Shloka 24
Bhakti Yoga: The Three Modes of Devotion, Non-Envy, and Time as the Lord
अहमुच्चावचैर्द्रव्यै: क्रिययोत्पन्नयानघे । नैव तुष्येऽर्चितोऽर्चायां भूतग्रामावमानिन: ॥ २४ ॥
aham uccāvacair dravyaiḥ kriyayotpannayānaghe naiva tuṣye ’rcito ’rcāyāṁ bhūta-grāmāvamāninaḥ
Hỡi mẹ thanh tịnh, dù người ấy thờ Ta trong hình tượng với lễ vật và nghi thức đúng đắn, nhưng nếu khinh miệt muôn loài hữu tình, Ta vẫn không hài lòng.
There are sixty-four different prescriptions for worship of the Deity in the temple. There are many items offered to the Deity, some valuable and some less valuable. It is prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā: “If a devotee offers Me a small flower, a leaf, some water or a little fruit, I will accept it.” The real purpose is to exhibit one’s loving devotion to the Lord; the offerings themselves are secondary. If one has not developed loving devotion to the Lord and simply offers many kinds of foodstuffs, fruits and flowers without real devotion, the offering will not be accepted by the Lord. We cannot bribe the Personality of Godhead. He is so great that our bribery has no value. Nor has He any scarcity; since He is full in Himself, what can we offer Him? Everything is produced by Him. We simply offer to show our love and gratitude to the Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord is not pleased with Deity worship—no matter how elaborate—if the worshiper disrespects or demeans other living beings.
Kapila is teaching Devahuti pure bhakti: external ritual (arcana) must be supported by inner qualities like humility and universal respect, since every being is part of the Lord’s creation and is related to Him.
Along with prayer and temple worship, practice non-contempt: speak respectfully, avoid cruelty, and cultivate kindness toward people, animals, and all beings—making devotion consistent in behavior.