Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12: Bhakti Yogam Verse 17:
(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)
The Lord’s Worshippers, Satiated By The Pure Loving Bliss Of The God, Rise Above Pleasure And Despair
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ् क्षति |
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्य: स मे प्रिय: || 12.17||
yo na hṛiṣhyati na dveṣhṭi na śhochati na kāṅkṣhati
śhubhāśhubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ|| 12.17||
Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 12- Ver. 17:
He who has given up good and bad, who neither rejoices nor hates, neither rejoices nor grieves, he who is (such a) committed person, he is precious to me.
Explanation
Worshippers of the Lord who are delighted by the God’s divine loving bliss ascend above pleasure and despair. Such devotees are unaffected by either happy or unpleasant worldly conditions. Do not grieve any loss or yearn for any gain. Such devotees are unaffected by either happy or terrible worldly conditions.
When devotees achieve divine love for God, they no longer hunger for pleasurable things or mourn their loss. They do not hate those that hurt them. They are uninterested in earthly pleasures. They are unconcerned in improving their social standing. Devotees enjoy God’s ecstasy so much that all other pleasures appear small in comparison.
Devotees clearly reject wicked activities (vikarm), which are contrary to their nature and displease God. Shree Krishna is referring to the required ritualistic duties that are contained in the scriptures. Because the devotees’ activities are undertaken with no selfish intent and are committed to God, they become inaction.
“Full of devotion” is what bhaktim means. The essence of divine love is such that it continues to grow indefinitely. As a result, the devotee’s heart is filled with an ocean of love for God. Such followers, according to Shree Krishna, are very dear to Him.
Verse & what we can learn
We are normally either drawn to, repulsed by, or indifferent to a situation or an object when we encounter it.
Repulsion generates negative desires, a list of things we want to avoid, whereas attraction generates desires that are stored in our minds.
We become joyful, if we eventually obtain the desired object or maintain the desired circumstance. We become sorrow, if we lose that object or situation, which is sure to happen at some point. Most of us work on the basis of attraction, disgust, desire, hatred, joy, and pain.
The perfected devotee has addressed the issue at its source. He has ceased categorizing anything as good or bad, because it is precisely this categorizing that sets off the chain reaction of attraction, desire, delight, and sadness.
Accepting all objects and situations as Ishvara’s blessings, the perfected devotee accomplishes what needs to be done and moves on. Shri Krishna considers someone dear to him who accepts whatever comes his way because of his faith and devotion to Ishvara.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.
There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.
In the next shlokas Shri Krishna continues to describe the qualities of those devotees who are dear to him.
Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…