Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Verse 23

Chapter 9 – Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥

Transliteration

ye.apyanyadevatābhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ .
te.api māmeva kaunteya yajantyavidhipūrvakam ॥

Meaning

Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, are in truth worshipping Me alone, O son of Kunti, but not in the proper way.

Word meanings

ये – who
अपि – even
अन्यदेवताः – other deities
भक्ताः – devotees
यजन्ते – worship
श्रद्धया – with faith
अन्विताः – endowed
ते – they
अपि – also
माम् – Me
एव – alone
कौन्तेय – O son of Kunti
यजन्ति – worship
अविधिपूर्वकम् – not in the right way, without true understanding

Anvaya (word order)

कौन्तेय, ये अपि भक्ताः श्रद्धया अन्विताः अन्यदेवताः यजन्ते, ते अपि माम् एव अविधिपूर्वकं यजन्ति ।

Explanation

Here Krishna says something both generous and profound. Those who worship Indra, Varuna, Agni or other deities with faith are, in reality, worshipping Him. The Lord is the inner controller of every deity, and whatever power the deities have is His. As water poured on any branch of a tree finally reaches its root, so every sincere worship ultimately reaches the one Supreme.

But He adds one word: avidhi-purvakam, ‘not according to the right way’. This does not mean their ritual is faulty; they may follow every prescribed procedure perfectly. The deficiency is one of understanding: they do not know that the Supreme dwells within the deity they worship. Shankara glosses avidhi as ‘through ignorance’.

The consequence of this ignorance is that they ask the deity for limited things and receive limited fruits. Ramanuja explains that the Vedas prescribe worship of the gods precisely as worship of the bodies of the Supreme; one who worships them without this awareness misses the real intent of the Vedic injunction.

The verse is a fine example of religious generosity. The Lord does not scorn anyone’s faith; He accepts it and gently points it towards a higher understanding. In 7.21 He had said that whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith, He makes that faith steady.

Context

Verse 22 described exclusive devotees. Here Krishna says that worshippers of other gods also worship Him, though without right understanding. In the next verse He gives the reason: He alone is the enjoyer and lord of all sacrifices.

Life lesson

Every sincere faith ultimately reaches the one Supreme, so never belittle another’s way of worship. At the same time, deepen your own worship with understanding: in whatever form you worship, recognise the supreme Truth within it.

Key terms

Anya-devata: deities regarded as other than the Supreme
Shraddha: faith
Avidhi-purvaka: without right understanding
Antaryami: the indwelling controller of all