Gita 9.25
यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्।।
yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām
"Worshippers of the gods go to the gods; worshippers of ancestors go to ancestors; worshippers of spirits go to spirits; but My worshippers come to Me."
What This Means:
The destination matches the devotion: worship gods, go to gods. Worship ancestors, join ancestors. Worship spirits, merge with spirits. Worship Krishna, go to Krishna. You get what you seek.
Going Deeper:
This isn't hierarchy snobbery—it's cosmic law. Your attention shapes your trajectory. All these paths are valid for their purposes. But only the Krishna-aimed path leads to the source of all.
How To Apply This:
Where is your attention consistently directed? That's where you're heading. You can change direction anytime by changing where you place your devotion.
Key Sanskrit Terms:
Deva-vrata= Devoted to godsPitṛ-vrata= Devoted to ancestorsBhūtejya= Worshipper of spiritsMad-yājin= My worshipper