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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 9.24
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च ।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥ २४ ॥
ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ
bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mām abhijānanti
tattvenātaś cyavanti te
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Those who do not recognize His true spiritual nature fall down.
Prabhupāda explains that all sacrifices are meant to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Worshiping demigods for temporary benefits keeps one in material existence.
Work to satisfy the Supreme Lord. If you have material desires, pray to Him, while understanding that this is not pure devotion.
Krishna as the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices:
Demigod worshipers, after great endeavour to follow Vedas, simply fall down to material existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life (because they do not know Krishna as the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices)
Krishna says “Those who do not recognize My transcendental nature, fall down”
Vedas recommend different Yajnas — Actually ‘Yajna’ means Vishnu
Ultimately beneficiary of all Yajnas is ‘Vishnu’ (Ref. Bg. 3.9)
Goal of Varnasrama is to please Vishnu
Demigod worship is for temporary benefit. Therefore demigod worshipers fall down and do not achieve the desired goal of life – less intelligent people take to this path
Final conclusion — Even if one has material desires, better to worship the Supreme Lord
Texts 9.23 & 9.24
What happens to such worshipers as mentioned in Text 9.23? — “They simply fall down”
Texts 9.24 & 9.25
To contrast the destination of demigod worshipers and Krishna bhaktas, Krishna speaks the next verse (9.25)
Duratmas – Fools who think Krishna’s form is ordinary are defeated in their endeavours (9.11 – 9.12)
Mahatmas – Those who know that Krishna has a transcendental form take shelter of Him and worship Him (9.13 – 9.14)
Indirect worshippers – All who take shelter of a conception of Supreme and worship it, are ultimately worshipping Krishna, but they worship Him indirectly – These are of 3 types:
Ekatvena – the monist, the lowest, worships himself as one with the Supreme (9.11 – 9.12)
Visvato-mukham – a worshiper of the material, universal form is the best (9.16 – 9.19)
Prthakvena – a demigod worshiper, is situated higher than the ‘ekatvena’ (9.20 – 9.25)
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: bhagavān, vibhūti.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 9.24 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to krishna’s nature?
Notice something excellent and see it as His opulence.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.