In plain words
The sāttvika worship the devas; the rājasa worship yakṣas and rākṣasas; others, tāmasa people, worship spirits and hosts of elemental beings.
Word for word
The sāttvika worship the devas, the rājasa the yakṣas and rākṣasas; the pretas and the hosts of bhūtas the others, tāmasa people, worship.
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान् यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाःप्रेतान् भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
ततश्च कार्येण लिङ्गेन देवादिपूजया सत्त्वादिनिष्ठा अनुमेया इत्याह —
यजन्ते पूजयन्ति सात्त्विकाः सत्त्वनिष्ठाः देवान् , यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः, प्रेतान् भूतगणांश्च सप्तमातृकादींश्च अन्ये यजन्ते तामसाः जनाः ॥ ४ ॥
In plain words
And so the guṇa a person is grounded in — sattva or one of the others — can be inferred from the effect, from the telltale sign: whom he worships, gods or otherwise. That is what he says —
'They sacrifice' simply means they pay honour. The sāttvika, those settled in sattva, honour the gods. The rājasa honour the yakṣas and the rākṣasas. And others — the tāmasa — worship the dead, the swarming bands of elemental spirits, the Seven Mothers and their kind. ‖ 4 ‖
Close to the Sanskrit
And therefore, by the effect, by the sign — by the worship of gods and the rest — the standing in sattva and the rest is to be inferred; thus he says —
They sacrifice — that is, they honour: the sāttvika ones, those grounded in sattva, the gods; the rājasa ones, the yakṣas and rākṣasas; and others, tāmasa people, worship the departed spirits and the hosts of elementals and the Seven Mothers and the rest. ‖ 4 ‖