येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता: |
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् || 23||
ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam
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
Translation:
Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, Ο son of Kunti, though in a wrong way.
Commentary:
Some devotees worship, not the formless Brahmam but other Gods with name and form. If their devotion is sincere, they in a sense, worship the supreme who is the foundation for all Devas. This form of worship is the wrong method. They are not worshipping the Supreme directly. So there is a difference in the fruits of merit. The various Devas may confer different rewards of health and wealth, children and prosperity in worldly life, but the worship of the Supreme confers the highest reward of Moksha (liberation). Whatever may be the object of worship, faith is essential. With such faith, if the Lord is worshipped the devotee obtains liberation.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
Later on we read what Krishna says, “Even those who worship other deities are really worshipping me.” It is God incarnate whom man is worshipping. Would God be angry if you called Him by the wrong name? He would be no God at all! Can’t you understand that whatever a man has in his own heart is God — even if he worships a stone? What of that![Source]
Question: How should man worship God?
Answer: With faith.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 9 🔻 (34 Verses)
