येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ।। ९.२३ ।।

ye’py-anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |
te’pi mām-eva kaunteya yajanty-avidhi-pūrvakam || 9.23 ||

Devotional sadhana – right perspective

Exclusiveness is the one quality that is paramount in devotional pursuit. Krishna stressed this, explaining what such a pursuit would fetch. As a corollary and also as a timely guideline, he indicates what would befall those who, misled by wrong attitudes and practices, worship various other deities:

Those who, with devotion and piety, worship other deities, they also worship Me (the Supreme) alone, but not in ordained manner.

Krishna makes it clear that worship will be effective only when it is wholesome. Such wholesomeness is accomplished through exclusiveness in devotion. To be exclusive, the mind and intelligence alone need be used. True worship is solely based upon one’s own inner being. Outer elements become redundant.