B.G 7.21-23

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति। तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥२१॥

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते। लभते च ततः कामान् मयैव विहितान् हि तान् ॥२२॥

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्। देवान् देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥२३॥

Whosoever desires to worship with faith whichever form (deity), I (the Supreme Lord) make that very faith of his steady and unwavering.

Endowed with that faith, he strives for the worship of that (deity) and obtains his desires, which are indeed granted by Me only.

Worshippers of the other gods with limited intelligence go to those gods and reap fruits that are perishable. But My devotees come to Me and reap (imperishable fruit) as well.

Gīta Bhāshya 7.21-23

Testimonials from Narada and Brahma-Vaivarta Purāṇa are provided to further substantiate the efficacy of showing devotion to Lord Krishna compared to worship of other deities.

यां यां ब्रह्मादिरूपां तनुम्।

'Whichever, Whichever' - expression indicates various forms beginning with Lord Brahmā.

उक्तं च नारदीये -

It is stated in Nārada Purana:

"अन्तो ब्रह्मादिभक्तानां मद्भक्तानाम् अनन्तता।"

"There is end (or boundary) for devotees of Brahmā and other lower deities, but there is no end to My (i.e. Lord Vishnu's) devotees."

-इति।

-stated thus.

"मुक्तश्च कां गतिं गच्छेत् मोक्षश्चैव किमात्मकः।"

"What destination would the one, liberated, attain? And, of what nature is liberation itself?"

इत्यादेः परिहारसन्दर्भाच्च मोक्षधर्मेषु।

While providing the resolution to such statements, in the 'mokṣadharm' section of Mahabharata, it is stated:

"अवतारे महाविष्णोः भक्तः कुत्र च मुच्यते।"

"Among the incarnation of Lord Mahā Viṣṇu, the devotee gets liberated by worshiping any of the forms."

-इत्यादेश्च ब्रह्मवैवर्ते ॥२१॥

- such are the directions from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purāṇa.

Gīta Tātparya 7.21-23

The distinction between the supreme lord Krishna and other deities and the distinction between the Lord and the other beings is brought out clearly in these verses.

...अचेतनया तन्मेयत्वात्तु मायया। लक्ष्म्या वशगया लोको विष्णुनैव विमोहितः॥ ये तु विष्णुं प्रपद्यन्ते ते मायां तां तरन्ति हि। लक्ष्मीः सा जडमाया या देवता ते उभे अपि॥

"... The insentient world is under the control of Lakṣmī, due to her association with Him (Lord Vishnu) and is certainly deluded by illusion, the Māyā. But those who surrender to Viṣṇu certainly cross over that Māyā. That Lakhmi is only both the insentient Māyā and the divinity Goddess.

विष्णोर्वशे ततोऽनन्यभक्त्या तं शरणं व्रजेत्। यादृशी तत्र भक्तिः स्यात् तादृश्यन्यत्र नैव चेत्॥ अनन्यभक्तिः सा ज्ञेया विष्णावेव तु सा भवेत्। अन्येषु वैष्णवत्वेन लक्ष्मीब्रह्महरादिषु॥

One should take refuge in Him with exclusive-devotion as everything is under His control. The kind of devotion that exists there (toward Viṣṇu) cannot exist elsewhere, certainly, never. "Exclusive-devotion" (ananya-bhakty) - should be understood as being directed only toward Viṣṇu. In others, such as Lakṣmī, Brahmā, Śiva, and others, it exists only in the context of their relationship with Viṣṇu (as Vaishnavas).

कुर्यात् भक्तिं नान्यथा तु तद्वशा एव ते यतः। एवं जानन् तमाप्नोति नान्यथा तु कथञ्चन॥

One should not perform devotion to others, as they are indeed under His (Lord Vishnu's) control. Knowing this, one attains Him, not otherwise, not by any other means.

पूर्णं वस्तु यतो ह्येको वासुदेवो न चापरः। एवंविद्दुर्लभो लोके यत्सर्वे मिश्रयाजिनः॥

The complete reality, the One, is the lord Vāsudeva alone, and there is no other. A knower of this truth is rare to find in the world, because most of them are seekers of mixed goals.

