Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 301

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-9 Rāja-vidyā Rāja--guhya Yogaḥ

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn-yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti madyājino’pi mām || 25 || 25. Devotees of the gods go to the gods. The ancestor worshippers go to the manes; the worshippers of inferior forces go to them; and those who worship Me come to Me. Commentary The term Vrata (votary rites) in the text denotes will, intention or motive (saṅkalpa). Those who are motivated with firm resolution (saṅkalpa) to worship the gods, like Indra and go to them, as do those who worship the ancestors, Yakṣas, Rakṣasas, Piśācas and other inferior forces — they all go to them. But those who, with the same liturgical acts, worship Krishna with the understanding that He is Vāsudeva, the Supreme Self, who manifests Himself through the gods, the manes and the lower forces — they are devotees and they reach Krishna only — they do not return to Samsāra. Such is the meaning. Sri Krishna continues to say, ‘There is also another distinguishing characteristic of My votaries’ —