अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च ।न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥
ahaṃ hi sarvayajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te ||
- अहम् · aham
- I
- हि · hi
- indeed
- सर्वयज्ञानाम् · sarvayajñānām
- of all sacrifices
- भोक्ता · bhoktā
- the enjoyer, recipient
- प्रभुः · prabhuḥ
- the lord
- न अभिजानन्ति · na abhijānanti
- they do not truly know
- तत्त्वेन · tattvena
- in truth, in essence
- अतः · ataḥ
- hence
- च्यवन्ति · cyavanti
- they fall away
“For I am the enjoyer and lord of all sacrifices — but they do not know me in truth, and hence they fall away.”
— Original plain-language translation
The reason oblique worship fails to liberate: its object is misidentified. Every altar faces Krishna, but unknowing worship stops at the mask. Truth of object decides the fruit of worship.
— Reader's notes (original)