256 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 5

perfectly performed simply through hearing, chanting, remembering
and worship of the lotus feet of the Lord. Ripa Gosvami states:

Sri-visnoh Sravane pariksid abhavad vaiydsakih kirtane
prahlédah smarane tad-arighri-bhajane laksmih prthuh piijane

akriiras tv abhivandane kapi-patir ddsye ‘tha sakhye ’rjunah
sarvasvatma-nivedane balir abhit krsnaptir esam param

“Pariksit Maharaja attained salvation simply by hearing, and Sukadeva
Gosvami attained salvation simply by chanting. Prahlada Maharaja at-
tained salvation by remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune,
Laksmidevi, attained perfection by worshiping the Lord’s lotus feet.
Prthu Maharaja attained salvation by worshiping the Deity of the Lord.
Akrara attained salvation by offering prayers, Hanuman by rendering
service, Arjuna by establishing friendship with the Lord, and Bali
Maharaja by offering everything to the service of the Lord.” All these
great devotees served the Lord according to a particular process, but
every one of them attained salvation and became eligible to return home,
back to Godhead. This is explained in Srimad-Bhégavatam.

It is therefore recommended that initiated devotees follow the
principles of Narada-pancaratra by worshiping the Deity in the temple.
Especially for householder devotees who are opulent in material posses-
sions, the path of Deity worship is strongly recommended. An opulent
householder devotee who does not engage his hard-earned money in the
service of the Lord is called a miser. One should not engage paid
brahmanas to worship the Deity. If one does not personally worship the
Deity but engages paid servants instead, he is considered lazy, and his
worship of the Deity is called artificial. An opulent householder can col-
lect luxurious paraphernalia for Deity worship, and consequently for
householder devotees the worship of the Deity is compulsory. In our
Krsna consciousness movement there are brahmacaris, grhasthas,
vanaprasthas and sannyasis, but the Deity worship in the temple should
be performed especially by the householders. The brahmacdris can go
with the sannydsis to preach, and the vanaprasthas should prepare
themselves for the next status of renounced life, sannydsa. Grhastha de-
votees, however, are generally engaged in material activities, and
therefore if they do not take to Deity worship, their falling down is
