अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥
antavat tu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tad bhavaty alpamedhasām |devān devayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti mām api ||
- अन्तवत् · antavat
- ending, finite
- फलम् · phalam
- fruit
- अल्पमेधसाम् · alpamedhasām
- of small understanding
- देवान् · devān
- to gods
- देवयजः · devayajaḥ
- worshipers of gods
- यान्ति · yānti
- they go
- मद्भक्ताः · madbhaktāḥ
- my devotees
- माम् · mām
- to me
“But finite is the fruit for those of small understanding. Worshipers of the gods go to the gods; my devotees come to me.”
— Original plain-language translation
Destination matches devotion: limited aims yield limited returns, while Krishna-aimed love reaches him. Smallness lies in the goal, not the person. The verse invites enlarging one's object.
— Reader's notes (original)