Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.40.9
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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sarva-deva-maya
—
embodying all the demigods
Compound: sarva (all) + deva (gods) + maya (consisting of). Gītā 9.23–24 parallel: even worshipers of other devas are worshiping Him, though avidhi-pūrvakam (improperly). Personalism preserved: the devas are His parts, not parallel Persons.
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anya-dhiyaḥ
—
whose minds are turned to others
anya (other) + dhī (intelligence). The mistake is in the dhī, not in the destination — they think they are worshiping another, but their offerings still travel to Him. Gentle but firm correction.
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īśvaram
—
the Supreme controller
From √īś — to rule. Bhagavān as the actual ruler behind every devatā's seat. Akrūra is gradually peeling back the layers of veil between the worshiper and the One worshiped.
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prabho
—
O master
Vocative of prabhu. Akrūra is not lecturing; he is speaking to Kṛṣṇa face-to-face. The whole verse is addressed, not theorized.
The idea here is that even those who worship the demigods are indirectly worshiping the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. The understanding of such worshipers, however, is imperfect.
All these different types of worshippers actually worship you. How is this? This is because you are the supersoul within all of them and possess all their qualities. "But when asked they will say that they are worshipping Siva, Surya etc." "Those who worship the devatas worship you as the supersoul in all the devatas, even though that is not the correct way of worshipping you." "But if that is so, then how am I being worshipped? They never meditate on me." "Though they meditate on the devatas , not you, the are still worshipping you."
Why have all these various types of worship been mentioned? This verse answers. Śrīdhara Svāmī says that the word anya indicates inferior devatās. Sometimes nana-devatā-bhaktā is seen. This refers to devatās like Indra. Even though these worshippers do not concentrate their minds on you, they all ultimately worship you, since you are the antaryāmī (īśvara) of all the devatās who act as your residence. The worship of these abodes ultimately means worshipping the deity within the abode. But this worship gives no real result since the devatās are not independent. ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ | te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam || Those who are devoted to the devatās and with faith worship them--they also worship me, but by the wrong method, O son of Kuntī. ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te || I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Those who do not know me in truth fall down. yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām || The worshippers of the devatās go to the devatās, and the worshippers of the Pitṛs go to the Pitṛs. The worshippers of ghosts go to the ghosts, and worshippers of me go to me. BG 9.23-25
These persons who worship insignificant devatās actually worship you. The reason is given. O you are all the devatās (sarva-deva-maya). You are the Lord (īśvaram), the master of all devatās. When the servant serves the master, service is accomplished. Or they worship you, the Lord, who is all devatās. You are different from Brahmā and others. Though he may be their controller, he is not all the devatās. O master (prabho)! You are endowed with all powers. Six types of worship have been described. Among them, first there are three types: yoga, karma and jñāna. According to dīkṣa there are three types: vaiṣṇava, śaiva and kṣaudras (minor devatās). Or many jīvas worship you in different forms, since they do not know your own form. That is described in five verses. But by your power, even their worship ends in bhakti to you. That is described in the present verse. There are worshippers of various devatās (bhaktāḥ). Or what should be said? The different types of worship end in worship of you. Even the worship of insignificant devatās ends in you.
- Whom do you secretly judge for worshiping 'the wrong thing' when they are perhaps worshiping the same Person less efficiently?
- How does this verse change your patience with seekers on other paths?
A child sends gifts to her grandfather's many cousins, not yet knowing they are all of one household. The gifts still pass through the family's gate — and the grandfather, who is master of the house, receives them all. Worship of any deva, however confused, lands at last in Kṛṣṇa's lap because He is the sarva-deva-maya Lord.
My note
Source: vedabase.io