Bhagavad-gītā 9.23

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥२३॥

ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te 'pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

Word for word (synonyms)

ye
those
api
also
anya
other
devatā
demigods
bhaktāḥ
devotees
yajante
worship
śraddhaya-anvitāḥ
with faith
te
they
api
also
mām
Me
eva
even
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
yajanti
sacrifice
avidhi-pūrvakam
in a wrong way

Translation

Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kuntī, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.

Defined in the Gītā

Sacrifice

Which sacrifice is the greatest?

O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. O son of Pṛthā, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge.

Bhagavad-gītā 4.33

See the definition

Purport

"Persons who are engaged in the worship of demigods are not very intelligent, although such worship is done to Me indirectly," Kṛṣṇa says. For example, when a man pours water on the leaves and branches of a tree without pouring water on the root, he does so without sufficient knowledge or without observing regulative principles. Similarly, the process of rendering service to different parts of the body is to supply food to the stomach. The demigods are, so to speak, different officers and directors in the government of the Supreme Lord. One has to follow the laws made by the government, not by the officers or directors. Similarly, everyone is to offer his worship to the Supreme Lord only. That will automatically satisfy the different officers and directors of the Lord. The officers and directors are engaged as representatives of the government, and to offer some bribe to the officers and directors is illegal. This is stated here as avidhi-pūrvakam. In other words, Kṛṣṇa does not approve the unnecessary worship of the demigods.

What this verse teaches

Demigod worship (pratīkopāsanā) – is a wrong way of worshiping Kṛṣṇa; by piety one attains heaven, but comes back to earth. One’s destination depends on one’s worship. Better worship Kṛṣṇa.

In thematic compilations 1

Demigod Worship

  • Improper: Demigod worship without knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy is called “avidhi-pūrvakam” – improper method of worship (9.23 ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā...)
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 2

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.