Sanskrit
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयाऽर्चितुमिच्छति । तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥ २१ ॥
yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitum icchati tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tām eva vidadhāmy aham
Translation
Any devotee who seeketh to worship with faith any such aspect, I verily bestow the unswerving faith of that man.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Notably permissive: Krishna doesn’t merely tolerate worship of other deities, he actively supplies the faith (śraddhā) that sustains it, whatever form the devotee chooses. This sits deliberately in tension with verse 15’s harsher line about those who never approach at all — the difference isn’t sincerity of devotion but its object and its motive, which verse 23 goes on to grade rather than condemn. Krishna as the source of the faith even in worship aimed elsewhere is the chapter’s most generous move: the acalā śraddhā, “unshakable faith,” of the misdirected devotee is still his gift. Chapter 17 types faith itself by guṇa.
Study deeper
Word by word
- yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥयो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः
- whatever form any devotee (yaḥ + yaḥ + yām + yām + tanum + bhaktaḥ)
- śraddhayārcitum icchatiश्रद्धयार्चितुं इच्छति
- wishes to worship with faith (śraddhayā + arcitum + icchati)
- tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃतस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां
- of that one, that unwavering faith (tasya + tasya + acalām + śraddhām)
- tām eva vidadhāmy ahamतां एव विदधांय् अहं
- that very [faith] I make firm (tām + eva + vidadhāmi + aham)
Commentary
Site Commentary
One verse after describing desire as having stolen someone’s discernment, Krishna doesn’t wait for that discernment to be restored before responding — he simply supplies steady faith to whatever form the person, in that diminished state, still manages to reach for. Judgment and generosity sit back to back here without resolving into each other: the verdict on the choice stands, and the support for the person making it stands too.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- You can hold a clear-eyed verdict on a choice you're making — that it isn't the best path — and still meet yourself with genuine support while you're in it. Judgment about the direction and compassion for the person taking it aren't required to cancel each other out.
Professional
- You can be honest that a team's chosen approach isn't the strongest one available and still fully support them in executing it well — withholding support until they pick the 'right' approach usually costs more than it teaches. Hold the critique and the backing at once.
Family & Social
- You can tell someone close to you plainly that you think their choice isn't the wisest one, and still show up fully for them as they live it out. The honest verdict and the unconditional support don't have to wait for each other.
Ask yourself
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