Gita 09.23 explained

Now Krishna will talk about Demigod worshipers. How are they contrast with pure devotees. One thing He said is it is temporary whereas devotees I will protect and preserve, but He further develops the contrast.

Bg 9.23

ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

Word for word: 

ye — those who; api — also; anya — of other; devatā — gods; bhaktāḥ — devotees; yajante — worship;śraddhayā anvitāḥ — with faith; te — they; api — also; mām — Me; eva — only; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī;yajanti — they worship; avidhi–pūrvakam — in a wrong way.

Translation: 

Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.

ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā, those who are devotees of other devatas

What happens to them?

yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ, they worship faithfully śraddhayānvitāḥ,

te ’pi mām eva kaunteya, O Kaunteya they also yajante mam only

but it is avidhi-pūrvakam, it is improperly, it is in wrong way

Krishna is clearly differentiating Mam and anya-devatā-bhaktā,

yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ, they worship with sraddha. śraddhayānvitāḥ is identical the word used in 7

th chapter, 7.20 to 7.23 Krishna talked about demigod worship, in 7th chapter Krishna said it is I who give sraddha by which they will become elevated so e.g. we have discussed a prince has gone from Kingdom and king wanted to get back to him and he send his minister and get them at least in the kingdom and the prince is working with minister. So avidhi-pūrvakam means a prince need not have to work with minister he can be with father and happily and lovingly server the father that would be far better but unfortunately people do not do that.

There are many Gita Commentators who translate this verse and some popular Hindu website also this verse is translated and last part avidhi-pūrvakamis removed entirely so what they put is those who worship other god also worship Me, this is called misrepresentation of Gita’s message, this is graphic example because it is correct what they are saying but it is not complete it is so viciously misleading that the most essential thrust of the verse is lost. Yes they also worship Me te ’pi mām eva kaunteya they also worship Me certainly, but how yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam, now what is the emphasis that they worship Me or avidhi-pūrvakam to understand that we have to look at the context.

Many people is having idea that don’t create conflict between people just assume that all god is one whichever god you are worshiping you are worshipping same Absolute Truth ultimately. Well we may want to believe certain things out of sentiment but is it a reality? Is worshiping any god is same as worshiping Krishna, if you look at Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam it doesn’t say that. BG takes about anya-devata and Mam and Krishna has talked about this earlier also He has talked about how those who worship devatas are less intelligent, alpa-medhsah 7.23 He says and He says they do not go back to liberation they stay in material world and they go to devatas so it is not that they all reach the same destination.

So both are important but relatively avidhi-pūrvakam is what Krishna is stressing and how we understand that let us look at next verse for this.

Srila Prabhpada’s Purport: The officers and directors are engaged as representatives of the government, and to offer some bribe to the officers and directors is illegal. This is stated here as avidhi-pūrvakam.

So is it illegal? Demigod worship is given in vedas only, it is part of vedic culture so it is definitely legal so why it should be compared to something illegal like bribing, point which Srila Prabhpada is making is how it is improper, Demigod worship is not illegal from vedic culture point of view it is also part of Vedic culture, vedic culture has multi-level version, those who has lower modes they have corresponding form of worship which will attract them and elevate them gradually, but ultimate goal of vedic worship is to take a person to the level of transcendence and a transcendence person will serve God with pure love and he has no other desire, so avidhi-pūrvakam which Srila Prabhupada mentioned is from the perspective of ultimate goal. Even Krishna has said in 18.66 Serva Dharmam Paritajya Mam Eakam sernam vraja, so He only is giving various dharma which comprise the vedic culture but then He is telling focus on Mam Eakam Sernam Vraja, just surrender unto Me, Svabhava Raktas Jugopshitam, Vyasa Dev is chastised mildly by Narad Muni when he said that Svabhava Raktas, people are by nature materialistic and you have sanctioned their materialism in the name of religion, the result of that will be people will continue on materialism and think that they are doing it according to your will in your name and they will not get elevated Jugopshitam, means abominable, regrettable it is very strong word to use, for a Guru to chastise a disciple as exalted as a Vyasa Dev.

So the point is there is a vedic progressive perspective which says demigod worship is good but from transcendental perspective anything short of or less then devotional service is cheating, Kaitav Dharma, cheating dharma as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam that is emphasised in this verse also, and Srila Prabhupada explanation of avidhi purvakam.

End of transcription.