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Bhagavad Gita · 9.23 · Yoga through the King of Sciences·23 of 34

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताःतेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्

ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante

śhraddhayānvitāḥ te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam

Sanskrit recitation

How people reach for God · 9.11–9.25 · Teaching

Translation

Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, O Arjuna, but by the wrong method.

Meaning

They worship Me in ignorance. Their mode of worship is contrary to the ancient,rule. Hence they return to this world.People worship Agni, Indra, Surya, Varuna, the Vasus, etc. Even they attain Me, because I am everywhere. But their devotion is not pure. It is vicarious. Water should be given to the root and not to the branches. If the root is satisfied, the whole tree must be and is satisfied. Even so, if I (the root of this world and all the gods) am satisfied, all the gods must be and are satisfied. Though the messages from the five organs of knowledge reach the one consciousness, will it be right and useful to place a sweetmeat in the ear and a flower in the eyes The function of eating must be done by the mouth alone and the function of smelling by the nose alone. Therefore I should be worshipped in My own nature. They should know Me as the Self in all beings. They should recognise Me in other worship. I am the root. I am the source of all the gods and of this whole world. (Cf.IV.11VII.20)

After Swami Sivananda

How people reach for God· 9.11–9.25

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
te
they
ye
those who
api
also
eva
only
anya
other
mām
me
devatā
celestial gods
yajante
worship
yajanti
worship
kaunteya
Arjun, the son of Kunti
bhaktāḥ
devotees
avidhi-pūrvakam
by the wrong method
śhraddhayā anvitāḥ
faithfully

Related verses

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