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Bhagavad-gītā 9.24

अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च । न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्‍च्‍यवन्ति ते ॥ २४ ॥
ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ
[aham hi sarva-yajnaanaam]
bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca
[bhoktaa cha prabhur eva cha]
na tu mām abhijānanti
[na tu maam abhijaananti]
tattvenātaś cyavanti te
[tattvenaatash chyavanti te]
Word-for-word
aham — I hi — surely sarva — of all yajñānām — sacrifices bhoktā — the enjoyer ca — and prabhuḥ — the Lord eva — also ca — and na — not tu — but mām — Me abhijānanti — they know tattvena — in reality ataḥ — therefore cyavanti — fall down te — they .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ
aham
I
hi
surely
sarva
of all
yajñānām
sacrifices
bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca
bhoktā
the enjoyer
ca
and
prabhuḥ
the Lord
eva
also
ca
and
na tu mām abhijānanti
na
not
tu
but
mām
Me
abhijānanti
they know
tattvenātaś cyavanti te
tattvena
in reality
ataḥ
therefore
cyavanti
fall down
te
they .
Important Words
  • bhoktā — the enjoyer
    From √bhuj — the one who enjoys, accepts. The yajña-pātra (offering) goes ultimately to Kṛṣṇa. Lower devatās are conduits; He is the bhoktā. The whole sacrificial system rests on this fact.
  • prabhuḥ — the master
    Pra + √bhū — pre-eminent. Not only enjoyer but master — the one who authorizes the yajña, who decrees its fruits. The bhoktṛtva and prabhutva go together: He receives and He decrees.
  • abhijānanti — they recognize
    Abhi + √jñā — to fully recognize. Not just jñā (know); abhijñā — recognize, acknowledge. The lower worshippers may know about Him; they do not abhijñā Him as the actual recipient of their own offerings.
  • tattvena — in truth
    Instrumental of tattva — that-ness, the actual reality. 'In its true nature.' One may know Kṛṣṇa by repute, by hearsay, by sentiment, by argument — none of these is tattva. Only tattva-recognition seals the connection.
  • cyavanti — they fall down
    From √cyu — to slip, fall. The same root as cyavana (fallen one). Their puṇya carries them up; their failure to abhijñā cyaves them down. Heaven without recognition is escalator-bound back to mortality.
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sequel to 9.23. The structural reason behind avidhi-pūrvakam: every yajña's true bhoktā and prabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Failing to know this in tattva, devotees of partial deities slip back down — having gained a piece, they lose the whole.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The 'cyavanti' of this verse anticipates the 'gatāgatam' of 9.21 and contrasts with the 'na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati' of 9.31. The Lord is not jealous; He is structural. Worship that bypasses the principal recipient cannot stabilise its gains. Cross-ref BG 7.13, 10.8 (ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo).
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
अहं हि सर्व-यज्ञानां भोक्ता प्रभुः एव च (अस्मि) । तु ते माम् तत्त्वेन न अभिजानन्ति, अतः च्यवन्ति ।
ahaṃ hi sarva-yajñānāṃ bhoktā prabhuḥ eva ca (asmi) | tu te mām tattvena na abhijānanti, ataḥ cyavanti |
For I alone am the enjoyer and the lord of all sacrifices. But they do not truly recognise Me; therefore they fall.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अहं हि सर्व-यज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुः एव च । न तु माम् अभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेन अतः च्यवन्ति ते ॥
ahaṃ hi sarva-yajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhuḥ eva ca | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvena ataḥ cyavanti te ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अहम् aham अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), causal for
सर्व-यज्ञानाम् sarva-yajñānām सर्व + यज्ञ (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) of all sacrifices
भोक्ता bhoktā भोक्तृ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) enjoyer
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
प्रभुः prabhuḥ प्रभु (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) lord
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic indeed
न na ind. (indeclinable), negation not
तु tu ind. (indeclinable), contrastive but
माम् mām अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) acc.sg. (accusative singular) Me
अभिजानन्ति abhijānanti अभि+√ज्ञा pres. (present) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) they recognise
तत्त्वेन tattvena तत्त्व (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) in truth
अतः ataḥ ind. (indeclinable), 'hence' therefore
च्यवन्ति cyavanti √च्यु pres. (present) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) they fall
ते te dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. they
Purport

Here it is clearly stated that there are many types of yajña performances recommended in the Vedic literatures, but actually all of them are meant for satisfying the Supreme Lord. Yajña means Viṣṇu. In the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that one should only work for satisfying Yajña, or Viṣṇu. The perfectional form of human civilization, known as varṇāśrama-dharma, is specifically meant for satisfying Viṣṇu. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says in this verse, “I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices because I am the supreme master.” Less intelligent persons, however, without knowing this fact, worship demigods for temporary benefit. Therefore they fall down to material existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life. If, however, anyone has any material desire to be fulfilled, he had better pray for it to the Supreme Lord (although that is not pure devotion), and he will thus achieve the desired result.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
24. I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Those who do not know Me in truth fall down.
Commentary

