SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ
prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya
prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā
‘Deprived of knowledge by various desires, and impelled by nature,[1. These are tendencies, or natural instincts derived from habits cultivated in prior lives. These old reminiscences influence man.] men take to worship other divinities (devatās), imposing on themselves appropriate obligations therefor.'[2. Obligations are the course of conduct one will have to adopt in order to propitiate, and ingratiate oneself into the graces of any of the lower gods of his choice.]
All worldly people indeed are impelled by their material inclinations. They are environed by such influences, it is meant. The material inclinations or impulses are the tendencies or instincts of old sins, in relation to guṇa-impregnate objects. These tendencies give birth to fresh longings for guṇa-sated things. And these desires rob people of their knowledge (or understanding) concerning Me. In order to gain their (material) desires, they resort to other lower deities different from Me, like the ordinary deity Indra etc. And observing such ritualistic rules and regulations as are laid down (in Śāstras), in order to propitiate such lower divinities, they place faith in them, and worship them.
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