Shloka 20

Rāja-Vidyā Rāja-Guhya Yoga (राजविद्या राजगुह्य योग) — The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret

Devanagari script

कामैस्तैस्तै््वतज्ञाना: प्रपद्यन्तेडन्यदेवता: । तं त॑ं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियता: स्वया

Transliteration

kāmais tais tair hṛtajñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ | taṃ taṃ niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā ||

Translation

那些被种种欲望夺去辨别之智的人，便归依于别的神祇。受自身本性所驱使，他们遵行这样那样的戒律仪轨，礼拜诸神，只为求得所贪恋的种种享受。

Word by Word

• कामैः: by desires
• कामैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तैः: by those (various)
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• हृत-ज्ञानाः: whose knowledge is stolen/removed
• हृत-ज्ञानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत-ज्ञान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रपद्यन्ते: they resort to / take refuge in
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• अन्य-देवताः: other deities
• अन्य-देवताः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य-देवता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• तम्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: that (respective)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नियमम्: rule/observance
• नियमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having adopted/undertaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• प्रकृत्या: by (their) nature
• प्रकृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• नियताः: controlled/impelled
• नियताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वया: by their own
• स्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• anya-devatāḥ (other deities)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire-driven seeking narrows discernment: when people are ruled by particular cravings, they gravitate toward limited divine forms and corresponding rituals to obtain specific results, rather than pursuing the highest good with clear understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battlefield dialogue, Krishna explains to Arjuna why many people worship various deities: their minds, shaped by personal desires and innate tendencies (prakṛti), adopt particular vows and practices aimed at gaining desired enjoyments.