Devanagari
श्रीउद्धव उवाच
क्रियायोगं समाचक्ष्व भवदाराधनं प्रभो ।
यस्मात्त्वां ये यथार्चन्ति सात्वता: सात्वतर्षभ ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-uddhava uvāca
kriyā-yogaṁ samācakṣva
bhavad-ārādhanaṁ prabho
yasmāt tvāṁ ye yathārcanti
sātvatāḥ sātvatarṣabha
Synonyms
śrī
—
uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said
;
kriyā
—
yogam — the prescribed method of activity
;
samācakṣva
—
please explain
;
bhavat
—
of You
;
ārādhanam
—
the Deity worship
;
prabho
—
O Lord
;
yasmāt
—
based on what kind of form
;
tvām
—
You
;
ye
—
who
;
yathā
—
in what manner
;
arcanti
—
they worship
;
sātvatāḥ
—
the devotees
;
sātvata
—
ṛṣabha — O master of the devotees .
Translation
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, O master of the devotees, please explain to me the prescribed method of worshiping You in Your Deity form. What are the qualifications of those devotees who worship the Deity, on what basis is such worship established, and what is the specific method of worship?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Uddhava said: O Lord, O master of the devotees! Please explain your worship called kriyā-yoga, taking shelter of which the devotees worship you in the proper way.
In the Twenty-seventh Chapter, Kṛṣṇa describes bhakti in the form of deity worship, called kriyā-yoga, along with the various articles of worship, while engaging in one’s prescribed duties. Bhakti without association of devotees is difficult for persons whose minds are attached to sons and wife. Uddhava asks about such persons, who follow deity worship mentioned in the scriptures in order to free them from this attachment. Describe kriyā-yoga, taking shelter of which (yasmāt) the devotees worship you.
Purport
In addition to performing their prescribed duties, devotees of the Lord engage in regulated worship of the Lord in His Deity form in the temple. Such worship acts powerfully to cleanse the heart of both the lust to enjoy one’s material body and the material family attachment that results directly from this lust. To be effective, however, the process of Deity worship must be performed in the authorized way. Therefore Uddhava now inquires from the Lord about this subject.