The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; but My devotees come to Me.
In simple words
Krishna states a simple rule: "People who worship gods go to those gods. People who worship ancestors go to their ancestors. People who worship nature spirits go to those spirits. But those who worship Me — they come to Me."
Word-by-word meanings
यान्तिgoदेवव्रताःworshippers of the godsदेवान्to the godsपितृ़न्to the Pitris or ancestorsयान्तिgoपितृव्रताःworshippers of the Pitrisभूतानिto the Bhutasयान्तिgoभूतेज्याःthe worshippers of the Bhutasयान्तिgoमद्याजिनःMy worshippersअपिalsoमाम्to Me
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
9.25 यान्ति go? देवव्रताः worshippers of the gods? देवान् to the gods? पितृ़न् to the Pitris or ancestors? यान्ति go? पितृव्रताः worshippers of the Pitris? भूतानि to the Bhutas? यान्ति go? भूतेज्याः the worshippers of the Bhutas? यान्ति go? मद्याजिनः My worshippers? अपि also? माम् to Me.Commentary 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)
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
# BG 9.25 — Translation of Meaning
This is the law of life: as you think, so you become. As your nature, so the person. According to the thoughts entertained from time to time, the outline of a person's future character is drawn within the inner consciousness. This is a truth whose validity can be experienced by every person in their own life. Applying this psychological law to the spiritual domain of self-development, Lord Sri Krishna says: "Those who worship the devas attain the devas," and so forth. When people worship the devas, the ancestors, or the bhuttas with concentrated mind and devotion to their chosen deity for a long time, their desires are fulfilled as a result. The devas are the presiding deities of the sense organs. We experience the world through the sense organs alone. Here, by devas is meant the entire material world as experienced through the senses. Those who constantly desire the pleasures and glory of the external world and strive to attain them, they obtain the objects and realms of their desired experiences.
The word "pitrvratta" means those people who are conscious of the cultural purity and traditions of their ancestors, and who earnestly endeavor to live according to those same ideals. The person who continuously strives to live according to the ancient cultural tradition of spiritual India thereby attains the supreme beauty and radiance of this purity and perfection in life.
The ancient sages of our Bharata have never neglected the fact that in any society, besides spiritual ideals, scientific inquiry and the discovery of many laws and objects hidden in nature's womb also continue. Investigations and research in the field of material sciences are but one aspect of the human mind's quest for knowledge. Therefore, by "worshippers of the bhuttas" is meant those scientists who observe nature, classify the observed laws, and systematize that knowledge in an orderly manner. In the modern age, the branches of knowledge dealing with the study of nature, objects, persons, and beings are physics, chemistry, mechanics, agriculture, politics, sociology, geography, history, geology, and others. These sciences too have many subdivisions, and by studying them specially, people become experts in those fields. In a large portion of the Atharva Veda, the sages of that time were given the principles of nature's character and conduct as they understood it. The psychological law stated by Lord Sri Krishna here applies in all fields of human action. That law is: in any field, a person receives success in proportion to the efforts made.
Thus, if by worshipping the devas, ancestors, and bhuttas—that is, by constantly contemplating them—one progressively comes to know the devas, ancestral traditions, and the mysteries of nature, and thereby attains success in the material world, then by the same principle we are given the assurance that my devotees attain me. By meditating with concentrated mind continuously for a long time upon the nature of the Self, the seeker can successfully experience directly their eternal, imperishable Self-nature. As a result of continuous self-inquiry, the ultimate transformation of the individual soul into the Self is shown in the Vedantic texts through the analogy of the bee and the caterpillar.
The purpose of the Gita is to provide not only knowledge but also direct experience—wisdom. The purpose of this verse is to assure the seeker that through the preliminary practice described here, the highest human goal can also be attained. Just as dedicated action in the material world brings material success, that same law proves true regarding the inner world. Its culmination is in spiritual literacy. Continuous meditation will surely bear fruit. The Lord gives a rational basis for this assurance in this verse.
Can such a supreme goal be attained merely through devotional worship? Do we not need the observance of Vedic rituals and ceremonies, the performance of which the Vedas generally emphasize? To this, the Lord replies—