Sanskrit
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् । देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥ २३ ॥
antavat tu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tad bhavaty alpamedhasām devān devayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti mām api
Translation
Finite indeed the fruit that belongeth to those who are of small intelligence. To the Shining Ones go the worshippers of the Shining Ones, but my devotees come unto Me.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The verdict on verses 20-22’s arrangement: the fruit obtained through other gods is real but finite (antavat), reserved for those “of small intelligence,” set directly against devotees who “come unto Me.” It’s a quality distinction, not a denial that the other path works — echoing the same ranking logic verse 16’s fourfold taxonomy already established, where every category is legitimate but not equally realized. Antavat phalam — “fruit that ends” — is the whole critique: the other worship works, but delivers something that runs out. The difference is destination — devān… yānti versus mām… yānti — which bhakti settles by its object.
Study deeper
Word by word
- antavat tu phalaṃ teṣāṃअन्तवत् तु फलं तेषां
- but their fruit is finite (antavat + tu + phalam + teṣām)
- tad bhavaty alpamedhasāmतद् भवत्य् अल्पमेधसां
- it is for those of small wit (tat + bhavati + alpa-medhasām)
- devān devayajo yāntiदेवान् देवयजो यान्ति
- worshippers of the gods go to the gods (devān + deva-yajaḥ + yānti)
- madbhaktā yānti mām apiमद्भक्ता यान्ति मां अपि
- My devotees come to Me (mat-bhaktāḥ + yānti + mām + api)
Commentary
Site Commentary
“Finite” here, antavat, is the exact opposite of avyaya, “imperishable,” the word this same chapter keeps using for Krishna himself in verses 13, 24, and 25. The two words aren’t picked at random — they’re a matched pair, quietly telling you that the difference between the two paths isn’t sincerity or effort but which of these two words eventually applies to what you get.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- Before chasing a shortcut that promises quick results, ask honestly which of two words eventually applies to what you'll get: something finite that runs out, or something durable that doesn't. Both paths can work, but they don't produce the same kind of outcome, and it's worth knowing which one you're actually choosing.
Professional
- Before optimizing for a quick win — a metric that looks good this quarter — ask whether the result you're building toward is finite, decaying and needing repetition, or durable and compounding. Both are legitimate strategies, but conflating them is how short-term wins quietly erode long-term position.
Family & Social
- Before choosing the easier, faster way to resolve a family conflict — a quick appeasement instead of a real conversation — ask whether the peace you're buying is finite or durable. Both can look like resolution in the moment, but only one actually holds.
Ask yourself
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