Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 25

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः । भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्

yānti devavratā devānpitṝnyānti pitṛvratāḥ | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti madyājino'pi mām

Translation

Votaries of the Gods go to the Gods; to the Pitṛs go the votaries of the Pitṛs; to the Bhūtas go the worshippers of the Bhūtas; My worshippers come to Myself.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yānti

go

devavratāḥ

in the gods, vow, whose they

devān

to the gods

pitṝn

the pitṛs

yānti

go

pitṛvratāḥ

in the pitṛs, vow, whose they

bhūtāni

to the Bhūtas

yānti

go

bhūtejyāḥ

for the Bhūtas, sacrifice, whose they

yānti

go

madyājinaḥ

me, sacrifice, thus

api

also

mām

to me

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The votaries of the Gods, those whose devotion and vows are directed to the Gods, go to the Gods. The votaries of the Pitṛs such as the Agniṣvāttas, engaged in performing śrāddha and other rites in devotion to the Pitṛs, go to the Pitṛs. The Bhūtas are the Vināyakas, the hosts of Mātṛs, the four Bhaginīs and the like. My worshippers, i.e., Viṣṇu's votaries, come to Myself. Notwithstanding the equality of trouble, people do not worship Me alone, because of their ignorance. Wherefore they attain very small results.