Gita 9.23
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ te 'pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam
In essence: All sincere worship reaches Me, even when directed to other forms - but without recognizing the Source, the approach remains incomplete.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "This sounds like Krishna is saying all other religions are worshipping the wrong god. Isn't that narrow-minded?"
Guru: "Read the verse again carefully. Does Krishna say 'they worship wrongly' or 'they worship Me, though indirectly'?"
Sadhak: "He says they worship Him... but not properly."
Guru: "Yes. The worship REACHES. It is not rejected. But the worshipper's understanding is incomplete. Imagine someone sending a gift to your house but addressing it to your assistant. The gift arrives, you receive it. But the sender misses the possibility of direct relationship with you because they don't know the assistant is working for you."
Sadhak: "So worshippers of Shiva, Durga, or even gods of other religions - their worship reaches Krishna?"
Guru: "If Krishna is the source of all existence - and He has been declaring this throughout Chapter 9 - then how could sincere worship go anywhere else? There IS nowhere else. The question is not where the worship goes but what the worshipper understands about where it goes."
Sadhak: "But then what is 'avidhi' - the improper method? What are they doing wrong?"
Guru: "Tell me - if you want water and dig ten shallow wells in different places, versus digging one deep well in one place, which approach brings water?"
Sadhak: "The deep well, obviously."
Guru: "This is avidhi versus vidhi. Worshipping many deities for many boons scatters energy and keeps one at the surface. Worshipping the One Source, recognizing all forms as Its manifestation, allows deep penetration to the eternal spring. Both approaches get some water; one gets the inexhaustible source."
Sadhak: "Is Krishna then against worship of other deities?"
Guru: "Not against - He simply offers something more. A teacher who offers calculus is not against arithmetic. But they would be remiss not to mention that calculus exists for those ready to move beyond arithmetic. Krishna respects all sincere worship while inviting those who can hear to the next level of understanding."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Contemplate this unity before engaging with the day. Whatever you see today - people of different faiths, various manifestations of nature, even objects - practice seeing them as expressions of the One Source. The Hindu at temple, the Muslim at mosque, the Christian at church, the atheist doing good - all movements within the same cosmic dance.
When you encounter someone with different beliefs, instead of mentally categorizing them as 'other,' recognize their sincere seeking as a valid path to the same truth you seek. Let this recognition create compassion rather than superiority. You might ask yourself: 'How is the Divine reaching THIS person through THEIR path?'
In your personal devotion, take a moment to honor all the forms through which the Divine has been worshipped throughout history and across cultures. Feel the unity underlying diversity. Then go deeper - beyond all forms to the formless Source that expresses through every form. Rest in that direct connection.