Once, Parvati devi asked Lord Siva,
"Of all kinds of worship, whose worship is best?"

Then, Lord Siva told her plainly, "The worship and devotional service of Lord Narayana, Visnu, is the highest." aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param.

Then Parvati became a little mortified and disappointed, thinking, "But I am serving Siva, so I hold a lower position." tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam samarchanam. - this next line came from Shiva, meaning, "Those who serve the servants of Narayana are greater devotees than those who serve Narayana directly."

Then, Parvati smiled, thinking, "Then I am serving the devotee of the Lord. Siva is a devotee: vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. So, I am doing the best thing."

nimna-ganam yatha ganga
devanam acyuto yatha
vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh
purananam idam tatha


Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Sambhu [Siva] the greatest of Vaisnavas, so Srimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.