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TEXT 23 antavat tu phalam tesam
SYNONYMS  anta-vat
tu--limited and temporary; phalam--fruits; tesam--their;
tat--that; bhavati--becomes; alpa-medhasam--of those
of small intelligence; devan--demigods' planets; deva-yajah--worshipers
of demigods; yanti--achieve; mat--My; bhaktah--devotees;
yanti--attain; mam--to Me; api--surely.
TRANSLATION Men of small
intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.
Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My
devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.
PURPORT Some commentators
on the Gita say that one who worships a demigod can reach the Supreme
Lord, but here it is clearly stated that the worshipers of demigods go
to the different planetary systems where various demigods are situated,
just as a worshiper of the sun achieves the sun or a worshiper of the demigod
of the moon achieves the moon. Similarly, if anyone wants to worship a
demigod like Indra, he can attain that particular god's planet. It is not
that everyone, regardless of whatever demigod is worshiped, will reach
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is denied here, for it is clearly
stated that the worshipers of the demigods go to different planets in the
material world, but the devotee of the Supreme Lord goes directly to the
supreme planet of the Personality of Godhead.
Here the
point may be raised that if the demigods are different parts of the body
of the Supreme Lord, then the same end should be achieved by worshiping
them. However, worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent because
they don't know to what part of the body food must be supplied. Some of
them are so foolish that they claim that there are many parts and many
ways to supply food. This isn't very sanguine. Can anyone supply food to
the body through the ears or eyes? They do not know that these demigods
are different parts of the universal body of the Supreme Lord, and in their
ignorance they believe that each and every demigod is a separate God and
a competitor of the Supreme Lord.
Not only
are demigods parts of the Supreme Lord, but ordinary living entities are
also. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that the brahmanas
are the head of the Supreme Lord, the ksatriyas are the arms, etc.,
and that all serve different functions. Regardless of the situation, if
one knows that both the demigods and himself are part and parcel of the
Supreme Lord, his knowledge is perfect. But if he does not understand this,
he achieves different planets where the demigods reside. This is not the
same destination the devotee reaches.
The results
achieved by the demigods' benedictions are perishable because within this
material world the planets, the demigods and their worshipers are all perishable.
Therefore it is clearly stated in this verse that all results achieved
by worshiping demigods are perishable, and therefore such worship is performed
by the less intelligent living entity. Because the pure devotee engaged
in Krsna consciousness in devotional service of the Supreme Lord achieves
eternal blissful existence that is full of knowledge, his achievements
and those of the common worshiper of the demigods are different. The Supreme
Lord is unlimited; His favor is unlimited; His mercy is unlimited. Therefore
the mercy of the Supreme Lord upon His pure devotees is unlimited.
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