PURPORT

The word bhuri-punyavad-arpitaih is significant in this verse. These forms of Visnu were worshiped by those who had performed pious activities (sukrtibhih) for many births and who were constantly engaged in devotional service (sravanam kirtanam visnoh). Bhakti, devotional service, is the engagement of those who have performed highly developed pious activities. The accumulation of pious activities has already been mentioned elsewhere in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.12.11), where Sukadeva Gosvami says,

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah

"Those who are engaged in self-realization, appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, and those engaged in devotional service, accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master, as well as those who are under the clutches of maya, thinking the Lord an ordinary person, cannot understand that certain exalted personalities-after accumulating volumes of pious activities-are now playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys."

In our Krsna-Balarama Temple in Vrndavana, there is a tamala tree that covers an entire corner of the courtyard. Before there was a temple the tree was lying neglected, but now it has developed very luxuriantly, covering the whole corner of the courtyard. This is a sign of bhuri-punya.