Most of us ask for things when we pray: good marks, peace at home, a job, someone's health. And in many families a household or family deity has been worshipped for generations. So a question comes up. Is it wrong to ask a deity for something? Does the Gita say that worship of anyone but the Lord himself is a mistake?
The Gita's answer is not a scolding. The Lord says that when someone wishes to worship a form with faith, he makes that faith steady, and that what the worshipper receives is his own arrangement. Then he adds one thing: such a result is perishable. Those who turn to the Lord reach the Lord, and those who turn to the deities reach the deities.
Here we take the verses in order: four from the seventh chapter (Gita 7.20–23) and six from the ninth (Gita 9.20–21, Gita 9.23–25). In the last topic, Four Kinds of Devotees, we saw that a person who comes with a wish is called good. Now we ask the next question: where does the wish go, and what becomes of it?
Why these verses come here
The seventh chapter has just said that four kinds of people turn to the Lord, and that the wise one who sees "Vasudeva is everything" is very rare. That raises a question about everyone else, who do not yet see this. Four verses answer.
The ninth chapter returns to the theme through ritual worship. There we see that those who ask for heaven receive it, and then return.
Gita 7.20: why people turn to other deities
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥ ७.२० ॥
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛityā niyatāḥ svayā || 7.20 ||
Those whose wisdom has been carried away by various desires resort to other deities, following various rules of worship, guided by their own nature.
The Lord says that people whose clear sight has been carried away by desires take up one rule or another and resort to other deities, driven by their own nature (Gita 7.20).
The order is simple: first the wish, then the deity. One person wants a child, another wants recovery, another wants a job. The mind goes to the deity it has heard grants such things. And each person's nature also plays a part: one is drawn to one deity, another to a different one; one keeps a fast, another repeats a prayer.
"Other" here means other than the Lord. The verse does not call these deities false, and it does not look down on the worshipper. It gives only the reason: desire covers clear sight.
Gita 7.21: the Lord steadies faith, he does not break it
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥ ७.२१ ॥
tasya tasyāchalāṁ śhraddhāṁ tām eva vidadhāmy aham || 7.21 ||
Whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith, I make that faith of his steady and unwavering.
The Lord says that whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith, he makes that faith steady in that very form (Gita 7.21).
This verse is the heart of the passage. The Lord does not shake anyone's faith or sneer that they have gone to the wrong place. On the contrary, he makes firm the form the mind wants to rest on. That shows deep respect for faith: he treats it as real enough to be strengthened.
So your family's prayers, your attachment to your deity, your own faith, are all accepted here without a word of blame.
Gita 7.22: the result comes, and the Lord arranges it
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥ ७.२२ ॥
labhate cha tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān || 7.22 ||
Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that deity and obtains from it his desires, which are in truth granted by Me alone.
The Lord says that, joined to that faith, the worshipper serves that deity and obtains from it the desires he seeks, which are in truth arranged by the Lord alone (Gita 7.22).
Two things stand out. The result is real: the verse does not say worship is wasted. And behind the result stands the Lord. The deity is the channel; the arrangement is his.
The same idea appears in the third and fourth chapters. In the third, the Lord says that gods nourished by sacrifice will give the enjoyments you desire (Gita 3.12). In the fourth, he says that people who want success from their actions worship the gods, because results of action come quickly in the human world (Gita 4.12). Those verses say that the gods give. The seventh chapter goes one step further: behind them is the Lord.
Gita 7.23: but the result is perishable
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥ ७.२३ ॥
devān deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām api || 7.23 ||
But the fruit gained by those of small understanding is perishable. The worshippers of the deities go to the deities, but My devotees come to Me.
The Lord says that the fruit gained by those of small understanding is perishable. Worshippers of the deities go to the deities, but his devotees come to him (Gita 7.23).
"Small understanding" can sound like an insult. But these are the same people who were just called good (Gita 7.16), so it cannot be one. It means the understanding is still small: the person asks for only as much as he can see.
The second half of the verse matters more. You go to what you turn towards. Before looking at the result itself, it is worth asking whether the result lasts.
Gita 9.20-21: heaven is given, and then ends
ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोकमश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान् ॥ ९.२० ॥
te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam aśhnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān || 9.20 ||
The knowers of the three Vedas, who drink the soma and are purified of sin, worship Me through sacrifices and pray for the path to heaven. They reach the sacred world of Indra, the king of the gods, and enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods in heaven.
एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥ ९.२१ ॥
evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante || 9.21 ||
Having enjoyed that vast heavenly world, they return to the mortal world when their merit is exhausted. Thus, those who follow the ritual path of the three Vedas and desire pleasures attain only coming and going.
The Lord says that those who follow the ritual path of the three Vedas, who drink the soma and are purified of sin, worship him with sacrifices and pray for heaven. They reach the world of Indra and enjoy divine pleasures (Gita 9.20). But when their merit is spent they return from that vast heaven to the mortal world. So those who long for pleasures find only coming and going (Gita 9.21).
Three things to note. Heaven is not made small; it is called vast, and its pleasures divine. The return is not a punishment: merit is like savings, and when they are used up the enjoyment stops. And the eighth chapter says the same thing at a higher level: all worlds up to the realm of Brahma are subject to return, but when the Lord is reached, there is no rebirth (Gita 8.16).
The second chapter has a similar picture of people for whom heaven is the highest aim. Their minds are carried away by words of enjoyment and power, and the resolute understanding does not take root in them (Gita 2.42–44).
Gita 9.23: such worship reaches the Lord too
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥ ९.२३ ॥
te 'pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam || 9.23 ||
Even those devotees who worship other deities with faith, O son of Kunti, worship Me alone, though in a way that is not according to the proper method.
