9.25

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्
पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः ।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या
यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥

yānti devavratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛvratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti madyājino 'pi mām

Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking to Arjuna (अर्जुन).

The verse

Those vowed to the gods go to the gods; those vowed to the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who sacrifice to beings go to beings; those who sacrifice to me go also to me.

नेपालीमा

देवतामा व्रत लिनेहरू देवताकहाँ जान्छन्, पितृमा व्रत लिनेहरू पितृकहाँ जान्छन्, भूतलाई यज्ञ गर्नेहरू भूतकहाँ जान्छन्, र मलाई यज्ञ गर्नेहरू मकहाँ पनि जान्छन्।

Where it sits

This closes the stretch that began with the slight. The confused look at a human body and think small of him. The worshippers go where their vow points. Heaven was one such road, and it returns the traveler. The road that ends at him is the sacrifice made to him.

Split: यान्ति + देव-व्रताः + देवान् + पितॄन् + यान्ति + पितृ-व्रताः + भूतानि + यान्ति + भूत-इज्याः + यान्ति + मत्-याजिनः + अपि + माम्

yānti + deva-vratāḥ + devān + pitṝn + yānti + pitṛ-vratāḥ + bhūtāni + yānti + bhūta-ijyāḥ + yānti + mat-yājinaḥ + api + mām

Sanskrit, in depth

The words

देवनागरी	Word	Grammar	Sense
यान्ति	yānti	present, 3rd plural	they go.
देव-व्रताः	deva-vratāḥ	nominative plural	those whose vow is the gods.
देवान्	devān	accusative plural	to the gods.
पितॄन्	pitṝn	accusative plural of pitṛ (पितृ)	to the ancestors.
यान्ति	yānti	present, 3rd plural	they go.
पितृ-व्रताः	pitṛ-vratāḥ	nominative plural	those whose vow is the ancestors.
भूतानि	bhūtāni	accusative plural	to the beings.
यान्ति	yānti	present, 3rd plural	they go.
भूत-इज्याः	bhūta-ijyāḥ	nominative plural	those who sacrifice to beings. ijyā (इज्या) is sacrifice.
यान्ति	yānti	present, 3rd plural	they go.
मत्-याजिनः	mat-yājinaḥ	nominative plural	those who sacrifice to me. yājin (याजिन्) is a sacrificer.
अपि	api	indeclinable	also.
माम्	mām	accusative	to me.

The phrases

yānti deva-vratāḥ devān (यान्ति देव-व्रताः देवान्) is the first road. Vow yourself to the gods, and you go to the gods. pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (पितॄन् यान्ति पितृ-व्रताः) is the same sentence for the ancestors.

भूतानि यान्ति भूत-इज्याः bhūtāni yānti bhūta-ijyāḥ is the third. Sacrifice to beings, go to beings. yānti mat-yājinaḥ api mām (यान्ति मत्-याजिनः अपि माम्) is the fourth. Those who sacrifice to him go to him.

Four vows, four destinations, one verb repeated. The last destination is him, not the heaven of 9.20.

Sanskrit in this line

मत् + याजिनः mat + yājinaḥ is recited madyājinaḥ (मद्याजिनः). t (त्) before y (य्) becomes d (द्). याजिनः + अपि yājinaḥ + api is then yājino 'pi (याजिनोऽपि): अः + अ aḥ + a becomes o ' (ओऽ), the avagraha you met in 9.1 and 9.23.

Say it back

Cover the English. Say the four destinations in order. If the last is heaven, stay here.