Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya

That is how one progresses, so from there now Krishna is saying how about those who would not reject Him but who would not surrender to Him, who surrender to someone else that He will describe in next section 7.20 to 7.23

Bg 7.20

kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ
prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya
prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā

Word for word: 

kāmaiḥ — by desires; taiḥ taiḥ — various; hṛta — deprived of; jñānāḥ — knowledge; prapadyante — surrender; anya — to other; devatāḥ — demigods; tam tam — corresponding; niyamam — regulations; āsthāya — following; prakṛtyā — by nature; niyatāḥ — controlled; svayā — by their own.

Translation: 

Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.

 

kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ, 

kāmais, because of material desires hṛta-jñānāḥ, the intelligence knowledge has been destroyed, abducted, removed and 

prapadyante

they are surrendering but they surrender to 

prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ

they are surrendering to somebody else some other devatah.

taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya

So one follows the rules accordingly. 

taṁ taṁ niyamam

What are the niyamas? What are the rule one follows: 

prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā

the rules according to once own prakriti.

So here Sri Krishna is explaining why do some people not surrender to Him but to other Devatah, so Srila Prabhupada explains in this section in this commentary that actually some people says all gods are one but here Krishna is clearly differentiating. prapadyante, those who surrender to other God, so there is a categorical difference the two which Sri Krishna is mentioning over here and that indicates that there are different gods and it is not that all of them are one they are all different so when one understands this then one understands very clearly that all paths are not one all gods are not one there is Supreme Lord and there are other devtahs 

kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ
prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ

It is very clear anya-devatāḥ, other gods, 

taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya, 

now one follows rules according to one’s nature

prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā

so here Sri Krishna is referring how there are Puranas within three modes, and these Puranas they direct people to worship according to the propensities of the people, according to level of consciousness of the people. So Tamasic Puranas guide people to worship Shiva, Rajasic Purnas guide people to worship Brahma and Satvic Puranas guide people to worship Vishnu. 

So prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā, the Vedic system is created in such a way that according to level of people, people can worship and they can become elevated this is broad encompassing nature of the Vedic system it encompasses people from lowest mode to the highest mode and provides them custom made method for elevation prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā. OK somebody is addicted to meat eating and drinking then can such a person become religious so such a person cannot become religious at the highest level but that doesn’t mean that the person cannot at all become religious, yes for the practice of serious spiritual life for the sake of attending liberation, it is not possible for such a person to do so unless such a person give it up, but if the person is not ready to give it up that doesn’t meant that the person exile from the house of religion. Such a person is still accommodated with the religion how is that there are custom made forms of religion, rules of religion, practices of religion which that person can accept. So people can offer mamsa to Kali and then they take mamsa, people can offer Bhang to Lord Shiva etc. so this is allowed. We discussed earlier the concession, recommendation and instruction. Recommendation is it is good if you do it or it is recommended to do it. Instruction means you should do it and recommendation means you can do it. Concession means you wanted to do it I will allow you to do it. So the concession are given in this case for those people who are at that level of consciousness prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā, now we may say that actually in Kalyuga people are also in lower modes then should people practice tamasic mode of worship because most people are in rajo guna or tamo guna, how can they practice devotional service which is meant for those who is in goodness so here actually Sri Krishna is talking about the normal system, if a pure devotees intervene in the life of a person if the devotional force comes in the life of a person then normal person can also be transcended so instead of taking gradual stair case one can take a swift elevator and move forward the difference between the two is whether one gets access to the mercy of the Krishna coming through a pure devotee and whether one accepts that mercy so one should be fortunate enough to accept that mercy and one can also move fast. Srila Prabhupada was so compassionate that he has elevated people who were there in Tamo guna also.

Like Hippies who used to do all anti spiritual activities they are also elevated that is the mercy of pure devotees but normally we have to understand that Bhakti is not always easily accessible, even in the Vedic cultural context Bhakti is not always available, Bhakti is always rare, so when Bhakti is not available for people are they doing all irreligious activities are they living all materialistic Godless life, NO the Vedic culture facility by which they can elevate gradually and that is the system of Demigod worship would be availabe. So that is indirect worship.

Bhagavatam recommends pure devotional service but here Sril Paurabhupada has quoted the verse from SB which is quoted often SB 2.3.10

Bhāgavatam (2.3.10):

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param

so even whatever desire one has akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā, whatever desire one has mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ, one will become elevated and liberated if one just yajeta puruṣaṁ param, if one worship the Supreme Lord and How one worship the Supreme Lord? tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena, with intense Bhakti so we just worship the Supreme Lord with intense Bhakti we can all become liberated that is the glory here 

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
akāmaḥ, refers to one who has no material desire sarva-kāmo vā, all kinds of material desire, mokṣa-kāma, desire for liberation so this is the Bhagavatam recommendation ultimately whatever one’s level is let the person worship but let him worship the Supreme Lord those who cannot understand this principle they may worship other devatas and they will also become elevated gradually. 

Srila Prabhupada recommends, In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.142) it is said, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is master, and all others are servants.

End of transcription.