📿 Shloka Collection

Kamais Tais Tair Hrita-Jnanah

Gita 7.20 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 — Gyana Vignyana Yoga
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः ।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥
Kamais tais tair hrita-jnanah prapadyante anya-devatah
Tam tam niyamam asthaya prakritya niyatah svaya
कामैः
by desires
तैस्तैः
various, of different kinds
हृतज्ञानाः
whose knowledge has been carried away
प्रपद्यन्ते
take refuge in
अन्यदेवताः
other deities
तम् तम्
this or that
नियमम्
rule, observance
आस्थाय
adopting
प्रकृत्या
by their own nature
नियताः
governed
स्वया
their own

After describing the rare soul who knows 'Vasudevah sarvam,' Krishna now turns to those whose desires pull them in different directions. When various wants dominate the mind, people turn to different deities, following whatever rituals and rules suit their specific wishes.

This is observation, not condemnation. People go to different shops in a market based on what they need. In the same way, people follow different paths based on their own nature and desires. Krishna is simply describing how human inclination works.

The key insight: someone who approaches the divine without any particular desire, seeking only truth itself, is the jnani. Someone who approaches with a specific want in mind follows the path that matches that want. Both are valid journeys, but they lead to different destinations.

Shlokas 7.20 through 7.23 form a group that explains where different forms of devotion lead. In 7.23, Krishna will state clearly: those who worship the devas reach the devas; those who worship Me reach Me. This is not ranking — it is describing destinations.

The Gita does not disparage any deity here. Different devatas are also expressions of the divine's own power — as 7.12 already established.

Chapter 7 · 20 / 30
Chapter 7 · 20 / 30 Next →