Answer
We are called Vaiṣṇavas, and in one sense we are considered as good as ekānti Vaiṣṇavas because we are surrendered to an ekānti Vaiṣṇava. We are surrendered to Śrīla Prabhupāda. We are his disciples, and Prabhupāda is one of the topmost devotees. He has come from the spiritual world, from Goloka-dhāma, and he is one of the dearest devotees of Kṛṣṇa — an ekānti-bhakta.
Because we are surrendered to him, our life is dedicated to him. Our life and soul is to follow his instructions. Therefore, we are also Vaiṣṇavas. This is the advantage of surrendering to a pure devotee, to a Vaiṣṇava.
We cannot directly surrender to Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept our surrender as it is, because we are not pure devotees. Therefore, we do not even have the adhikāra to worship Kṛṣṇa independently. Even when we worship the deity of Kṛṣṇa in the temple, we do not have the qualification to approach Him directly, because Kṛṣṇa accepts only pure devotional service.
Then how are we worshiping Kṛṣṇa in the temples? Because everything in our worship — whether it is bhoga, ārati, or any offering — is first offered to Prabhupāda, and Prabhupāda offers it to Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa accepts it, because His pure devotee is offering it.
This is the beauty: a pure devotee is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is fully surrendered to His pure devotee. They are surrendered to each other. Therefore, whatever we do, if we offer it to Prabhupāda — if our life, soul, and activities are surrendered to him — it is as good as offering everything to Kṛṣṇa.
This is the way devotees like us, who are not yet fully purified, can progress toward pure devotion. That is why Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (7th chapter), mad-āśrayaḥ — one must take shelter of someone who has taken full shelter of Him. “Mad” refers to Kṛṣṇa; those who belong to Him are His ekānti-bhaktas. One who takes shelter of such a pure devotee can understand Kṛṣṇa fully and serve Him properly; otherwise, it is not possible.
Therefore, since we are disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, who is an ekānti-bhakta, whatever devotional service we render — whether to the deity or in any other way — becomes situated on the platform of pure devotional service.
