Sanskrit
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् । देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥ २३ ॥
antavat tu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tad bhavaty alpamedhasām devān devayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti mām api
Translation
Finite indeed the fruit that belongeth to those who are of small intelligence. To the Shining Ones go the worshippers of the Shining Ones, but my devotees come unto Me.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The verdict on verses 20-22’s arrangement: the fruit obtained through other gods is real but finite (antavat), reserved for those “of small intelligence,” set directly against devotees who “come unto Me.” It’s a quality distinction, not a denial that the other path works — echoing the same ranking logic verse 16’s fourfold taxonomy already established, where every category is legitimate but not equally realized.