bhavÄn atÄrṣīn mÄyÄá¹ vai
vaiṣṇavīṠjana-mohinīm
yad vihÄyÄsuraá¹ bhÄvaá¹
mahÄ-puruá¹£atÄá¹ gataḥ
bhavÄn - your good self; atÄrṣīt - has surmounted; mÄyÄm - the illusory energy; vai - indeed; vaiṣṇavÄ«m - of Lord Viṣṇu; jana-mohinÄ«m - which deludes the mass of people; yat - since; vihÄya - giving up; Äsuram - of the demons; bhÄvam - the mentality; mahÄ-puruá¹£atÄm - the position of an exalted devotee; gataḥ - obtained.
Lord Viṣṇu is the mahÄ-puruá¹£a. Therefore one who becomes a Vaiṣṇava attains the position of a mahÄ-pauruá¹£ya. This position was attained by MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it. It is said in the Padma PurÄṇa that the distinction between a demigod and a demon is that a demigod is a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu whereas a demon is just the opposite: viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smá¹›to daiva Äsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Vá¹›trÄsura was considered a demon, but actually he was more than qualified as a devotee, or mahÄ-pauruá¹£ya. If one somehow becomes a devotee of the Supreme Lord, whatever his position, he can be brought to the position of a perfect person. This is possible if an unalloyed devotee tries to serve the Lord by delivering him in this way. Therefore Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« says in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (2.4.18):
kirÄta-hūṇÄndhra-pulinda-pulkaÅ›Ä
ÄbhÄ«ra-Å›umbhÄ yavanÄḥ khasÄdayaḥ
ye ’nye ca pÄpÄ yad-apÄÅ›rayÄÅ›rayÄḥ
śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ
“KirÄtas, Hūṇas, Ä€ndhras, Pulindas, PulkaÅ›as, Ä€bhÄ«ras, Åšumbhas, Yavanas and members of the Khasa races, and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, for He is the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.†Anyone can be purified if he takes shelter of a pure devotee and molds his character according to the pure devotee’s direction. Then, even if one is a KirÄta, Ä€ndhra, Pulinda or whatever, he can be purified and elevated to the position of a mahÄ-pauruá¹£ya.