after acceptance of dīkṣa by those following the path of Nārada and others who desire to form a specific relationship with Śrī Bhagavān that is established by the feet of the blessed guru by means of the rite of dīkṣā, as per the [following statements in the] Āgamas, ‘Because it can grant divine knowledge and completely destroy sin, it is called dīkṣā by preceptors learned in the truth. Therefore, offering obeisance in this way to the guru and offering [him] one’s all, one should accept a Vaiṣṇava mantra and the rite of dīkṣā according to rule.’ ‘Divine knowledge’ here refers to knowledge of the identity of Bhagavān in the blessed mantra, and therewith knowledge of a specific relationship with Bhagavān, as is explained in regard to the eighteen-syllable mantra in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of Padma Purāṇa and elsewhere.”