ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam
ye — those who;
api — although;
anya — other;
devatā — celestial gods;
bhaktāḥ — devotees;
yajante — worship;
śhraddhayā anvitāḥ — faithfully;
te — they;
api — also;
mām — me;
eva — only;
kaunteya — Arjun, the son of Kunti;
yajanti — worship;
avidhi-pūrvakam — by the wrong method
In this verse, Krishna is telling Arjuna that when people worship other gods or deities, even though they might think they are doing something good, they are not really understanding the bigger picture. Krishna says that all worship ultimately goes to Him, but it's important to know how to direct that worship properly.
To explain this better, imagine someone trying to water a tree. If they only pour water on the leaves and branches, the tree won't be healthy because the water needs to go to the roots. The roots are what support the tree, just like Krishna is the root and source of everything. So pouring water on the leaves is like worshiping those other gods—it's not effective and misses the main point.
Similarly, think about how we take care of our own bodies. We need to eat food that goes into our stomach because that's how our body gets nourished. If we only think about snacking without giving our body the proper meals, we're not taking care of ourselves in the right way.
Krishna uses the example of a government with different officers or directors. When people worship demigods, they are like individuals who are only listening to those officers without following the main rules set by the government. In the same way, worshiping different gods instead of the Supreme Lord misses the point. To truly please the Supreme, it's best to offer our devotion directly to Him. That way, all those demigods, who are like the officers, are also satisfied, so to speak, without the need to focus on them specifically.
Krishna also points out that this wrong way of worship, called 'avidhi-purvakam,' is not good. It’s like trying to bribe a government worker instead of following the lawful procedures. Instead, if you stick to the right way—to worship Krishna directly—you won't just be following the rules; you'll also be truly connecting with the source of everything.