Bhagavad Gita BG 7.20
Chapter 7, Verse 20 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः । तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥
kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah tam tam niyamam asthaya prakrityA niyatah svayA
Meaning
Those whose knowledge is carried away by various desires, driven by their own nature, resort to other deities — following this or that practice.
Understanding
The mechanism behind polytheistic worship: kAmais taih taih (by various desires — for children, wealth, protection, power etc.) hrtajnana (with knowledge carried away, displaced). Prapadyante anya-devata (they resort to other deities — not the supreme). Prakrityaa niyatah svayA — driven by their own nature. The commentary is not condemnation. These are human beings whose specific desires draw them to specific divine forms. Each desire leads to its corresponding deity. Krishna is not absent from these encounters — as verse 21 will show.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कामैः | kamaih | by desires (specific material desires) |
| हृतज्ञानाः | hrtajnanah | those whose knowledge is carried away, displaced |
| अन्यदेवताः | anya-devatah | other deities, deities other than the Supreme |
| नियमम् | niyamam | practice, observance, rule |
| प्रकृत्या | prakrityA | by one's own nature |
| कामैः | kāmaiḥ | by desires |
| तैः | taiḥ | by those |
| तैः | taiḥ | respective |
| हृत-ज्ञानाः | hṛta-jñānāḥ | those whose knowledge is stolen |
| प्रपद्यन्ते | prapadyante | surrender to, resort to |
| अन्य-देवताः | anya-devatāḥ | other deities |
| तम् | tam | that |
| तम् | tam | respective |
| आस्थाय | āsthāya | following, adopting |
| प्रकृत्या | prakṛtyā | by their own nature |
| नियताः | niyatāḥ | compelled, constrained |
| स्वया | svayā | by their own |