196
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 5]
demigods;  asurebhyaḥ —than the  asuras ;  maghavat-pradhānāḥ —headed by Indra;  dakṣa-ādayaḥ —beginning with Dakṣa;  brahma-sutāḥ —the direct sons of Brahmā;  tu —then;  teṣām —of them;  bhavaḥ —Lord Śiva;  paraḥ —the best;  saḥ —he (Lord Śiva);  atha —moreover;  viriñca-vīryaḥ —producing from Lord Brahmā;  saḥ —he (Brahmā);  mat-paraḥ —My devotee;  aham —I;  dvija-deva-devaḥ —a worshiper of the  brāhmaṇas , or the Lord of the  brāhmaṇas .
TRANSLATION
Of the two energies manifest [spirit and dull matter], beings possessing living force [vegetables, grass, trees and plants] are superior to dull matter [stone, earth, etc.]. Superior to nonmoving plants and vegetables are worms and snakes, which can move. Superior to worms and snakes are animals that have developed intelligence. Superior to animals are human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts are the Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas. Superior to the Siddhas are the Kinnaras, and superior to them are the asuras. Superior to the asuras are the demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the King of heaven, is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord Brahmā, sons like King Dakṣa, and supreme among Brahmā's sons is Lord Śiva. Since Lord Śiva is the son of Lord Brahmā, Brahmā is considered superior, but Brahmā is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I am inclined to the  brāhmaṇas , the  brāhmaṇas  are best of all.
PURPORT
In this verse the  brāhmaṇas  are given a position superior to that of the Supreme Lord. The idea is that the government should be conducted under the guidance of the  brāhmaṇas . Although Rṣabhadeva recommended His eldest son, Bharata, as emperor of the earth, he still had to follow the instructions of the  brāhmaṇas  in order to govern the world perfectly. The Lord is worshiped as  brahmaṇya-deva . The Lord is very fond of devotees, or  brāhmaṇas . This does not refer to so-called caste  brāhmaṇas , but to qualified  brāhmaṇas . A  brāhmaṇa  should be