Chapter 12, Verse 17 (Bhagavad Gita 12.17)
Chapter 12: Bhakti Yog – The Yoga of Devotion
Sanskrit Shloka
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्ितमान्यः स मे प्रियः
Transliteration
yo na hṛiṣhyati na dveṣhṭi na śhochati na kāṅkṣhati śhubhāśhubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ
Word Meanings
yaḥ—who; na—neither; hṛiṣhyati—rejoice; na—nor; dveṣhṭi—despair; na—neither; śhochati—lament; na—nor; kāṅkṣhati—hanker for gain; śhubha-aśhubha-parityāgī—who renounce both good and evil deeds; bhakti-mān—full of devotion; yaḥ—who; saḥ—that person; me—to me; priyaḥ—very dear
Translation
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who renounces both the auspicious and the inauspicious, and is full of devotion—such a devotee is dear to Shri Krishna.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Shri Krishna defines the state of a transcendental soul who has attained equanimity through surrender to the Supreme. By transcending the dualities of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, the devotee ceases to be a puppet of the material modes of nature. Shri Krishna emphasizes that true liberation lies in rising above the relative concepts of mundane good and evil to rest in pure, unadulterated love for Him. Such a soul, having surrendered all personal agendas, becomes an instrument of the Divine Will, and thus, becomes eternally beloved to Shri Krishna. This path of devotion is the ultimate gateway to realizing one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord.