Why dost Thou say that they worship in ignorance?—For,
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च ।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥ २४ ॥
ahaṃ hi sarvayajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhureva ca .
na tu māmabhijānanti tattvenātaścyavanti te .. 24 ..
Read the commentary
As the Devatā* (i.e., as the God to whom sacrifices are offered) I am the Enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices enjoined in the sruti and the smriti. I am indeed the Lord of yajna or sacrifice, as said in viii, 4. So they do not know Me as I am; whence, having worshipped in ignorance, they fail to attain the fruit of the sacrifice.†
As the Vasus and other Devatas to whom the sacrifices are offered, I am the Enjoyer of all sacrifices; and as the Antaryamin, as the Inner Regulator of the Universe, I am the Lord of all sacrifices.
Not having dedicated their actions to Me, they return to this world from the region to which they attain as the result of their sacrifice.
The fruit of sacrifice certainly accrues ‡ to them also who devoted to other gods, worship Me in ignorance.—How?—
The worship of the Gods is not quite useless. The worshippers do attain results suited to the form of worship, but they have to return to this world after a time.