Bhagavad Gita BG 9.23
Chapter 9, Verse 23 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante shraddhayanvitah te 'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam
Meaning
Even those who are devotees of other gods and worship them with faith — they also worship Me alone, O Kaunteya, though not in the proper way.
Understanding
The radical generosity and precision of the Royal Knowledge together. Ye api anya-devata-bhaktah (even those who are devotees of other deities — not of Krishna directly). Yajante shraddhayanvitah (worship with faith — genuine shraddha, not mere formality). Te api mam eva yajanti (they too worship Me alone — aham eva, only Me). The reasoning follows from v16: Krishna is all deities, all rituals, all fire. Worshipping any god reaches the Supreme who is that god's inner truth. But — avidhi-purvakam (without the proper method, not following the prescribed approach). The 'improper' is not moral but methodological: those who worship other gods get the partial result (those gods), while those who worship Krishna directly get the Supreme directly.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अन्यदेवताभक्ताः | anya-devata-bhaktah | devotees of other deities (other than Krishna directly) |
| श्रद्धयान्विताः | shraddhayanvitah | endowed with faith, accompanied by shraddha |
| अपि | api | also, even (the inclusive word — even these, also these) |
| अविधिपूर्वकम् | avidhi-purvakam | not in the proper method, not in the prescribed way (avidhi = without the rule/method) |
| ये | ye | those who |
| अन्य-देवता-भक्ताः | anya-devatā-bhaktāḥ | devoted to other deities |
| यजन्ते | yajante | worship, sacrifice |
| श्रद्धयान्विताः | śraddhayānvitāḥ | endowed with faith |
| ते | te | they |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| एव | eva | alone |
| कौन्तेय | kaunteya | O Arjuna |
| यजन्ति | yajanti | they worship |
| अविधि-पूर्वकम् | avidhi-pūrvakam | without proper procedure |
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