1574 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 31

demigods; arhanam—worship; acyuta—of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; ijya— worship.
TRANSLATION

As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches,
twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens
the senses and limbs of the body, so simply worshiping the Supreme
Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies
the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.

PURPORT

Sometimes people ask why this Krsna consciousness movement simply
advocates worship of Krsna to the exclusion of the demigods. The answer
is given in this verse. The example of pouring water on the root of a tree is
very appropriate. In Bhagavad-gita it is said:

$ri bhagavan uvaca
iirdhva-miilam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parndni
yas tar veda sa veda-vit

“The blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree that has its roots upward
and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who
knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.”’ (Bg. 15.1)

This cosmic manifestation has expanded downward and the root is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord confirms in Bhagavad-gita:

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate

iti matvd bhajante mam
budha bhdva-samanvitah

“IT am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates
from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional
service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Bg. 10.8)

Krsna is the root of everything; therefore rendering service to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna (krsna-sevd), means automatically
serving all the demigods. Sometimes it is argued that karma and jiidna
require a mixture of bhakti in order to be successfully executed, and
sometimes it is argued that bhakti also requires karma and jiidna for its
