The Elevation of Devotee-Connection
Bhāgavata-sambandha (connection/relationship through/with bhāgavatas) is one of the most distinctive and radical teachings of the Tenkalai Sri Vaishnava school. It holds that:
- The Lord's devotees (bhāgavatas) are even more dear to the Lord than the Lord himself is to himself
- Service to bhāgavatas is a higher form of kainkarya than direct service to the Lord
- The company of bhāgavatas (sat-saṅga) is the surest path to liberation — more reliable than any personal practice
The Scriptural Basis
The Bhāgavata Purāṇam (11.14.15) has the Lord declare: madbhaktapūjābhyadhikā — "The worship of my devotees surpasses even my own worship." This is the scriptural foundation of bhāgavata-sambandha.
In the Śrīvacana Bhūṣaṇam, Pillai Lokācārya develops this teaching extensively — explaining that the Lord's love for his devotees is so intense that he will come running to the devotee of his devotee, even when he might not immediately respond to direct worship.
Practical Expression
Bhāgavata-sambandha is expressed in the Sri Vaishnava community through:
- The pāda-tīrtha custom — drinking the water in which a senior devotee's feet have been washed
- The reverence for the ācārya as equivalent to the Lord himself
- The practice of serving visiting devotees with special honor
- The understanding that one's ācārya's devotees are one's own dear ones