तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥ १७ ॥
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥ १७ ॥
teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate .
priyo hi jñānino’tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ .. 17 ..
Of them the wise man, ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excels; for, excessively dear am I to the wise, and he is dear to Me.
Read the commentary
Of the four, the wise man, as knowing the truth, is ever steadfast, and devoted to the One, finding no other object of worship. Thus, he who is devoted to the One is superior to all others. Since I am his very Self, I am excessively dear to the wise man.—It is well-known to all in this world that the Self is dear to every one. Therefore Vasudeva, as the Self of the wise man, is dear to him.—And the wise man is My very Self and is therefore very dear to Me.
Then the three others, the distressed and the rest, are not dear to Vasudeva?—Not so.—What then?