BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:23

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:23

 

ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta

yajante sraddhayanvitah

te 'pi mam eva kaunteya

yajanty avidhi-purvakam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

ye--those who; api--also; anya--of other; devata--gods;

bhaktah--devotees; yajante--worship; sraddhaya anvitah--with faith;

te--they; api--also; mam--Me; eva--only; kaunteya--O son of Kunti;

yajanti--they worship; avidhi-purvakam--in a wrong way.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith

actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong

way.

 

PURPORT

 

"Persons who are engaged in the worship of demigods are not very

intelligent, although such worship is offered to Me indirectly," Krsna

says. For example, when a man pours water on the leaves and branches

of a tree without pouring water on the root, he does so without

sufficient knowledge or without observing regulative principles.

Similarly, the process of rendering service to different parts of the

body is to supply food to the stomach. The demigods are, so to speak,

different officers and directors in the government of the Supreme

Lord. One has to follow the laws made by the government, not by the

officers or directors. Similarly, everyone is to offer his worship to

the Supreme Lord only. That will automatically satisfy the different

officers and directors of the Lord. The officers and directors are

engaged as representatives of the government, and to offer some bribe

to the officers and directors is illegal. This is stated here as

avidhi-purvakam. In other words, Krsna does not approve the

unnecessary worship of the demigods.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.