विष्णुं तत्परमज्ञात्वा रमाब्रह्महरादिकान्। यजन्नपि तमो घोरं नित्युदुःखं प्रयाति हि॥

Worshipping Lakṣmī, Brahmā, Śiva, and other gods, one falls into terrible ignorance and attains constant suffering, failing to recognize Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme.

अज्ञानां तु कुले जातो यावद्विष्णोः समर्चनम्। विष्णुतत्त्वं च जानीयात् तावत् सेवा पृथक् कृता॥

One is born into the lineage of the ignorant, until they engage in proper worship of lord Viṣṇu. Till one understands the essence of Viṣṇu, any service performed remains incomplete.

विद्याद्यैहिकभोगाय यदि बुद्ध्वा पुनर्नतु। परिवारताम् ऋते कुर्यादन्यदेवार्चनं क्वचित्॥ अजानता कृतं त्यक्तं न दोषाय भविष्यति। जन्मादिप्रदमेव स्यादत्यागे पुनरेव तु॥ क्षिप्रं च ज्ञापयत्येव भगवान् स्वयमेव तु। यदि जन्मान्तरे स्वीयो निमित्तीकृत्य कञ्चन॥"

इत्यादि च।

But, if one engages in the austerities of other deities at anytime without knowledge, but abandons the same after knowing there is no defect. If understanding well (the supremacy of Lord Vishnu) one engages in wordly enjoyment, then indeed, it becomes the cause of further birth and consequences. The Lord indeed quickly reveals (the truth) in current or subsequent birth through Himself or by making one of His own (devotees) the cause.

- and such statements.

'मत्त एवेति तान् विद्धि' इत्युपसंहाराच्च तत्तत्कारणत्वात् तत्तन्नामेत्यवसीयते। 'मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतम्' इति भेदेनैव उपक्रमाच्च। आप्नोति विष्णुमित्येव आत्म शब्दो ज्ञानिनि। 'यच्चाप्नोति यदादत्ते' इत्यादेः। 'आस्थितः स हि', 'मां प्रपद्यते' इत्यादि वाक्यशेषाच्च।

By concluding, 'Know them to be from Me alone' (7-12), it is determined that respective causes are responsible for respective identified names. The statement - 'All this is woven in Me' (7-7), indeed expresses distinction only (between the Lord and others) in the given context. The word 'ātma' in the context of 'attains Vishnu' indeed refers to the knower. There are such usages (in the Mahabharata) - 'That which attains and that which accepts', (referring to 'ātma'). (Distinction between supreme ātman and the being) is further clarified by expressions such as 'he who is established in Me,' and 'he surrenders to Me', etc.

[The quoted verse, referred by both Madhva and Shankara, is no longer part of BORI version of Mahabharata. The verse is 'यद् आप्नोति यद् आदत्ते यच् चाति विषयाणि च यच् चास्य सततो भावस् तस्माद् आत्मेति कीर्त्यते', which means 'That which attains, that which receives, that which transcends sense objects, and that which is its very nature — therefore, it is called the 'ātma'.]

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान् भवति। ततो मां प्रपद्यते। वासुदेवः सर्वमिति पूर्णमिति जानन्। 'प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः' इत्यादि वाक्यशेषे भेददर्शनाच्च।

In 7-19 it is stated: "At the end of many births, one endowed with knowledge attains Me, surrendering with the understanding that Vāsudeva is all and complete". Later, in 7-20, it is stated 'those surrendering to other deities'. This clearly shows the distinction (between Lord Vāsudeva and other deities).

"देवान् देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि"

"Those who worship the gods go to the gods, but My devotees come to Me". (7-23)

इति च।

- stated thus as well.

"ज्ञात्वा परत्वं विष्णोस्तु पृथग् देवान् यजन्नरः। याति देवांन् तदज्ञात्वा तम एव प्रपद्यते। तथापि यावदन्यैस्तु साम्यं हीनत्वमेकताम्। न निश्चिन्वन्ति जायन्ते संसारे ते पुनः पुनः॥"

“Even after knowing the supremacy of Vishnu, if a man worships the other gods as distinct, he goes to those gods, not knowing that he actually worships Me alone. Even so, as long as they do not determine inferiority of other gods and consider them to be equal to Me, they are born again and again in the cycle of worldly existence.”

इति च ॥२३॥

-stated thus as well (in ancient testimonial).