Chapter 12, Verse 13 (Bhagavad Gita 12.13)
Chapter 12: Bhakti Yog – The Yoga of Devotion
Sanskrit Shloka
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी
Transliteration
adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī
Word Meanings
adveṣhṭā—free from malice; sarva-bhūtānām—toward all living beings; maitraḥ—friendly; karuṇaḥ—compassionate; eva—indeed; cha—and; nirmamaḥ—free from attachment to possession; nirahankāraḥ—free from egoism; sama—equipoised; duḥkha—distress; sukhaḥ—happiness; kṣhamī—forgiving;
Translation
He who bears no hatred toward any creature, who is a friend and compassionate to all, who is free from the sense of 'mine' and 'I', who is equipoised in pleasure and pain, and who is ever-forgiving.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna delineates the foundational qualities of a devotee who is truly dear to Him. By transcending the dualities of attachment and ego, the seeker reflects the infinite grace of the Supreme Lord, becoming a vessel of divine love. Shri Krishna invites Arjuna, and all humanity, to shed the illusions of the material world and embrace a state of equanimity that is rooted in the soul. This transformation is not merely a moral exercise but a spiritual necessity for attaining eternal union with Shri Krishna. By cultivating forgiveness and compassion, one dissolves the barriers of the separate self and aligns with the cosmic consciousness of the Divine.