Verse

samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

Word-by-Word Meaning

Sanskrit	English Meaning
samaḥ	equal
aham	I
sarva-bhūteṣu	to all living beings
na	not
me	to Me
dveṣyaḥ	hateful, enemy
asti	is
na	nor
priyaḥ	dear one, favorite
ye	those who
bhajanti	worship
tu	but
mām	Me
bhaktyā	with devotion
mayi	in Me
te	they
teṣu	in them
ca	and
api	also
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.”

Aim

To realize that while Sri Krishna is equal to all, He reciprocates uniquely with His devotees due to their loving devotion.

Objectives

• To reflect on Sri Krishna’s impartiality towards all beings.
• To understand why Sri Krishna says He has no enemies or favorites.
• To explore how devotion creates a special relationship with Sri Krishna.
• To consider the mutual bond between Sri Krishna and His devotees.
• To highlight the principle of reciprocation in bhakti.

Application in Life

• See Sri Krishna’s impartiality: Recognize that He cares for all beings equally, which inspires us to treat others with fairness and respect.
• Cultivate devotion: Approach Him with loving service, knowing that devotion attracts His personal reciprocation.
• Live in mutual bond: Experience life with confidence that Sri Krishna is always within you, and you within Him, through bhakti.

Simple Takeaway

Sri Krishna is equal to all, yet He reciprocates uniquely with His devotees. Bhakti creates a special, mutual bond of love between the Lord and the devotee.