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Chapter 9 · The Most Confidential Knowledge · 34 verses

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Remember who is speaking. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Take the verse as He directs.
  2. 2Say the verse and its words. Read the Sanskrit, then each word with its meaning.
  3. 3Read the translation as it is. Let the translation say what it says, without adding your own meaning.
  4. 4Read the purport. Hear the verse through the disciplic succession.
  5. 5Bring your own question. Ask: where does this verse meet my life, my trouble, my doubt?
  6. 6Act on it, remembering Kṛṣṇa. Carry one instruction into your work today.
Read the full guide: how to read the Bhagavad-gītā ›
Krishna’s natureChapter 9 · The Most Confidential Knowledge
9.249.26

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 9.25

Worship and the Supreme enjoyer

Īśvara · God

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रता: ।

भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥ २५ ॥

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā

yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

Translation

Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

3 study points

Worship Determines Your Destination

  1. 1

    Worshipers go to those they worship: demigods, ancestors, ghosts and spirits, or Kṛṣṇa Himself.

  2. 2

    Prabhupāda explains that pure devotees who worship only the Supreme Lord surely reach Vaikuṇṭha or Kṛṣṇaloka.

  3. 3

    Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to become perfect in this life and go back home, back to Godhead.

Key points from the purport

Relative destination of different worshipers explained (Study Translation for all points)

a

Refutation: This verse refutes the philosophy — “Worship of any form or any path leads to the same goal”

b

Basis of Destination — Destination depends on faith reposed

e.g. Darsha-paurnamasi – ‘A process of karma-kanda rituals to go to the moon or sun etc.’

c

Role of Krishna conscious movement — A sublime process of simply chanting Hare Krishna and going back to Godhead – devotional service can take one to Krishna’s planet

Connected verses · 1

Texts 9.24 & 9.25

To contrast the destination of demigod worshipers and Krishna bhaktas, Krishna speaks the next verse (9.25)

Further reading

Fools Neglect Bhakti: The Divine Don’t

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)

Chapter 9, section III: Fools Neglect Bhakti: The Divine Don’t
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yāntigo
  2. deva-vratāḥworshipers of demigods
  3. devānto the demigods
  4. pitṝnto the ancestors
  5. yāntigo
  6. pitṛ-vratāḥworshipers of ancestors
  7. bhūtānito the ghosts and spirits
  8. yāntigo
3

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhagavān, vibhūti.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 9.25 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to krishna’s nature?

Practice

Notice something excellent and see it as His opulence.

5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 9.23Worship and the Supreme enjoyerBG 9.24Worship and the Supreme enjoyerBG 11.32Krishna reveals Himself as timeBG 11.51Composure returns in Krishna’s personal presence
Live this todayOffer to Kṛṣṇa with LoveA practice from BG 9.26, close to this verse

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
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