Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 21 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 7 श्लोक 21 यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति। तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 7.21 Whichever form (of a deity) any devotee wants to worship with faith, that very firm faith of his I strengthen. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 7.21 Whatsoever form any devotee desires to worship with faith that (same) faith of his I make firm and unflinching. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 7.21. Whatever may be the form [of the deity] a devotee-whosoever he may be-desires to worship with faith, I assume that form which is firm and is according to [his] faith. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 7.21 यः who? यः who? याम् which? याम् which? तनुम् form? भक्तः devotee? श्रद्धया with faith? अर्चितुम् to worship? इच्छति desires? तस्य तस्य of him? अचलाम् unflinching? श्रद्धाम् faith? ताम् that? एव surely? विदधामि make? अहम् I.Commentary Tanu or body is used here in the sense of a Devata (god).The Lord? the indweller of all beings? makes the faith of that devotee who worships the lesser divinities? which is born of the Samskaras of his previous birth? steady and unswerving. (Cf.IV.11IX.22and23) English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 7.21 Yam yam, whichever; tanum, form of a deity; yah, any covetous person- among these people with desires; who, being endowed sraddhaya, with faith; and being a bhaktah, devotee; icchati, wants; arcitum, to worship; tam eva, that very; acalam, firm, steady; sraddham, faith; tasya, of his, of that particular covetous person-that very faith with which he desires to worship whatever form of a deity, in which (worship) he was earlier engaged under the impulsion of his own nature-; [Ast. takes the portion svabhavatah yo yam devata-tanum sraddhaya arcitum icchati with the next verse.-Tr.] vidadhami, I strengthen. English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 7.21 See Comment under 7.23 English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 7.21 These divinities too constitute My body as taught in the Sruti text like: He who, dwelling in the sun, whom the sun does not know, whose body is the sun (Br. U., 3.7.9). Whichever devotee seeks to worship with faith whatever form of Mine, such as the Indra, although not knowing these divinities to be My forms, I consider his faith as being directed to My bodies or manifestations, and make his faith steadfast, i.e., make it free from obstacles. Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji You should not say that the devata, pleased with being worshiped, will produce faith in worshipping the Supreme Lord, in order to give benefit of their worshippers. As those devatas cannot even produce faith in those people to worship the devatas, how then can they produce faith to worship me? When those people desire to worship forms (tanum) such as Surya, which are actually my forms since they are my vibhutis, I, as paramatma, give the faith in those forms of devatas. The devatas do not give the faith. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Amongst those who worship a particular demigod which represents a potency of Lord Krishna then He as paramatma the Supreme Soul within all sentient beings monitoring every thought and action, makes such devotees faith steady and stable. Of others who worship illusory gods, His external potency known as Maya the deluding illusory energy keeps them steadily following the illusion of their erroneous philosophies and speculative theosophies that have no validity not being verified as bonafide in the Vedic scriptures. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The words yam yam tanum means according to whichever demigod such as Brahma the architect of creation, Indra the celestial chief, or Laxsmi the goddess of wealth. The Narada Purana states: There will be cessation to the votaries of Brahma and others due to their temporary nature; but for the devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna there is no cessation due to His eternal nature. What is the goal of moksa or liberation from the cycle of birth and death? Where does the atma or soul go after attaining moksa? All these considerations are deliberated upon in the chapters of the Bhagavad- Gita dealing with liberation. Even though the avatars or incarnations of the Supreme Lord are numerous and His expansions are unlimited, moksa is guaranteed and assured to the devotee who devoutly worships any one of them. This has been revealed in the Brahma Vaivartaka Purana. Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The demigods such as Indra the celestial chief, Surya the sungod and all others constitute the body of the Supreme Lord as stated in the Taittiriya Upanisad V.I. Although those who worship the demigods are ignorant of this truth as declared in Vedic scriptures. In the Brihad-aranyaka Upanisad V.VII.IX beginning ya aditye tish than yam adityo na veda it states: Who is seated in the sun, but whom the sun knoweth not, whom the sun is comprised of etc. Whomsoever wishes to worship the demigods, the Supreme Lord sanctions that they have unwavering and stable faith in that endeavour because that very faith is given to that which is a part of my universal form and constitutes the Supreme Lord Krishnas body. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The demigods such as Indra the celestial chief, Surya the sungod and all others constitute the body of the Supreme Lord as stated in the Taittiriya Upanisad V.I. Although those who worship the demigods are ignorant of this truth as declared in Vedic scriptures. In the Brihad-aranyaka Upanisad V.VII.IX beginning ya aditye tish than yam adityo na veda it states: Who is seated in the sun, but whom the sun knoweth not, whom the sun is comprised of etc. Whomsoever wishes to worship the demigods, the Supreme Lord sanctions that they have unwavering and stable faith in that endeavour because that very faith is given to that which is a part of my universal form and constitutes the Supreme Lord Krishnas body. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 7.21Yo yo yaam yaam tanum bhaktah shraddhayaarchitum icchati; Tasya tasyaachalaam shraddhaam taameva vidadhaamyaham. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 7.21yaḥ yaḥ—whoever; yām yām—whichever; tanum—form; bhaktaḥ—devotee; śhraddhayā—with faith; architum—to worship; ichchhati—desires; tasya tasya—to him; achalām—steady; śhraddhām—faith; tām—in that; eva—certainly; vidadhāmi—bestow; aham—I