Depending on one’s understanding of Krishna, one may approach Him accordingly. Those who are deluded consider Krishna’s form to be ordinary and therefore deride Krishna even when He is presenting Himself in the supreme transcendental form. (BG 9.11)
On the other hand, those who are not deluded, the great souls (mahātmānas), are under the shelter (āśritāḥ) of the divine nature (daivīṁ prakṛtim). They are exclusively (ananya-manaso) and directly engaged in Krishna’s devotional service (bhajanty) knowing (jñātvā) Krishna as the inexhaustible (avyayam) source of everyone (bhūtādim). (BG 9.13) How exactly are they engaged? Always (satataṁ) chanting Krishna’s (māṁ) glories (kīrtayanto), endeavoring (yatantaś) with great determination (dṛḍha-vratāḥ), and bowing down (namasyantaś) before Krishna (māṁ), these great souls are eternally engaged (nitya-yuktā) with devotion (bhaktyā). (BG 9.14)
Yet others (anye), who engage in the sacrifice of knowledge (jñāna-yajñena), worship Krishna (mām) in oneness (ekatvena), in diverse forms (pṛthaktvena bahudhā), or in the universal form (viśvato-mukham). (BG 9.15) These are 3 categories of indirect worshipers of Krishna, who had been referred to as jñānīs (in BG 7.16) but of lower order. Those who deride the transcendental form of Krishna (BG 9.11–12) tend to worship Krishna in oneness or think of themselves as one with Krishna.
Krishna next elaborates on the vision of the worshipers of the universal form, who conceive of Krishna’s universal form within the manifest universe. They see Krishna (ahaṁ) as the ritual (kratur), the sacrifice (yajñaḥ), the oblation (svadhā), the healing herb (auṣadham), the transcendental chant (mantro), the clarified butter (ājyam), the fire (agnir), and the offering (hutam). (BG 9.16)
