Bhagavad-gītā 9.23
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः। तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्।।9.23।।
ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam
Even those who worship the lesser powers, if they do so with faith, they are thereby worshipping Me, though not in the correct manner.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| ye | those who |
| api | although |
| anya | other |
| devatā | celestial gods |
| bhaktāḥ | devotees |
| yajante | worship |
| śhraddhayā anvitāḥ | faithfully |
| te | they |
| api | also |
| mām | me |
| eva | only |
| kaunteya | Arjun, the son of Kunti |
| yajanti | worship |
| avidhi-pūrvakam | by the wrong method |
Their mode of worship is contrary to the ancient,rule. People worship Agni, Indra, Surya, Varuna, the Vasus, etc.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Observe the chapter’s first-person claims, the relation between Kṛṣṇa and the world, different forms of worship and accessible devotion.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaEven those who, being devoted to other deities and endowed with faith, worship them, they also, O son of Kunti, worship Me alone, though following the wrong method.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaEven those who are devoted to other divinities with faith in their hearts, worship Me alone, O Arjuna, though not in accordance with the Sastras.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaTheir mode of worship is contrary to the ancient,rule. People worship Agni, Indra, Surya, Varuna, the Vasus, etc.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Even those who worship the lesser powers, if they do so with faith, they are thereby worshipping Me, though not in the correct manner
- 2
ye: those who
- 3
te: they
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