June 7, 2026
kāmais tais-tair hṛtajñānāḥ prapadyante ’nyadevatāḥ
taṁ-taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā (VII-20)
yo-yo yāṁ-yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śraddhayā ’rcitum iccḥati
tasya-tasyā ’calāṁ śraddhāṁ tām eva vidadhāṁy ahaṁ (VII-21
VII/20. Those whose wisdom has been rent away by this or
that desire go to other gods, following this or that rite, led
by their own nature.
VII/21. Whatsoever form any devotee desires to worship
with faith – that faith of his I make firm and unflinching.
Swamiji's Commentary
Here is a sample of the most wonderful Krishna-approach to any problem. A defective or negative aspect of our life, an imperfect or distorted vision of the truth, are not allowed to pass unnoticed, but they are not condemned outright. Every thing has its own place in creation – that which we call good, evil or neutral. It is easy to idealise but difficult for many and nearly impossible for the vast majority to put this concept into practice.
How often do we find the disastrous and arrogant attitude on the part of some religious leaders who profess to monopolise the truth whilst vehemently condemning all other faiths! What a colossal waste of time! What a loss of a great opportunity to embrace all and thus reach perfection! If only all religious leaders would mind their own business! There is no harm in glorifying their own viewpoint, but they should not bother to judge others. If they can, they should help those treading other paths, encouraging each in his own path, instead of disturbing the faith of others, proselytising with fervour and then leaving them untended and in the lurch.
The world would be a much happier place for everyone to live in if all were left to worship God in their own way. This understanding is the divine attitude. Krishna commands: strengthen everyone in his own faith: never disturb anyone’s faith.
The truth is that God or the infinite pervades the entire universe. There is nothing and nobody outside of it. Hence, verse twenty-one tells us: whatever the form in which the devotee wishes to adore God, let him do so. Even the materialist who, encouraged and motivated by his own desires and cravings, worships power or wealth, will eventually, in God’s good time, discover the futility of such worship and arrive at the pinnacle of Self-realization. A few seeds of divine thought sown in him will germinate in their own time, but an immature, premature leap will only be ineffective.