Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 - Jnana Vignana Yoga - Sloka 20

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission

What do they do, who are devoid of devotion and wisdom? Their ways are dilated on:

The Votaries of Minor Gods 20-23

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 7 - Jnana Vignana Yoga - Sloka 20

Alayelai Krishna

Kamaih taih taih hrtajnanah prapadyante anya devatah I

Tam tam niyamam asthaya prakrutya niyatah svaya II sloka 20

कामैः तैः तैः ह्र्तज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्ते  अन्य देवताः ।

तं तं नियमं आस्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ।। श्लोक २०

But those whose discrimination has been led astray by this or that desire, go to other gods, following this or that rite constrained by their own nature.

When it is Vasudeva who has become all that is, the question of other gods existing independent of Him does not arise. His limited aspects are, out of courtesy called other gods. The minor officers of a government are necessarily under its sovereign. When the good will of the head of the regime is obtained, those of the petty officers are contained in it. But the courtier must be worthy of the sovereign. o get at the king is difficult; but the benefit that ensues from it is great. To get at the little officer-holders is easy; and the returns thereof are correspondingly small. Analogous to this, getting the grace of god is difficult, but all conducive to jnana, bhakti and mukti. People given to worldly desires do not take to the worship of Iswara. The low desires in them makes them mistake the little ends for great ones. Accordingly, they choose to propitiate minor deities with suitable rites. Their attainments and nature are as low as that

 Healing disease, winning litigation, walking on water - trifling psychic powers such as these, appeal to most men of base mental make. But the true devotees give no thought to those vulgar things. They are solely intent on gaining the gracious vision of the Lord.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa