(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)
The World’s Enjoyment Is Transitory, While God Is The Source Of Everlasting Joy

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते |
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रिय: || 7.17||

teṣhāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viśhiṣhyate
priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham ahaṁ sa cha mama priyaḥ|| 7.17||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 7- Ver. 17:

I consider those who worship Me with understanding and are persistently and totally devoted to Me to be the highest among them. They are very precious to me, and I am very dear to them.

Explanation

Shri Krishna had already listed the four sorts of devotees who want Ishvara’s protection. Shri Krishna now claims that among the four sorts of devotees, the knowledgeable devotee is unique. The intelligent devotee strives to be in touch with him at all times.

In this verse, Shree Krishan declares that individuals who seek God out of distress, for worldly gain, or out of curiosity, etc., do not yet possess selfless devotion. Their hearts gradually grow clean as a result of their dedication, and they comprehend their eternal relationship with God. They acquire unselfish, exclusive, and unwavering devotion to Him after that.

They no longer yearn for good circumstances or mourn world denials now that they understand that worldly happiness is transitory and that God is the source of eternal bliss. They find themselves in a state of complete self-surrender and unselfish devotion. And they are willing to offer themselves as an offering in the fire of divine love for their Divine Beloved. Shree Krishna declares that such devotees are dearest to him

Verse & what we can learn

A wise devotee, like everyone else, has experienced many ups and downs in life. He has, however, taken the time to carefully assess his situation. He’s come to the realisation that no matter what he achieves — a new career, a new home, investments, and so on – he’ll always feel unfulfilled. He desires to get beyond finite things, unlike the other three sorts of devotees who want something finite. To put it another way, he’s looking for infinity.

His quest for infinity has come to an end with the discovery of Ishvara. He intuitively understands that it is Ishvara who will provide him infinity. He then embarks on the path of spirituality from the very beginning: karmayoga for mind cleansing, followed by meditation for mind single-pointedness, with the ultimate goal of attaining the infinite 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 are 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 verse, Shri Krishna tells Arjuna what kind of devotee is very dear to him.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…