Worship

Kankshantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatah, kshipram hi manushe loke siddhir bhavati karma-ja

Those who desire success in worldly activities worship the demigods in this world, for in the world of human beings, success from action comes quickly.

Daivam evapare yajnam yoginah paryupasate, brahmagnavapare yajnam yajnenaivopajuhvati

Some yogis worship the demigods perfectly as sacrifice; others offer sacrifice into the fire of Brahman through sacrifice itself. There are many valid forms of spiritual offering.

Kamais tais tair hrita-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah, tam tam niyamam asthaya prakritya niyatah svaya

Those whose wisdom has been distorted by desires surrender to other deities, following various rules and rituals, compelled by their own nature. When people are governed by material desires, they seek lesser powers rather than the Supreme. Their worship, though sincere, is limited by their level of understanding.

Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitum icchati, tasya tasyacalam shraddham tam eva vidadhamy aham

Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that very form.

Sa taya shraddhaya yuktas tasyaradhanam ihate, labhate ca tatah kaman mayaiva vihitan hi tan

Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that deity, and through it he obtains his desires. But in truth, those benefits are granted by Me alone. All results from all forms of worship ultimately come from God — even when people worship lesser powers, it is the Supreme that fulfills their desires.

Antavat tu phalam tesham tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam, devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta yanti mam api

But the fruit gained by these men of small understanding is finite. The worshipers of the devas go to the devas, but My devotees come to Me. Worship of limited powers yields limited, temporary results, while devotion to the Supreme leads to the supreme eternal goal.

Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakritim ashritah, bhajanty ananya-manaso jnatva bhutadim avyayam

O Partha, great souls who take shelter of the divine nature worship Me with undivided consciousness, knowing Me as the imperishable origin of all beings.

Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas cha dridha-vratah, namasyantas cha mam bhaktya nitya-yukta upasate

Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with determination, and bowing down to Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.

Jnana-yajnena capy anye yajanto mam upasate, ekatvena prithaktvena bahudha vishvato-mukham

Others worship Me through the sacrifice of knowledge, seeing Me as one without a second, or as distinct from themselves, or in many forms facing in all directions. Different spiritual paths and perspectives all converge on the same Supreme Reality, each valid within its own framework.

Ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante shraddhayanvitah, te 'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam

Even those who are devotees of other gods and worship them with faith — they too worship Me alone, O son of Kunti, but they do so in the wrong way. All genuine worship ultimately reaches the Supreme, though those who worship lesser gods do so without the complete understanding of divine unity.

Aham hi sarva-yajnanam bhokta ca prabhur eva ca, na tu mam abhijananti tattvenatas cyavanti te

I alone am the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices. But those who do not know My true nature fall down. The Lord is the ultimate recipient of all spiritual offerings; failing to know this leads to an incomplete path and prevents the worshipper from reaching the highest goal.

Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrin yanti pitri-vratah, bhutani yanti bhutejya yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam

Those who worship the demigods go to the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship spirits go to spirits; and those who worship Me will come to Me. The destination of a soul mirrors the object of its deepest devotion and worship.

Yat karoshi yad ashnasi yaj juhoshi dadasi yat, yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad-arpanam

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give, whatever austerity you perform—do that as an offering to Me.

Ami hi tvam sura-sanghah vishanti kechid bhitah pranjalayo grinanti, svastity uktva maharshi-siddha-sanghah stuvanti tvam stutibhih pushkalabhih

Hosts of gods are entering You; some, frightened, are praising You with folded hands. Multitudes of great sages and perfected beings are glorifying You with hymns of praise.

Ye tu sarvani karmani mayi sannyasya mat-parah, ananyenaiva yogena mam dhyayanta upasate

But those who worship Me, surrendering all their activities to Me and devoted to Me without deviation, meditating on Me with exclusive yoga...

yajante sattvika devan yaksha-rakshamsi rajasah, pretan bhuta-ganams canye yajante tamasa janah

Those in sattva worship the gods; those in rajas worship yakshas and rakshasas (demigods of wealth and power); and those in tamas worship ghosts and spirits. The object of worship reveals the quality of one's faith.

abhisandhaya tu phalam dambhartham api caiva yat, ijyate bharata-sreshtha tam yajnam viddhi rajasam

Sacrifice performed with an eye to reward, or for the sake of show and pride, is to be known as rajasic, O best of the Bharatas.

Deva-dwija-guru-prājña-pūjanaṁ śhaucham ārjavam, brahmacharyam ahinsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate

Worship of the deities, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and non-violence—these are said to be austerity of the body.

yatah pravrittir bhutanam yena sarvam idam tatam sva-karmana tam abhyarcya siddhim vindati manavah

By worshipping through one's own duty the One from whom all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, a person finds perfection. Every form of work becomes worship when offered to the Supreme who pervades all existence.

adhyesyate ca ya imam dharmyam samvadam avayoh jnana-yajnena tenahm istah syam iti me matih

And whoever shall study this sacred dialogue of ours — by him shall I be worshipped through the sacrifice of knowledge. This is my opinion. Studying the Gita is itself a form of yajna — a sacred offering that connects the student to Krishna.