What you worship reveals your inner guna.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः |प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ||१७-४||
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ . pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||17-4||
Use this verse to identify your hidden worship patterns.
Meaning
Sattvic people worship the devas; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas; tamasic people worship ghosts and spirits.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
The object of worship reflects the quality of one’s faith.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna shows that faith expresses itself through what we seek power from. Sattva seeks higher light, rajas seeks force and gain, and tamas seeks darker or confused powers.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna now shows how the three kinds of faith express themselves outwardly in whom and what people worship. The sattvic, drawn toward harmony and light, turn naturally to the devas — the higher, benevolent powers. The rajasic, hungry for wealth and might, propitiate Yakshas and Rakshasas — figures associated with riches and power. The tamasic, lost in fear and confusion, cling to ghosts and lesser spirits.
The verse is not merely a catalogue of ancient cults; it is a mirror of motive. What we venerate reveals what we crave. A life oriented toward virtue and clarity gravitates upward; a life ruled by ambition reaches for power; a life darkened by delusion grasps at the shadowy and superstitious. The object of our reverence quietly discloses the guna ruling our heart.
In daily life
Notice whether your devotion seeks light, power, or escape.
A person may spiritually chase quick power, influence, or fear-based practices instead of clarity and surrender.
Try this today
Identify one hidden object of worship in your life.
I direct my faith toward light and dharma.Reflect
What am I really worshipping through my choices?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘देवान्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on motivation, in other chapters
- Verse 7.16Whatever motive first turns you toward the Divine — pain, curiosity, or need — is a valid and welcomed beginning.
- Verse 14.16The inner quality behind your actions, not just their outcome, decides whether you harvest peace, pain, or confusion.
- Verse 9.23Every sincere act of worship reaches the one Reality behind all forms, though clearer understanding deepens its fruit.
- Verse 12.2A mind fixed on God, steady practice, and supreme faith together make the most complete yogi.
Swipe left for 17.5 · Spiritual discipline must be guided by wisdom.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.4
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.4, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.4, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.4 mean?
Sattvic people worship the devas; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas; tamasic people worship ghosts and spirits. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.4 for daily life?
Notice whether your devotion seeks light, power, or escape. A person may spiritually chase quick power, influence, or fear-based practices instead of clarity and surrender.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.4 mean?
यजन्ते — worship; सात्त्विकाः — those of sattvic nature; देवान् — the gods / celestial beings; यक्षरक्षांसि — the Yakshas and Rakshasas; राजसाः — those of rajasic nature.
Where does verse 17.4 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 4 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.5.