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येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः। तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्।।9.23।।

ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 9, Verse 23
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

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

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: even those who worship other gods with faith actually worship Krishna alone, though not according to the correct understanding, again extending the earlier generosity toward differently directed devotion, while still naming a distinction in correct understanding.

In life: you can respect the sincerity of someone's differently directed devotion or belief while still maintaining your own view about what's actually true underneath it.

Teaching: practice holding both of these at once, genuine respect for someone's sincere but differently framed devotion, alongside your own honest, undiluted view of what you believe is actually happening underneath it.

yethose who
apialthough
anyaother
devatācelestial gods
bhaktāḥdevotees
yajanteworship
śhraddhayā anvitāḥfaithfully
tethey
apialso
māmme
evaonly
kaunteyaArjun, the son of Kunti
yajantiworship
avidhi-pūrvakamby the wrong method

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
9.23 ये who? अपि even? अन्यदेवताः other gods? भक्ताः devotees? यजन्ते worship? श्रद्धया with faith? अन्विताः endowed? ते they? अपि also? माम् Me? एव alone? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya? यजन्ति worship? अविधिपूर्वकम् by the wrong method.Commentary 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)