येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
ye 'py anyadevatā bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ | te 'pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhipūrvakam ||
- ये अपि · ye api
- even those who
- अन्यदेवताः · anyadevatāḥ
- other gods
- भक्ताः · bhaktāḥ
- devoted
- यजन्ते · yajante
- they worship, sacrifice to
- श्रद्धयान्विताः · śraddhayānvitāḥ
- joined with faith
- माम् एव · mām eva
- me alone, me indeed
- कौन्तेय · kaunteya
- O son of Kunti
- अविधिपूर्वकम् · avidhipūrvakam
- not in the right manner
“Even those devoted to other gods, worshipping with faith, O Kaunteya — they too worship me alone, though not in the right manner.”
— Original plain-language translation
Other worship is neither damned nor equated: its faith genuinely reaches Krishna, but obliquely. Right manner means knowing him as the true recipient. Inclusiveness and hierarchy are held together.
— Reader's notes (original)