Verse-68-69
Chapter 18 — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse 68-69
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
ya imam paramam guhyam madbhakteṣvabhidhāsyati
bhaktim mayi parām kṛtvā māmevaiṣyatyasaṁśayaḥ
na ch tasmānmanuṣyeṣu kaścinme priyakṛttamaḥ
bhavitā na ch me tasmādanyaḥ priyataro bhuvi
🕉 English Translation
Rahasya bhara granth Gita hai jo,
Kahe prem se jo mere bhakto ko.
Para bhakti mujhme hee rakhte huey,
Sanshaya nahin pata hai woh mujhe.
Kare aisee pyari jo seva mahaan,
Nahin doosra koyi useke samaan.
Parabhakti mujh mein hee rakhte huey,
Sanshay nahin pataa hai woh mujhe.
📜 Translation
English
The one having the highest devotion towards Me, who will relate this scripture of the Gita which is supremely secretive to my devotees, he shall undoubtedly come to Me. There is none amongst them who does dearer service to Me than he, nor shall there be another on the earth dearer to Me than he.
The Gita is the Lord's most secretive expression. In this, the Lord has related in clear words a lot about His essential nature. That is why he felt that the one who harbours a fault-finding attitude towards Him, how can the hearer understand anything relating to His nature? The advantage of relating is there, where there is a spirit of dedication towards the Divine. There, one finds real joy in relating as well as in hearing.
In the previous verse the attributes of the listener have been described. The indication given pertained to what the listener should not be like. From that it becomes explicit that what he should be like. Here in this verse for listeners only one word has been used–'madbhaktesu' (to My devotee). The devotee can only be the one who has faith and reverence towards the Lord. There is no place for those who cavil. If a critical attitude towards the Lord is maintained, there is no interest in listening to the Lord's words; how can he ever be a devotee? With this purpose, for the listener here, everything has been said by using the word 'devotee'.
The matter chiefly relates to the speaker. It should not be so that the listener comes with the spirit of dedication towards the Lord and the preacher harbours all kinds of worldly desires in himself, and preaches with priority given to acquisition of wealth or for obtaining name and fame. The goal of spreading the message of the Lord should not be acquisition of wealth and Honour, though if it falls to one's lot as per need and situation then there is nothing wrong in it. Inside in the mind there should be the feeling of complete devotion towards the Lord. This is absolutely essential and particularly more so in the present materialistic world! If the goal of the preacher is the wealth then things will become more difficult.
All virtuous deeds are good. Whatever virtuous deed is performed it will certainly please the Lord. Worship and reading of scripture, fire rituals–sacrifice, charity–dedicated spiritual activity, undertaking of fasting and pilgrimage, with all is associated the pleasure of the Lord. To render help to others, to be of assistance to others, to alleviate the sufferings of others and to wipe their tears are also quite good. These are also means for pleasing the Supreme. But for spreading the message of the Gita there appears to be a special outpouring of inner love of the Lord. To give service in the form of providing food, clothes and medicine to the person imprisoned in jail is good, but to provide such means by which he can become free from the fetters of the jail, that in itself is unparralled and magnificent.
To spread the highest secret of the Gita amongst the masses, and to dispel their ignorance, to awaken their dormant discernment, to involve them in the devotion of the Divine, to give inspiration to the embodied being who is entagled in the propensities, deformations, impressions and actions and is caught in the web of coming and going from the world for time immemorial, is certainly the highest service. That is why the preacher of the Gita, Lord Shri Krishna, is stating such an important fact that there is none who is dearer to Me on this earth now nor shall be ever, than the one who does the work which is dear to Me. Whosoever spreads this inspiration to the people at large and is of help in fulfilling this will of the Lord, it is natural that he would be especially dear to Him.