Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 22

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते । लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान्

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate | labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān

Translation

Possessed of that faith he engages in the worship of that (form); thence he obtains his desires, these being indeed ordained by Me.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

saḥ

he

tayā

(with) that

śraddhayā

with faith

yuktaḥ

united

tasya

of it

ārādhanam

worship

īhate

(he) obtains

labhate

(he) obtains

ca

and

tataḥ

thence

kāmān

desires

mayā

by me

eva

indeed

vihitān

decreed

hitān

benefits

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Possessed of that faith ordained by Me, he engages in the worship of that form of God. From the God worshipped in this form he obtains the objects of his desire as ordained by Me, the Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, as I alone know the precise relation between actions and their fruits. Because their desires are all ordained by the Lord Himself, therefore the devotees are sure to obtain them. Another interpretation is also given which would make the last part of the verse mean that desires are beneficial. But desires can be beneficial only in a secondary sense; for, strictly speaking, they are beneficial to nobody.