Bhagavad Gita · Bhakti Yoga — The Yoga of Devotion
Chapter 12, Verse 13
"Bhagavad Gita 12.13" — meaning and explanation.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च | निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca . nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī
Meaning
12.13 He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving.
।।12.13।। भूतमात्र के प्रति जो द्वेषरहित है तथा सबका मित्र तथा करुणावान् है; जो ममता और अहंकार से रहित, सुख और दु:ख में सम और क्षमावान् है।।
Explanation
12.13 अद्वेष्टा nonhater? सर्वभूतानाम् of (to) all creatures? मैत्रः friendly? करुणः compassionate? एव even? च and? निर्ममः without mineness? निरहङ्कारः without egoism? समदुःखसुखः balanced in pleasure and pain? क्षमी forgiving.Commentary Lord Krishna gives a description of the nature of a Bhagavata or a sage in the following eight verses. These eight verses are called Amritashtakam.The devotee who is established in God bears illwill to none. He looks on all with love and great compassion. He regards all beings as himself. He does not hate even a single being? not even the creature which gives him intense pain. He who entertains mercy towards suffering people and tries to relieve their sufferings is a man of Karuna. He puts himself in the position of the sufferer and feels the pain himself. Mercy is a divine attribute. God is allmerciful. If you wish to hold communion with the Lord? and if you desire to attain Godhead? you must also become allmerciful.The perfect devotee offers full security of life (Abhayadana) to all beings. He is a Paramahamsa Sannyasi. The devotee only can really understand the mysterious ways of the Lord. He beholds the Lord everywhere. He sees the Lord in all creatures. That is the reason why he has eal vision. He is like the sun or the river. The sun sheds its light eally on a palace or a cottage. Anyone can drink the water of a river. A river enches the thirst of cows as well as tigers and lions. The idea of mineness and Iness never arises in the devotees mind. He has no sense of mine and thine. He is indifferent to pleasure and pain. He is not attached to pleasant objects. He does not hate the objects that give him pain. He is as forgiving as the earth. He is not affected a bit when anybody insults? abuses or beats him.
Life Lesson
Study Bhagavad Gita 12.13 slowly, then express its central teaching through one thoughtful action in daily life.
Context
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, verse 13, from Krishna's dialogue with Arjuna at Kurukshetra.
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
This page presents the Sanskrit verse, transliteration, Hindi meaning, English meaning, and a simple explanation for study. For a fuller understanding, read this shloka in sequence with the rest of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 12.13 mean?
12.13 He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving.
What is the life lesson of this verse?
Study Bhagavad Gita 12.13 slowly, then express its central teaching through one thoughtful action in daily life.
What is the context of this verse?
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, verse 13, from Krishna's dialogue with Arjuna at Kurukshetra.