BG 17.4
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥
yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ
pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ
pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ
Word-for-word meanings
sāttvikāḥ — those who have a sāttvika dispostion; yajante — worship; devān — the devas; rājasāḥ — those with a rājasika disposition; yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi — [worship] the yakṣas and rākṣasas; anye — [whereas] other; janāḥ — people; tāmasāḥ — of tāmasika disposition; yajante — worship; pretān — ghosts; ca — and; bhūta-gaṇān — evil spirits.
Translation
Those who have a sāttvika disposition worship the devas, those with a rājasika disposition worship the yakṣas and rākṣasas*, whereas other people of tāmasika disposition worship ghosts and evil spirits.
Notes
* Yakṣas and rākṣasas are types of semi-celestial beings below the class of the devas. Yakṣas are associates of Kubera, the god of wealth. Rākṣasas are also known as man-eaters.