Bhagavad Gita BG 7.23
Chapter 7, Verse 23 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् । देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥
antavat tu phalam tesham tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta yanti mam api
Meaning
But the fruit of those of small intelligence is finite (antavat). Those who worship the devas go to the devas. My devotees come to Me.
Understanding
The distinction in destinations: antavat phalam (finite fruit — having an end) for alpa-medhasam (those of small intelligence — those who seek finite goals through limited forms). Deva-yajah devan yanti — those who worship devas go to the devas (limited, finite destinations). Mad-bhakta yanti mam api — MY devotees come to Me (and Me alone). The difference is not in moral judgment but in the scale of the destination sought. Seeking a finite deity gets a finite result; seeking the Infinite gets the Infinite.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अन्तवत् | antavat | having an end, finite, perishable |
| अल्पमेधसाम् | alpa-medhasam | of those of small intelligence/understanding |
| देवयजः | deva-yajah | worshippers of the devas |
| मद्भक्ताः | mad-bhaktah | My devotees |
| तु | tu | but |
| फलम् | phalam | fruit, result |
| तेषाम् | teṣām | of them |
| तत् | tat | that |
| भवति | bhavati | becomes, is |
| अल्प-मेधसाम् | alpa-medhasām | of the less intelligent |
| देवान् | devān | the gods, demigods |
| देव-याजः | deva-yājaḥ | worshipers of gods |
| यान्ति | yānti | go to, attain |
| मद्-भक्ताः | mad-bhaktāḥ | My devotees |
| यान्ति | yānti | go to |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| अपि | api | also |