Those whose wisdom has been rent away by this or that desire, go to other gods, following this or that rite, led by their own nature.
In simple words
Krishna observes: "People whose wisdom has been swept away by various desires go to other gods, performing different rituals — driven by their own nature and its cravings."
Word-by-word meanings
कामैःby desiresतैः तैःby this or thatहृतज्ञानाःthose whose wisdom has been rent awayप्रपद्यन्तेapproachअन्यदेवताःother godsतम् तम्this or thatनियमम्riteआस्थायhaving followedप्रकृत्याby natureनियताःledस्वयाby ones own
7.20 कामैः by desires? तैः तैः by this or that? हृतज्ञानाः those whose wisdom has been rent away? प्रपद्यन्ते approach? अन्यदेवताः other gods? तम् तम् this or that? नियमम् rite? आस्थाय having followed? प्रकृत्या by nature? नियताः led? स्वया by ones own.Commentary Those who desire wealth? children? the (small) Siddhis? etc.? are deprived of discrimination. They devote themselves to other minor gods such as Indra? Mitra? Varuna? etc.? impelled or driven by their own nature or Samskaras acired in their previous births. They perform some kinds of rites to propitiate these lower deities. (Cf.IX.23)
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
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.
Modern
The capacity for discrimination is the distinctive mark of human birth, and it is entirely impossible that when discrimination becomes keen and vigilant, a person should fail to attain self-knowledge. Yet the outward-turning tendencies of the mind and desires for sensory pleasures veil this discriminative faculty.
The term "devata" (divine principle) has many meanings—such as the celestial beings who govern the laws of nature like Indra and Varuna; the sense organs; the productive capacity inherent in any field of action, and so forth. When this verse is studied with any of these meanings, it becomes clear that the pleasure-seeker worships these principles solely to obtain worldly gratification. Driven by desire, he engages in countless efforts to fulfill it.
In a tranquil mind, the reflection of the atman appears clear and steady; yet the streams of thought flowing from the sources of desire create disturbance and cause that reflection to waver. When the mind becomes agitated, the discriminative power of the intellect is lost, and naturally the person can no longer discern truth from falsehood. When the light of human intellect is obscured by clouds of desire, the owls of attachment and vice hoot loudly in the forest of the mind.
The mere arising of desire does not cause a person's downfall; rather, the cause lies in identifying oneself with the desire that has arisen. Through this identification, a person unknowingly nourishes his desires, gives birth to countless distractions, and becomes their prey.
Thought (vritti) is but the subtle form of food and is therefore inert by nature. The mind in the form of thought derives consciousness from the atman and power from the desiring person. Action follows according to thought. Once a desire becomes firmly established in a person's mind, he loses the discrimination to judge whether fulfilling that desire will bring him eternal and lasting happiness or not. Due to attachment to fleeting pleasure, he remains occupied in satisfying various divine principles.
It is also a well-known fact that each divine principle has specific rules for its satisfaction. The celestial beings like Indra can be satisfied—and desired fruits obtained—through sacrificial rituals, through the objects of the senses like sound, through proper instruments and their worthy use to express the productive capacity of one's field of action. Therefore, it is said here that they worship these various divine principles by observing specific rules.
Why do people, abandoning the one Vasudeva, worship other divine principles? The answer is given in the second line of the verse: "by their own nature." Each person, according to the vasanas (latent impressions) accumulated from the past, is drawn toward different objects and acts accordingly. The notion that some God sitting in heaven creates desires in our minds and impels us toward actions of sin and merit can only belong to pessimistic, weak, and lazy people. Wise, courageous, and enthusiastic persons know that humans themselves, according to their own thoughts, create their environment and field of action.
In brief, a deluded person chases the mirage of fleeting worldly pleasures in hope of eternal happiness, while the discriminating person recognizes its futility and advances on the path of ultimate truth.
The Blessed Lord continues: