Verse 7.21

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 7.21:

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुम् इच्छति ।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां ताम् एव विदधाम्य् अहम् ॥ २१ ॥

yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitum icchati |
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tām eva vidadhāmy aham || 21 ||

yaḥ yaḥ–whichever; yām yām tanum–whichever form of the demigods; bhaktaḥ–[fruitive] devotee; śraddhayā–with faith; arcitum–to worship; icchati–desires; tasya tasya–to that particular devotee; acalām–unshakeable;śraddhām–faith; tām–in that (demigod); eva–certainly; vidadhāmi aham–I bestow.

Whichever demigod the fruitive devotee wants to faithfully worship, I, as the indwelling witness of everything, make his faith in that particular demigod unflinching.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Arjuna may say, “For the auspiciousness of their devotees, those demigods generate within those devotees faith in bhakti to You, being pleased by their worship.” To this, Śrī Bhagavān responds by saying, “No, it is not so. The demigods are unable to generate faith in devotion to themselves, so how can they generate faith in bhakti to Me?” For this reason He speaks this verse beginning with the words yo yo yam. “Whichever demigod they may want to worship, such as Sūrya, who is but one of My opulences, I, the indwelling Antaryāmī and witness of everything, inspire their faith in that particular demigod and not in Me. Even those demigods are unable to generate faith in Me.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Some think that as a result of their worshipping the demigods, faith in devotion to Bhagavān will be inspired in their hearts. However, Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains that it is He as Antaryāmī, the indwelling Supersoul, who gives the demigod worshippers steady faith in whichever demigod they care to worship according to their desires, although the demigods are nothing but His own potencies, or vibhūti. He does not inspire faith in Himself in the hearts of those who are averse to Him. If the demigods cannot generate faith towards themselves in their worshippers, how, then, can they create faith in Bhagavān?