To work for a certain attainment is called "tapasya". Tapasya involves austerities, in one form or the other. It can be seen that in order to attain anything worthwhile, one must do tapasya. Whether it is to pass an examination, or to win at a football match, the person must put in efforts. He must also seek guidance and help of someone superior so as to acquire the required skills. Above all, one must have the support of the superiors or the Government in order to acquire anything worthwhile in life.
Take an example. There was a scientist who was very intelligent and he wanted to make an invention. However, the Government of that land thought that the invention might endanger the country, so the was scientiest arrested and as a result all his dreams came to an end.
This is just an example to illustrate that approval must be obtained from at least one Higher Authority in order to achieve anything worthwhile even if one is doing tapasya.
Nowadays, some persons may consider it outdated to ask favors from superiors. But indeed, without favor from superiors, one cannot find success in any sphere of life.
So tapasya also involves efforts to please the superiors. Depending upon what one desires to attain, one may choose one's worshippable Deity (devata or giver).
Those who are desirous of material pleasures, wealth and power, they seek to please the various devi-devatas who are the bona fide superintendents of the material universe in various positions of power.
Such persons do tapasya to please devatas like Ganesh, Surya, Durga , Kali and sometimes the different grahas like Vrihaspati, Shani etc.
Driven by material ambitions, they declare the devatas or devis to be the ultimate God head and offer all their belongings with great love and respect, although deep within their hearts they covet material pleasures for themselves. Such worshippers may seek to acquire money, fame, pleasures or mystic perfections either for themselves or in the name of doing philanthropy or in the name of working for the well being of mankind.
Whatever might be the alibi that such deva-devi worshippers assume, their worship is driven by material ambitions and is not considered pure.
However, such worship is not without results. The worshippers attain all that they wish, while they are alive. After death, they may attain the planet of the specific devi or devata and live a long life of pleasure and happiness in that planet.
Some persons don't worship the devi or devatas and worship their own ancestors instead. We can see that some castes living around Delhi worship Maharaj Agrasen , for example. He is the ancestor for that particular caste and they consider him to be their worshippable deity.
A lot of people all over India and elsewhere worship their ancestors, considering them to be as good as God !
Such persons will attain the planet of the specific ancestor (which could even be hell, in case that ancestor is currently in hell!) . It is not a very pleasing situation for the jeeva to land up in bhuvarloka or pitriloka.
A large number of persons declare that "humanity is religion". Such persons have been existing since eternity. They think that welfare of human beings in the material sense, like building hospitals, feeding the poor, opening schools etc is the sole way to worship God. However, such worship of humanity only leads one to a higher level of existence in this mortal world. Persons who have done such austerities and charity may take birth as leaders or rulers of the different countries.
There are persons who worship the ghosts and yakshas, because ghosts and yakshas can grant boons easily and they also have a certain degree of power, much superior than the human kind.
Such persons acquire tantra siddhi, they can do magic / black magic both in this life and after. They take birth in the lower planets where they can mingle with the ghostly beings or demons, who have lot of mystic powers and who try to enjoy the material universe on the basis of those powers.
We must not disregard anybody, whatever one has attained today is the result of their past actions. A high achiever in any field, be it sports or politics or cinema has done a lot of tapasya in the past.
After mentioning the results of the different forms of worship, Lord Krishna mentioned
"yanti madyajinopimam.." : And those who worship Me (as well) attain Me.
So, depending upon what you seek in this human life, you attain results. There is complete freedom within the limits of the material universe.
The question arises naturally, so are all the achievements equal ? A deva worshipper attains the planet of that deva, an ancestor worshipper attains pitriloka and so on....is it all the same...
This is clarified by the Lord. "One who comes to me doesn't have to go back". In other words, one who attains the abode of the Lord doesn't have to take birth.
However, the worshippers of devatas, ancestors, humanity or ghosts all have to remain within the endless cycle of birth and death. They have to return to the earth.
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