यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥
yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |pretān bhūtagaṇāṃś cānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||
- यजन्ते · yajante
- they worship
- सात्त्विकाः · sāttvikāḥ
- the lucid
- देवान् · devān
- the shining gods
- यक्षरक्षांसि · yakṣarakṣāṃsi
- yakshas and rakshasas (powers of wealth and force)
- राजसाः · rājasāḥ
- the passionate
- प्रेतान् · pretān
- ghosts of the dead
- भूतगणान् · bhūtagaṇān
- hosts of spirits
- अन्ये · anye
- others
- तामसाः · tāmasāḥ
- the dark
- जनाः · janāḥ
- people
“The lucid worship the shining gods; the passionate worship yakshas and rakshasas; the dark worship ghosts and hosts of spirits.”
— Original plain-language translation
Worship reveals the worshipper: the object chosen mirrors the heart's level. Each gets what it seeks — light, power, or darkness. The verse answers Arjuna directly: unguided faith sorts itself by guna, and its fruits follow suit.
— Reader's notes (original)