काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा।।4.12।।
Longing for the fruition of their actions (of their rites and duties), they worship the gods here. For, in the human world, success from action comes quickly.
Osho’s Commentary
People who desire worldly success, says Krishna, worship the devas, the gods. Their prayers are for mundane things—wealth, power, victory. And success from such actions comes quickly in this world. This is the lower religion, the religion of the marketplace. It is a transaction. I will offer you this prayer, you give me that success. The divine is used as a means to a worldly end. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is a childish game. The true religion is where God is not the means, but the end itself. The prayer is not for something; the prayer itself is the fulfillment. The seeking is not for a result; the joy is in the seeking itself. The world of action gives quick results. The world of consciousness requires immense patience. A seed can become a plant in one season, but for that plant to become a great, ancient tree takes centuries. The path of the spirit is a path of deep patience, of waiting, of letting go.