Bg. 7.23

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥२३॥

antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti
mad-bhaktā yānti mām api

antavatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigantavat

limited and temporary. tuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtu

again; also; and; as to; as well as; but (because of misfortune); but; certainly; due to; expletive; however; in fact; indeed; moreover; must; of course; on the contrary; only; that; then; yet.—limited and temporary; phalamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigphalam

a fruit; fruit (which has come down without being distorted); fruit; fruitive result; fruits; result; result of sacrifice; results; results of action; the fruit; the perfect result of the action; the perfection of activities; the result; the resultant action.—fruits; teṣāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtesam

of them.—their; tatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtat

establishment of the statement tat tvam asi.—that; bhavatiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhavati

become; becomes; becomes possible; becomes prominent; can it be; come into being; comes into being; is; is possible; it is; it so becomes; manifested, becomes; takes birth; takes place; there are; there is.—becomes; alpaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigalpa

a little; a small quantity; a very little; insignificant; little; meager; negligible; slight; small; small quantity; very little; within a very few.-medhasāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmedhasam

one who has sufficient intelligence.—of those of small intelligence; devānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdevān

about the demigods; all the demigods; demigods; demigods' planets; like Indra, Candra and Varuṇa; the demigods; to all the demigods; to all the great demigods; to demigods; to the demigods; unto the demigods.—demigods’ planets; devaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdeva

addressing my Lord; against you; among the demigods; as demigods; as good as the demigods; by Kṛṣṇa; by the demigods; by the Lord; celestial; dear Lord; demigod; demigods; living energy; my dear King; my Lord; O demigod; O King; O Lord; O master of the demigods; O my Lord; O Supreme Lord; of all demigods; of all the demigods; of providence; of the demigods; of the Supreme Lord; persons coming from the heavenly planets; the demigod; the demigods; the demigods from other planets; the demigods, or controlling deities; the heavenly planets; the Lord; the Personality of Godhead; the Supreme God; the Supreme Lord; the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Śrī Kṛṣṇa); the Supreme Personality of Godhead; to the demigods; unto the demigods; with the demigods.-yajaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyajaḥ

worshipers of demigods.—worshipers of demigods; yāntiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyānti

achieve; appear (in form); approach; approaches; attain; departs; do approach; enter; go; go away; goes; goes away; pass; they go; undergo; used to go; will go to.—achieve; matplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmat

by me; for Me; from Me; having; Me; Mine; My; myself; of Me; possessing; than me; than Myself; to me; to Myself; under My; unto Me (Kṛṣṇa); unto Me.—My; bhaktāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhaktah

a devotee; a great devotee; devotee.—devotees; yāntiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyānti

achieve; appear (in form); approach; approaches; attain; departs; do approach; enter; go; go away; goes; goes away; pass; they go; undergo; used to go; will go to.—attain; māmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmām

about Me; at me; attains me; from me; Me (Kṛṣṇa); Me (Lord Kṛṣṇa); me (the earth); Me (the Supreme Lord); me (Vasiṣṭha); me; Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; My direction; Myself; of myself; to Me; unto me; upon me.—unto Me; apiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigapi

also; api; a still more secluded place; again; alas; also (confirms); also (the human beings); also; although (I am in such a position); although; although apparently different; although he is; although He is so; although it is so; although not exposed to common eyes; although one; although there is; although there was; and also; as also; as He is; as well as; as you have stated; at the same time; better than that; certainly; definitely; despite; either; else; especially; even; even if; even if the body is so exalted; even though; even though it is so; even though new calves were present; even though there is; even with; exactly; for the sake of; I am wondering; if; if also; if so; in due course; in spite of; in spite of this situation; including; indeed; it may be; just now; may be; moreover; of the word api; or; others; over and above; so; still; surely; the word api; then; though; thus; verily; virtually; whether.—surely. ¶

Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet. ¶

Some commentators on the Gītā say that one who worships a demigod can reach the Supreme Lord, but here it is clearly stated that the worshipers of demigods go to the different planetary systems where various demigods are situated, just as a worshiper of the sun achieves the sun or a worshiper of the demigod of the moon achieves the moon. Similarly, if anyone wants to worship a demigod like Indra, he can attain that particular god’s planet. It is not that everyone, regardless of whatever demigod is worshiped, will reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is denied here, for it is clearly stated that the worshipers of demigods go to different planets in the material world, but the devotee of the Supreme Lord goes directly to the supreme planet of the Personality of Godhead. ¶

Here the point may be raised that if the demigods are different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord, then the same end should be achieved by worshiping them. However, worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent because they don’t know to what part of the body food must be supplied. Some of them are so foolish that they claim that there are many parts and many ways to supply food. This isn’t very sanguine. Can anyone supply food to the body through the ears or eyes? They do not know that these demigods are different parts of the universal body of the Supreme Lord, and in their ignorance they believe that each and every demigod is a separate God and a competitor of the Supreme Lord. ¶

Not only are demigods parts of the Supreme Lord, but ordinary living entities are also. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that the brāhmaṇas are the head of the Supreme Lord, the kṣatriyas are the arms, etc., and that all serve different functions. Regardless of the situation, if one knows that both the demigods and himself are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, his knowledge is perfect. But if he does not understand this, he achieves different planets where the demigods reside. This is not the same destination the devotee reaches. ¶

The results achieved by the demigods’ benedictions are perishable because within this material world the planets, the demigods and their worshipers are all perishable. Therefore it is clearly stated in this verse that all results achieved by worshiping demigods are perishable, and therefore such worship is performed by the less intelligent living entity. Because the pure devotee engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service of the Supreme Lord achieves eternal blissful existence that is full of knowledge, his achievements and those of the common worshiper of the demigods are different. The Supreme Lord is unlimited; His favor is unlimited; His mercy is unlimited. Therefore the mercy of the Supreme Lord upon His pure devotees is unlimited. ¶