Chapter 7, Verse 20 (Bhagavad Gita 7.20)
Chapter 7: Jñāna Vijñāna Yog – Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment
Sanskrit Shloka
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः। तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया
Transliteration
kāmais tais tair hṛita-jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛityā niyatāḥ svayā
Word Meanings
kāmaiḥ—by material desires; taiḥ taiḥ—by various; hṛita-jñānāḥ—whose knowledge has been carried away; prapadyante—surrender; anya—to other; devatāḥ—celestial gods; tam tam—the various; niyamam—rules and regulations; āsthāya—following; prakṛityā—by nature; niyatāḥ—controlled; svayā—by their own
Translation
Those whose knowledge has been obscured by various desires resort to other gods, observing specific vows, constrained by their own inherent nature.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Lord Krishna explains how human desires cloud the intellect, causing individuals to overlook the Supreme Reality in favor of limited, temporary gains. By seeking fulfillment through secondary deities, people remain tethered to their own psychological conditioning and material cravings. Lord Krishna reveals that such worship is born of a fragmented understanding of the cosmic order. True spiritual liberation, as taught by Krishna, requires transcending these transient desires to recognize the unity of the Divine. Ultimately, this teaching invites us to look inward and purify our motives, moving beyond the cycle of ritualistic seeking toward a direct relationship with the Infinite.