Bhagavad Gita 9.25यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृ़न्यान्ति पितृव्रताः।भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥
yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝīn yānti pitṛi-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām
Sanskrit recitation
How people reach for God · 9.11–9.25 · Teaching
Translation
The worshippers of the gods go to them; the ancestor-worshippers go to the manes; the worshippers of the deities who preside over the elements go to them; but My devotees come to Me.
Hindi translation
(सकामभावसे) देवताओंका पूजन करनेवाले (शरीर छोड़नेपर) देवताओंको प्राप्त होते हैं। पितरोंका पूजन करनेवाले पितरोंको प्राप्त होते हैं। भूत-प्रेतोंका पूजन करनेवाले भूत-प्रेतोंको प्राप्त होते हैं। परन्तु मेरा पूजन करनेवाले मुझे ही प्राप्त होते हैं।
Meaning
The worshippers of the manes such as the Agnisvattas who perform Sraaddha and other rites in devotion to their ancestors go to the manes. Those who worship the gods with devotion and vows go to them.Bhutas are elemental beings lower than the gods but higher than human beigns they are the Vinayakas, the hosts of Matris, the four Bhaginis and the like.Those who devote themselves to the gods attain the form of those gods at death. Similar is the fate of those who worship the manes (their own ancestors) or the Bhutas. The fruit of the worship is in accordance with the knowledge, faith, offering and nature of worship of the devotee.Though the exertion is the same, people do not worship Me on account of their ignorance. Conseently they get very little reward.My devotees obtain endless fruit. They do not come back to this mortal world. It is also easy for them to worship Me. How (Cf.VII.23)
After Swami Sivananda
How people reach for God· 9.11–9.25→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 9.11Fools disregard Me, clad in human form, not knowing My higher Being as the great Lord of…
- 9.12They are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings, filled with vain…
- 9.13But the great souls, O Arjuna, partaking of My divine nature, worship Me with a…
- 9.14Always glorifying Me, striving, firm in their vows, prostrating themselves before Me, they…
- 9.15Others also, sacrificing with the wisdom-sacrifice, worship Me, the All-Faced, as one,…
- 9.16I am Kratu; I am Yajna; I am the offering to the manes; I am the medicinal herbs and all…
- 9.17I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser of the fruits of actions, and the…
- 9.18I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the shelter, the friend,…
- 9.19As the sun, I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also…
- 9.20The knowers of the three Vedas, the drinkers of Soma, purified of all sins, worshipping Me…
- 9.21They, having enjoyed the vast heaven, enter the world of mortals when their merit is…
- 9.22For those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no one else, for those ever-united, I…
- 9.23Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, O…
- 9.24For I alone am the enjoyer and Lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in reality,…
9.25The worshippers of the gods go to them; the ancestor-worshippers go to the manes; the…
Word-by-word→
- api
- and
- mat
- my
- mām
- to me
- devān
- amongst the celestial gods
- yānti
- go
- bhūtāni
- to the ghosts
- pitṝīn
- to the ancestors
- yājinaḥ
- devotees
- deva-vratāḥ
- worshipers of celestial gods
- pitṛi-vratā
- worshippers of ancestors
- bhūta-ijyāḥ
- worshippers of ghosts
Related verses
- 9.3Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, return to the path of this world…
- 4.39The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this…
- 18.42Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as…
- 5.24He who is happy within, who rejoices within, and who is illuminated within, that Yogi…