(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Devotees Can Only Be Elevated To The Level Of  The Entity They Worship

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄ न्यान्ति पितृव्रता: |
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ||9.25||

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝīn yānti pitṛi-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām||9.25||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 9- Ver. 25:

Those who worship gods reach gods, those who worship ancestors reach ancestors, those who worship spirits reach spirits, but those who worship me reach me.

Explanation

Devotees can only be elevated to the level of the thing they worship. Shree Krishna reveals the implications of worshipping various beings by exposing the various destinations obtained in this verse. He imparts this wisdom to assist us in concluding that we must worship the Supreme in order to achieve the highest level of spiritual progress.

The celestial abodes are visited by devotees of Indra, Kuber, Agni, and other gods. They are then sent back from heaven after their good karmas account is emptied. The ancestors are the Pitars. It is admirable to think of them with gratitude, but excessive worry for their well-being is harmful. After death, those who practise ancestor worship visit their ancestors’ homes.

Those who worship ghosts and spirits are in a state of ignorance. According to Shree Krishna, anyone who engages in such activities in their next life would be born among ghosts and spirits. Those who attach their minds to the Supreme Divine Personality are the highest devotees. After death, such fortunate people who steadfastly choose to serve God and engage in His devotion travel to His glorious Abode.

Verse & what we can learn

The best that this type of worship can provide is a finite material outcome. Even if we are able to enter heaven as a result of such worship, we will have to return to earth one day when our merits have run out. Ishvara, the infinite, has the power to liberate us.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

We must learn how to worship Ishvara in the correct manner. What exactly is the process behind this? Is there something cryptic and difficult about it? Shri Krishna tells Arjuna in the next shloka.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…