कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः | तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया || २० ||
kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā
kāmaiḥ—by desires; taiḥ taiḥ—by various; hṛta-jñānāḥ—those whose knowledge has been taken away; prapadyante—surrender; anya-devatāḥ—to other gods; tam tam—corresponding; niyamam—regulations; āsthāya—following; prakṛtyā—by their own nature; niyatāḥ—controlled.
“Those whose knowledge has been carried away by various desires surrender to other deities, following various rules and rituals, being compelled by their own nature.”
The worship of other deities is not condemned here; it is explained. When the mind is coloured by particular desires—for wealth, health, or power—it naturally tends toward deities associated with those domains. This is not wrong, but it is limited. The desires (kāmas) distort the vision and narrow the devotion.
Check whether your spiritual practice is driven by what you want to get or by a genuine love of truth. Desire-driven practice is not worthless, but it keeps the seeker cycling through limited results. Gradually shift your motivation from petitionary to appreciative—practising gratitude and devotion independent of any particular outcome.