BG 07.22 sa taya sraddhaya yuktas... cited

Expressions researched:
"he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires" |"labhate ca tatah kaman" |"mayaiva vihitan hi tan" |"sa taya sraddhaya yuktas" |"tasyaradhanam ihate" |"these benefits are bestowed by Me alone"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "7.22" or "he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires" or "labhate ca tatah kaman" or "mayaiva vihitan hi tan" or "sa taya sraddhaya yuktas" or "tasyaradhanam ihate" or "these benefits are bestowed by Me alone"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 7.22, Translation and Purport:

Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.

The demigods cannot award benedictions to their devotees without the permission of the Supreme Lord. The living entity may forget that everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, but the demigods do not forget. So the worship of demigods and achievement of desired results are due not to the demigods but to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by arrangement. The less intelligent living entity does not know this, and therefore he foolishly goes to the demigods for some benefit. But the pure devotee, when in need of something, prays only to the Supreme Lord. Asking for material benefit, however, is not a sign of a pure devotee. A living entity goes to the demigods usually because he is mad to fulfill his lust. This happens when something undue is desired by the living entity and the Lord Himself does not fulfill the desire. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that one who worships the Supreme Lord and at the same time desires material enjoyment is contradictory in his desires. Devotional service to the Supreme Lord and the worship of a demigod cannot be on the same platform, because worship of a demigod is material and devotional service to the Supreme Lord is completely spiritual.

For the living entity who desires to return to Godhead, material desires are impediments. A pure devotee of the Lord is therefore not awarded the material benefits desired by less intelligent living entities, who therefore prefer to worship demigods of the material world rather than engage in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 24:

First, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, there is no need to worship the demigods for any material advancement; all results derived from worshiping the demigods are simply temporary, and only those who are less intelligent are interested in temporary results. Second, whatever temporary result one derives from worshiping the demigods is actually granted by the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayaiva vihitān hi tān. Whatever benefit is supposed to be derived from the demigods is actually bestowed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot bestow any benefit upon others.

Krsna Book 40:

According to the Vedic principles, when a worshiper worships a particular demigod, he also conducts some ritual for Nārāyaṇa, Yajñeśvara, for, as it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, the demigods cannot fulfill the desires of their worshipers without the sanction of Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. The exact words used in the Bhagavad-gītā are mayaiva vihitān hi tān, which mean that the demigods can award some benediction after being authorized by the Supreme Lord. When a demigod worshiper comes to his senses, he can reason as follows: "The demigods can offer benedictions only after being empowered by the Supreme Lord, so why not worship the Supreme Lord directly?"

Krsna Book 63:

Here in this narration we find that although Bāṇāsura was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, when he faced death by Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śiva was not able to save him. But Lord Śiva appealed to Kṛṣṇa to save his devotee, and this was sanctioned by the Lord. This is the position of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The exact words used in this connection in the Bhagavad-gītā are mayaiva vihitān hi tān. This means that without the sanction of the Supreme Lord, no demigod can award any benediction to his worshiper.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.5:

Worship of demigods is indirect, inferior, and unsystematic worship of the Supreme Lord. Those who are too attached to fulfilling their material desires are naturally more attracted to the energy than to the Energetic, the source of that energy. Hence in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.21-22) Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ

śraddhayārcitum icchati

tasya tasyācalāṁ śraddhāṁ

tām eva vidadhāmy aham

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas

tasyārādhanam īhate

labhate ca tataḥ kāmān

mayaiva vihitān hi tan

I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtain his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

But people will not accept this simple thing which will give him complete perfection. But māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ, because they have taken the atheistic view, āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ, therefore māyā has taken his knowledge. They..., everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. If we worship other demigod, they cannot independently offer you any benediction. Kṛṣṇa said, mayaiva vihitān hi tān. They have to take sanction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead before giving you the benediction. But still such benediction is temporary, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). They are temporary.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

That is not good. So he must take the superior sanction, that "Shall I give him?" Similarly, all these demigods, they cannot give you anything directly. With the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ... Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. That benefit which they derive from the demigod, that is ordained by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says. When the demigod appeals to Kṛṣṇa that "This person is hankering after this thing, and he's worshiping me," so just to keep the position of the demigod, Kṛṣṇa says "All right, give him." Because the demigods are servant of Kṛṣṇa. So one has approached the servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Even there is worship of any other demigod, just like Durgā-pūjā, so even in that paraphernalia of gorgeous worshiping arrangement, when the worship will begin, the first worship is offered to Viṣṇu, Yajñeśvara, because, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are mad after material sense gratification, they go and worship other demigods to have some immediate reward." And they get it. But how they get it? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayaiva vihitān hi tān: "They cannot have that reward without My sanction." Because the demigods, they are also subordinate servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the demigods, although they can give you the reward which you want, but with the permission of the Supreme Lord... Because they are not fools. If somebody, some of you, somebody comes, outsider, and asks from this institution, our Society, that "Please give me this," so you can deliver it, but you will take permission from me. That is a common custom. Similarly, the demigods also, they cannot offer their reward without sanction of Viṣṇu. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Then next.

Pradyumna:

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas

tasyārādhanam īhate

labhate ca tataḥ kāmān

mayaiva vihitān hi tān

Prabhupāda: That also kāmān. Whatever benediction they get, that is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. They cannot give it independently. You can keep it here. These six volumes are already published.

Ambassador: Oh, I see, Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: But, uh, no, this is Bhāgavatam.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: The second half of that verse says that "As they surrender unto Me I reward accordingly," So it's not that everybody gets the same results.

Prabhupāda: Yes, accordingly, because nothing can happen without Kṛṣṇa's desire. Even if you want some benefit from the demigods, that must be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. That is stated. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. Find out. Ye 'py anya-devatā. Ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktāḥ. (break)

Bhavānanda: They also say that everything... They accept everything as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Everything is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and everyone has same qualities as Kṛṣṇa.