This verse expands on the phrase avidhi-pūrvakam. I am the only enjoyer of the fruits, , and I am the only master (prabhu), and the only giver of fruits, through the forms of these devatās. But they do not know this about Me factually. For instance, such persons think, “I am a worshipper of the sun. May the sun be pleased with me and give me my desired results. The sun is the Supreme Lord, not Nārāyaṇa. He gives me faith to worship him, and gives the results of my worship.” Thus lacking true knowledge about Me, they return to this world. But those who worship Me as the form of the universe, understanding that they are worshipping Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord through the form of the sun, attain liberation. It is thus indicated here that one must worship the Lord’s vibhūtis such as the sun while understanding that they are vibhūtis of the Lord.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
24. I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Those who do not know Me in truth continue to take brith.
Commentary

The Lord shows how they do not follow the proper rules. I alone, through the forms of Indra and others, am the enjoyer of all sacrifices, the master, the protector, and giver of results. They do not know Me as such (tattvena). Therefore they continue to take birth in this world (cyavanti).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

It is not the actual performance of sacrifice, it is consciousness that gives potency to the activity. In order to contrast this point about the different destinations between the demigods' worshipers and Krsna's worshipers, Krsna says:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Krishna as the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices:

Demigod worshipers, after great endeavour to follow Vedas, simply fall down to material existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life (because they do not know Krishna as the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices)
Krishna says “Those who do not recognize My transcendental nature, fall down”

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.24 & 9.25:To contrast the destination of demigod worshipers and Krishna

bhaktas, Krishna speaks the next verse (9.25)

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
9.24 As the Self of the deities (of the sacrifices), aham, I; hi, indeed; am the bhokta, enjoyer; ca eva, as also; the prabhuh, Lord; [The Lord: 'I being the indwelling Ruler of all.'] sarva-yajnanam, of all sacrifices enjoined by the Vedas and the Smrtis. A sacrifice is verily presided over by Me, for it has been said earlier, 'I Myself am the entity (called Visnu) that exists in the sacrifice in this body' (8.4). Tu, but; na abhi-jananti, they do not know; mam, Me as such; tattvena, in reality. And atah, therefore, by worshipping ignorantly; te, they; cyavanti, fall from the result of the sacrifice. ['Although they perform sacrifices with great diligence, still just because they do not know Me real nature and do not offer the fruits of their sacrifices to Me, they proceed to the worlds of the respective deities through the Southern Path (beginning with smoke; see 8.25). Then, after the exhaustion of the results of those sacrifices and the falling of the respective bodies (assumed in those worlds) they return to the human world for rembodiment.'-M.S. (See also 9.20-1.)] The result of a sacrifice is inevitable even for those who worship ignorantly out of their devotion to other deities. How?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
9.24 I am 'the only Lord' - the meaning is that I alone am the bestower of rewards everywhere. How wonderful is this, that though devoting themselves to the same kind of action, on account of the difference in intention some partake of a very small reward with the likelihood of fall, while some others partake of a reward in the form of attainment of the Supreme Person which is unalloyed, limitless, and incomparable! Sri Krsna explains this:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
9.24 See Comment under 9.26
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
9.24 (For) I alone am the enjoyer and also the Lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in essence (in reality), and hence they fall (return to this mortal world).
Commentary

9.24 अहम् I? हि verily? सर्वयज्ञानाम् of all sacrifices? भोक्ता enjoyer? च and? प्रभुः Lord? एव alone? च and? न not? तु but? माम् Me? अभिजानन्ति know? तत्त्वेन in essence (or in reality)? अतः hence? च्यवन्ति fall? ते they.Commentary They do not know that I? the Supreme Self? am the enjoyer of all sacrifices enjoined in the Vedas and the Smritis (the codes of right conduct) and the Lord of all sacrifices. As I am the inner Ruler of this world I am the Lord of all sacrifices (Vide chapter VIII. 4 -- Adhiyajnohamevatra I am the presiding deity of the sacrifice). I am at the beginning and at the end of every sacrifice and yet these people worship other gods. Therefore they worship in ignorance. As they worhsip other gods without recognising Me? and as they have not consecrated their actions to Me? they return to this mortal world after their merits are exhausted from the plane to which they had attained as the result of their sacrifices.Those who are devoted to other gods and who worship Me in ignorance (Avidhipurvakam) also get the fruit of sacrifice. How (Cf.V.29XV.9)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
9.24 I indeed am the enjoyer as also the Lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in reality. Therefore they fall.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
9.24 I am the willing recipient of sacrifice, and I am its true Lord. But these do not know me in truth, and so they sink back.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 5.29 BG 9.23 BG 3.9 SB 1.2.13 SB 4.31.14 SB 10.24.12 CC Madhya 24.216 CC Ādi 3.77 CC Madhya 25.104 Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.10Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7
Concepts
YajnaDharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices — those who do not recognize this fall down.
Practical Applications
  • Make Kṛṣṇa the explicit recipient of every offering.
  • Don't generically 'send to the universe.'
  • Specificity matters in offering.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I been offering generically?
  • What changes when the offering is specifically to Kṛṣṇa?
Analogy

Every cheque written in a kingdom must clear through the royal treasury. A subject may write the cheque to a minister, to a deputy, to a regional officer — the royal treasury still clears it. But if the cheque-writer doesn't know it is the king's treasury that backs his payment, when the king's seal is required for a great purchase, he has no relationship with the king. He has used the kingdom's services for years; he has not made the king his friend.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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