There is a common word in English, "If you love me, love my dog." That is very important. So bhagavat-priyāṇām, one who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, if you love such person, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Bhagavat-priyāṇām.
There is a version in the Purāṇas, Devī Purāṇa. Pārvatī was asking questions to Lord Śiva, and Lord Śiva was replying. This is the process at home. The wife is supposed to inquire from the husband about spiritual advancement of life, and the husband must be competent to reply all the questions of wife. That will keep relation very nice. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). That is bhakti. So Pārvatī was asking . . . because according to Vedas, there are so many demigods. Viṣṇu is sometimes taken, but Viṣṇu is not . . . Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. They are the principal deities. So the inquiry was, "Which worship is the best? Viṣṇu or Lord Śiva or Brahmā or Candra?" There are so many demigods. Sometimes they are misunderstood that all of them are Gods. No. They are called demigods. God is one. That is . . . originally, God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
So the inquiry was, "There are so many gods. So which worship is the best?" So Lord Śiva replied:
- ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
- viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
- tasmāt parataraṁ devi
- tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
(Padma Purana, Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 2.4)
Means "My dear wife, Devī . . ." wife is addressed "devi," not by name. The husband should address wife, "devi." They must be like devi. Devi means goddess. And the wife must address the husband as "lord." This is the system. So he replied, "Devi, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣām. There are many kinds of recommendation. 'If you want this, you worship this God. If you want this, if you worship . . .' " These are described in the Bhāgavatam. "So of all different types of worship, the worshiping of Lord Viṣṇu is the best," he said, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. And again he said, tasmāt parataraṁ devi, "There is still better worship." What is called? What is that?
Tadīyānāṁ ārādhanānāṁ: "To worship the devotee of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava." Tadīyānāṁ ārādhanānāṁ. That is the best. First of all he said, viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: "That is the supreme." Then again he said, tasmāt, "From that," tasmāt parataram, "still better," tadīyānāṁ ārādhanānāṁ, "to worship the devotee of God." So this is very simple method. You cannot approach God. It is not very easy thing. But God's representatives, God's devotee, on behalf of God, who is canvassing, tadīyānām—that worship is better. Tadīyānāṁ ārādhanānāṁ.
Therefore here it is said that bhagavat-priyāṇām. These Pāṇḍavas . . . why one should be interested in the Pāṇḍavas' activities, Arjuna's fight with his brothers? There are so many other people, they are fighting with their brother, with their enemies. Why we are not recommended to hear about that thing? Why the Battle of Kurukṣetra? Because Arjuna is there, tadīyānām. We are not interested with . . . in any battlefield stories. Why we should be interested? There are so many cats and dogs fighting. So we are not interested. But why you are interested in the Bhagavad-gītā, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Tadīyānāṁ ārādhanānāṁ. Because there is Arjuna. He is fighting.
So to worship God is very good, but to worship the devotee of God is still very good. This is the . . . that is also admitted in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Kṛṣṇa says, yo māṁ mad-bhakteṣu: "Now, this Bhagavad-gītā . . . anyone who is preaching this Bhagavad-gītā," na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ. Bhagavat-priyāṇām. Priya-kṛt. Priya means dear, very dear. Kṛṣṇa said that na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu (BG 18.69): "Anyone who is preaching the message of Bhagavad-gītā to the suffering people of the world," Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmāt priya-kṛt, "nobody is dearer to Me than him."
So how to become very dear to God? Don't try to see God. Even if you see . . . you can see God everywhere if you have got eyes to see. But the real business is not to see. God wants to see you, what you are working for God. That He wants to see. To see God is not very difficult business. Anyone with eyes to see, he can see God. But to be seen by God, do something by which you can draw the attention of God and He can see you, "Oh, here is My devotee," that is wanted. Let God see you! Don't try to see God. That is foolishness. Let God see you. This is our philosophy.