Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Verse 29

[bilva]

Chapter 9. The Most Confidential Knowledge

TEXT 29
samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu capy aham

SYNONYMS
samah--equally disposed; aham--I; sarva-bhutesu--to all living
entities; na--no one; me--Mine; dvesyah--hateful; asti--is; na--nor;
priyah--dear; ye--those; bhajanti--render transcendental service; tu--
yet; mam--unto Me; bhaktya--in devotion; mayi--unto Me; te--such
persons; tesu--in them; ca--also; api--certainly; aham--I.
TRANSLATION
I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But
whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and
I am also a friend to him.

EXPLANATION
One may question here that if Krsna is equal to everyone and no one
is His special friend, then why does He take a special interest in the
devotees who are always engaged in His transcendental service? But
this is not discrimination; it is natural. Any man in this material
world may be very charitably disposed, yet he has a special interest
in his own children. The Lord claims that every living entity--in
whatever form--is His son, and as such He provides everyone with a
generous supply of the necessities of life. He is just like a cloud
which pours rain all over, regardless of whether it falls on rock or
land or water. But for His devotees, He gives specific attention. Such
devotees are mentioned here: they are always in Krsna consciousness,
and therefore they are always transcendentally situated in Krsna. The
very phrase "Krsna consciousness" suggests that those who are in such
consciousness are living transcendentalists, situated in Him. The Lord
says here distinctly, "mayi te," "in Me." Naturally, as a result, the
Lord is also in them. This is reciprocal. This also explains the
words: asti na priyah/ ye bhajanti: "Whoever surrenders unto Me,
proportionately I take care of him." This transcendental reciprocation
exists because both the Lord and the devotee are conscious. When a
diamond is set in a golden ring, it looks very nice. The gold is
glorified, and at the same time the diamond is glorified. The Lord and
the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes
inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The
Lord is a diamond, and so this combination is very nice. Living
entities in a pure state are called devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes
the devotee of His devotees. If a reciprocal relationship is not
present between the devotee and the Lord, then there is no personalist
philosophy. In the impersonal philosophy there is no reciprocation
between the Supreme and the living entity, but in the personalist
philosophy there is.
The example is often given that the Lord is like a desire tree, and
whatever one wants from this desire tree, the Lord supplies. But here
the explanation is more complete. The Lord is here stated to be
partial to the devotees. This is the manifestation of the Lord's
special mercy to the devotees. The Lord's reciprocation should not be
considered to be under the law of karma. It belongs to the
transcendental situation in which the Lord and His devotees function.
Devotional service of the Lord is not an activity of this material
world; it is part of the spiritual world where eternity, bliss and
knowledge predominate.

Following is a quotation by Swami Gaurangapada:
"Just like a doctor bursts the painful boil of a patient, kindness to
others does not only mean kindness to their bodies but to tell them
the stark spiritual truth of the ghastly cycle of birth and death."

Please chant Nityananda, Gauranga and Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and
become a dear friend of Lord krishna.