Glories of the Devotees

In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is said:

kalau bhāgavataṁ nāma

durlabhaṁ naiva labhyate

brahma-rudra-padotkṛṣṭaṁ

guruṇā kathitaṁ mama

"In this Age of Kali, the fame of one who is known as a great devotee is very rare. However, such a position is superior to that of the great demigods like Brahmā and Mahādeva. This is the opinion of all spiritual masters."

In the Itihāsa-samuccaya, Nārada tells Puṇḍarīka:

janmāntara-sahasreṣu

yasya syād buddhir īdṛśī

dāso 'haṁ vāsudevasya

sarvāl̐ lokān samuddharet

"After many, many births, when a person realizes that he is the eternal servant of Vāsudeva, he can deliver all the worlds."

In the Ādi Purāṇa, in a conversation between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, it is said, bhaktānām anugacchanti muktayaḥ śrutibhiḥ saha: "The most exalted position of liberation is given by Vedic knowledge. Everyone follows in the footsteps of the devotee."

Similarly, in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa, it is further stated, adyāpi ca muni-śreṣṭhā brahmādyā api devatāḥ: "Until now, even the great demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva did not know the influence of a devotee."

The Garuḍa Purāṇa similarly states:

brāhmaṇānāṁ sahasrebhyaḥ

satra-yājī viśiṣyate

satra-yāji-sahasrebhyaḥ

sarva-vedānta-pāragaḥ

sarva-vedānta-vit-koṭyā

viṣṇu-bhakto viśiṣyate

vaiṣṇavānāṁ sahasrebhya

ekānty eko viśiṣyate

"It is said that out of thousands of brāhmaṇas, one is qualified to perform sacrifices, and out of many thousands of such qualified brāhmaṇas expert in sacrificial offerings, one learned brāhmaṇa may have passed beyond all Vedic knowledge. He is considered the best among all these brāhmaṇas. And yet, out of thousands of such brāhmaṇas who have surpassed Vedic knowledge, one person may be a viṣṇu-bhakta, and he is most famous. Out of many thousands of such Vaiṣṇavas, one who is completely fixed in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa is most famous. Indeed, a person who is completely devoted to the service of the Lord certainly returns home, back to Godhead."

There is also the following  statement in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.13.4):

śrutasya puṁsāṁ sucira-śramasya

nanv añjasā sūribhir īḍito 'rthaḥ

tat-tad-guṇānuśravaṇaṁ mukunda-

pādāravindaṁ hṛdayeṣu yeṣām

"After much hard labor, a person highly learned in Vedic literature certainly becomes very famous. However, one who is always hearing and chanting the glories of the lotus feet of Mukunda within his heart is certainly superior."

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 8.246