कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञाना: प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवता: |
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियता: स्वया || 20||
kāmais tais tair hṛita-jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛityā niyatāḥ svayā
kāmaiḥ—by material desires; taiḥ taiḥ—by various; hṛita-jñānāḥ—whose knowledge has been carried away; prapadyante—surrender; anya—to other; devatāḥ—celestial gods; tam tam—the various; niyamam—rules and regulations; āsthāya—following; prakṛityā—by nature; niyatāḥ—controlled; svayā—by their own
Translation:
But those whose discrimination has been led astray by various desires resort to other deities, following diverse rituals, constrained by their own natures.
Commentary:
Without thinking of the Supreme Being, some people worship other Devas for the purpose of acquiring some worldly benefit. Their wisdom is rented away by their desires, and so they perform various external rites and rituals for desire-gratification. They have no idea of the Supreme Paramatma. There are some people whose aim is to realise the Self but who are deprived of understanding by the deluding power of Maya. There are some others who entertain desires and who seek their gratification by worshipping various other Devas. The former have faith in the Supreme Lord; the latter do not have such faith in the Supreme.
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Sri Ramakrishna Says —
KEDAR: “Those rishis could not recognize Rama as an Incarnation of God. They must have been fools.”
MASTER (seriously): “Please don’t say such a thing. People worship God according to their tastes and temperaments. The mother cooks the same fish differently for her children, that each one may have what suits his stomach. For some she cooks the rich dish of pilau. But not all the children can digest it. For those with weak stomachs she prepares soup. Some, again, like fried fish or pickled fish. It depends on one’s taste.
“The rishis followed the path of jnana. Therefore they sought to realise Brahman, the Indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. But those who follow the path of devotion seek an Incarnation of God, to enjoy the sweetness of bhakti. The darkness of the mind disappears when God is realised. In the Purana it is said that it was as if a hundred suns were shining when Rama entered the court. Why, then, weren’t the courtiers burnt up? It was because the brilliance of Rama was not like that of a material object. As the lotus blooms when the sun rises, so the lotus of the heart of the people assembled in the court burst into blossom.” (See also: BG 11.12)
As the Master uttered these words, standing before the devotees, he suddenly fell into an ecstatic mood. His mind was withdrawn from external objects. No sooner did he say, “the lotus of the heart burst into blossom”, than he went into deep samadhi. He stood motionless, his countenance beaming and his lips parted in a smile.
After a long time he returned to the normal consciousness of the world. He drew a long breath and repeatedly chanted the name of Rama, every word showering nectar into the hearts of the devotees. The Master sat down, the others seating themselves around him. (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
Related Articles:
- Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, Ο son of Kunti, though in a wrong way. (BG 9.23)
Question: What steals away man’s understanding?
Answer: Desires.
Question: How do they arise?
Answer: By past samskaras.
Question: What does man do in consequence?
Answer: He forgets the Supreme Lord, and worships other Devas for the gratification of his desires.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 🔻 (30 Verses)
