Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 9, Verse 23
Verse 23
The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret
Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way.
Context & Meaning
Even those who worship other deities with sincere faith are, without knowing it, worshipping the Supreme — for there is only one ultimate source of all divinity. Yet the path is described as avidhi-pūrvakam — not in the proper way — because by aiming at a limited target, they receive a limited result. Sincerity of heart is recognized; precision of direction determines the destination.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainRamanujacharya
VishishtadvaitaGod receives all worship, even that not directed at Him by name, because He is the inner Self of all deities. The fruit of worship, however, corresponds to the deity worshipped — the transcendent Lord alone gives transcendent results.