The Lord says that even devotees who worship other deities with faith worship him alone, but not by the proper method, that is, without understanding the Supreme rightly (Gita 9.23).
This is the most generous sentence in the passage. Such worship is not called useless; it reaches him. The lack is not in the worship but in the understanding: the worshipper does not know who stands behind the one he worships.
Gita 9.24: the Lord is the enjoyer of every sacrifice
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥ ९.२४ ॥
na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaśh chyavanti te || 9.24 ||
I alone am the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices. But those who do not know Me in truth fall back.
The Lord says that he alone is the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices, but those who do not know him in truth fall back (Gita 9.24).
This verse gives the reason for the one before. Such worship reaches him because he receives every sacrifice. Someone who does not know this still worships, but the fruit stays within the limit of his understanding. "Fall back" means the same as the return from heaven (Gita 9.21): the end of what was sought. No penalty is mentioned.
What we ask for and where it leads
| Turning to | What is received | How long | What the Gita says |
|---|---|---|---|
| A deity, with a wish | The desired enjoyment, by the Lord's arrangement | Limited | Faith is steadied; the fruit is perishable (7.21-23) |
| Heaven, through ritual | The vast pleasures of heaven | As long as the merit lasts | Then return (9.20-21) |
| A deity, without understanding | A fruit, but not the whole | As large as the understanding | Reaches the Lord, but not by the proper method (9.23-24) |
| The Lord | The Lord himself | No return | His devotees come to him (7.23, 9.25) |
Why the Gita says it this way
The Lord answers people as they come. In the fourth chapter he says that however people approach him, he responds accordingly (Gita 4.11). That is why the faith of someone who turns to a deity is steadied, and why the fruit comes.
He favours no one. In the ninth chapter he says that he is equal to all beings, no one hateful and no one especially dear. But those who worship him with devotion are in him and he in them (Gita 9.29). Nearness comes from the worshipper's turning.
A person is made of faith. In the seventeenth chapter we are told that a person is made of faith, and whatever the faith is, that is the person (Gita 17.3–4), and whom one worships shows one's nature. Worship does not only do something; it shapes the one who worships.
A warning against acting on whim. In the sixteenth chapter we are told that one who drops the scriptures' guidance and acts on desire reaches neither perfection nor happiness (Gita 16.23–24). The lesson here is that worship needs direction, and that wanting alone does not give it.
Four common misreadings
"The Gita says the other deities are false." The verses do not say so. Faith is steadied, the fruit is real (Gita 7.21, Gita 7.22), and such worship reaches him too (Gita 9.23).
"All worship leads to the same place." The verses list different destinations: the gods, the ancestors, the spirits, the Lord (Gita 9.25). The Gita does not say every worship ends in one place.
"Asking for things is a sin." The Lord himself says that what is asked for comes by his arrangement (Gita 7.22). Asking is not the fault. Stopping at it is the limit.
"The Lord is angry with those who go elsewhere." The opposite: he makes their faith steady (Gita 7.21).
An example
Take Suresh, who runs a small printing press. Every year before Diwali he fasts and prays to his family deity for plenty of work. The work does come. This year it came so heavily that the machines ran through the night.
For a few days Suresh was very happy. Then he noticed the same restlessness was back, and worry about next year had begun. A friend asked, "You got the work. Why no peace?" Suresh thought about it and said, "Perhaps because I never asked for peace. I only asked for work."
All three things show up in his story. What he asked for really came. It did not last. And something else was needed, for which he had never asked.
A practice from these verses
- The next time you ask for something, pause and see what exactly you are asking for.
- Before asking, thank the giver. Whatever came before was arranged by him.
- Once a week, sit quietly for a few minutes without asking for anything. This is the first step towards the closeness that marks the wise devotee.
- How much of what I ask for will still be with me a year from now?
- When my wish is fulfilled, do I remember the giver, or only the channel?
- If I had nothing to ask for, could I still sit in the Lord's presence?
- What is my faith resting on today, and where is it taking me?
Questions readers ask
Can I keep worshipping my family deity and follow the Gita?
Yes. The Lord makes faith steady rather than breaking it (Gita 7.21), and worship offered with faith reaches him as well (Gita 9.23). The Gita adds only that you may also come to know who stands behind the deity, for he is the enjoyer of every sacrifice (Gita 9.24).
Is it wrong to pray for a job or an exam result?
It is not wrong. The verses say that what is asked for comes, and that it is his arrangement (Gita 7.22). But the result is perishable (Gita 7.23), so along with asking, remember the giver.
Does "small understanding" mean the worshipper is being insulted?
No. It means the understanding is still small, so only what is seen is asked for. The same people are called good (Gita 7.16).
If the Lord gives every result, why turn to him directly?
Because the giver is greater than the gift. The gift is perishable (Gita 7.23), even heaven ends with merit (Gita 9.21), and no one who reaches the Lord returns (Gita 8.16).
Does this mean every way of worship is correct?
No. The verse says such worship reaches him but not by the proper method (Gita 9.23), and the next verse names the lack as not knowing him in truth (Gita 9.24). The destinations are also listed as different (Gita 9.25).
You reach what you turn towards
The Gita honours faith, names the Lord as the giver of results, and closes with a rule. The question is not which form of worship is right. It is what we are asking for, and how long it will last. Those who turn to the Lord come to the Lord.
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥ ९.२५ ॥
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām || 9.25 ||
Worshippers of the gods go to the gods, worshippers of the ancestors go to the ancestors, and worshippers of the spirits go to the spirits. But My worshippers come to Me.
A simpler reading begins from an everyday question, and the deeper reading takes up the hard questions and the commentators' streams. The full sequence is in The Path of Devotion.