यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः ।भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥
yānti devavratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛvratāḥ | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti madyājino 'pi mām ||
- यान्ति · yānti
- they go to
- देवव्रताः · devavratāḥ
- vowed to the gods
- देवान् · devān
- the gods
- पितॄन् · pitṝn
- the ancestors
- पितृव्रताः · pitṛvratāḥ
- vowed to the ancestors
- भूतानि · bhūtāni
- spirits, beings
- भूतेज्याः · bhūtejyāḥ
- worshippers of spirits
- मद्याजिनः · madyājinaḥ
- my worshippers
- माम् · mām
- to me
“Vowed to the gods, they go to the gods; vowed to the ancestors, to the ancestors; worshippers of spirits go to spirits. My worshippers come to me.”
— Original plain-language translation
Worship is destiny: you reach what you vow yourself to. The symmetry is exact across four devotions — only the last ends beyond return. Choice of object is choice of future.
— Reader's notes (original)