Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Ch 12 overview:

1-7: Worship of personal form is superior to impersonal Brahman.

8-12: Talk about progressive stages of Bhakti.

13-20: Talk about qualities that endear (these qualities Krishna likes in His devotees) one to Krishna.

 

Bg 12.13-14

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

Synonyms: 

adveṣṭā — nonenvious; sarva–bhūtānām — toward all living entities; maitraḥ — friendly; karuṇaḥ — kindly; eva— certainly; ca — also; nirmamaḥ — with no sense of proprietorship; nirahaṅkāraḥ — without false ego; sama — equal; duḥkha — in distress; sukhaḥ — and happiness; kṣamī — forgiving; santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied; satatam — always; yogī — one engaged in devotion; yata–ātmā — self-controlled; dṛḍha–niścayaḥ — with determination; mayi — upon Me; arpita — engaged; manaḥ — mind; buddhiḥ — and intelligence; yaḥ — one who; mat–bhaktaḥ— My devotee; saḥ — he; me — to Me; priyaḥ — dear.

Translation: 

One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

 

The word priya will be common in most of the verses that will follow in this section, devotees who will possess these qualities while rendering devotional service is dear to Me. 

Earlier also Krishna said in many verses that He love His devotees.

Love also have many levels.

Mother love the baby but will not trust the baby if baby has knife in his hand the mother will take knife from baby’s hand because the baby doesn’t have understanding of how to use knife properly but the same baby when grown to an elderly daughter she can use knife properly. So earlier it was just love now the love is there with trust. 

So love can be at multiple levels, 

So now Krishna spoke that even those who are sinful I will protect them, Arjuna you declare that they will be protected, my devotees will never perish, that is expression of His love, He certainly loves all living being. As we discussed earlier that Krishna is not partial but He is reciprocal. So naturally those devotees who reciprocate with Him more and more attract His attention more and more, they get greater and greater place in Krishna’s heart by their devotion. 

Anyone who is practicing devotional service is dear to Krishna also at the same time if devotees have virtuous qualities then that endears to Krishna all the more, in this section Krishna is telling is we should not just assume or we cannot whitewash us just because we are devotees, whitewashing means making somebody blame free. Bhakti is a means of sustaining good qualities. 

When we act virtuously we allow Krishna to act through us when we are not acting virtuously then we are blocking Krishna to act through us and the result of that is we suffer and other suffers. We should also strive to develop the good qualities, how we strive within the realm of DS we try to exhibit the good qualities as much as possible.

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ, such a person is non envious friend of all living being 

maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca, compassion and friendly, we are all children of Krishna.

nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ, in 2.70 and 2.71, Krishna is talking about giving up material desires and in 2.71 He said nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ. 

Someone is better than us then envy come to us, a devotee understand that no amount of material things can make us happy. Our happiness doesn’t depend on what we have but it depends on what we do with what we have. 

A devotee also have tendency to possess but a devotee understand that ultimate possession is Krishna. As Bhakti Vinod Thakur says in Bhajan AtmaNivadane Tua Pade, he says Ami To Tomara Tomi To Amara, Ki Kaja Aparadhane, my dear Lord I am yours and you are mine what other wealth I want, this is how a devotee become free from a possessive mentality that I got a Supreme Possession of Krishna.

nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

How to become equipoised suppose if I have 5 crore then adding of 5 rupees and losing 5 rupee doesn’t matter this 5 rupee represent material  possession that I have and 5 crore represent our spiritual wealth our devotional connection with Krishna. 

So to the extent we don’t have spiritual connection to that extent material ups and down shake us. Success will make us jubilant and failure will makes us despondent. To the extent we have connection with Krishna and fulfillment with our connection to Krishna to that extent material things will not affect us.

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

kṣamī means forgiven, kshama, forgiveness so even if someone offend a devotee a devotee say there is no big deal about it 

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogi, because a devotee delights his connection with Krishna so he does not think too much about material things.

Yogi, a devotee is striving for connection with Krishna through Bhakti Yoga.

A devotee is always satisfied because he understand that ultimately he need service and connection to Krishna.

I don’t need anything else. And these things give satisfaction to life so I don’t worry about anything else.

yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ,  self-control, 

We should not think that all these comes easily and naturally, we may see a exalted devotee very gentle very humble and tolerant and we may think that they are at such a high level I can never attain that therefore let me stay where I am. Even material talents requires work similarly spiritual qualities also we need to practice. When they, Sr. devotees went through it they have to struggle this life or previous life similarly we have to struggle other than Nitya Siddha devotees.

Developing good qualities require hard work.

mayy arpita-mano-buddhir, those who work like this and offer their mind and intelligence they are top most devotees. 

yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ, 

SP Purport: Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.” 

Tat Te Nu Kampan Su Samikha Manam 

SP Purport: All these qualifications enable him to fix his mind and intelligence entirely on the Supreme Lord.

So to the extent someone is adveṣṭā, maitraḥ karuṇa, nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
etc. to that extent he will be able to do mayy arpita-mano-buddhir. And one who does like that such a person is very dear to Krishna.

End of transcription.