Chapter 18 Shloka 69
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तम:।
भविता न च मे तस्मादन्य: प्रियतरो भुवि।।६९।।
The Lord continues:
There is no man on earth who does Me a dearer service, nor is there anyone who is dearer to Me than one who loves Me, and who imparts this secret knowledge of Mine to My devotees.
Look little one, the Lord is specifying His own preference.
The loving devotee
1. Such a one is akin to the Lord.
2. His qualities match those of the Lord.
3. He is the knower of the Lord’s qualities – their essence and their manifest form.
4. He is an anubhavi – he has experienced the Truth.
5. His own life is fragrant with the Lord’s divine qualities.
6. He has understood spiritual knowledge by illuminating it with the light of the Lord’s life.
7. He has consecrated his body, mind and intellect at the altar of the Lord’s divine qualities.
Such a one will protect the divine attributes even at the cost of his life.
He would relinquish his life:
a) but he will not risk the loss of the attribute of forgiveness;
b) but he will not lose his sincerity;
c) but he will not renounce his loving nature;
d) but he will not forgo his compassion;
e) but he will not let justice be sacrificed.
Such a one can never harbour a desire for the establishment of his body-self.
Little one, understand this if you can:
1. Such a one has donned the veil of love.
2. He has immured himself in the Lord’s Name.
3. He has forgotten his body and mind and their desires.
4. No longer does the ‘I’ rule him; he is ruled by the Lord.
5. He has given his body-self to the Lord.
Such people are extremely ordinary, yet who can be more extraordinary than they?
The Lord says, “Such people are dear to Me. There is none who is dearer to Me on the face of this earth. No matter what they do, they are infinitely precious for Me.”
The attributes of such a one’s saintliness are indeed exceptional:
1. Such a one will have no pride in his saintliness.
2. He cannot distance himself from the other by calling him despicable or evil.
3. He lives with ordinary people as an extremely ordinary person.
4. He does not destroy the beliefs and concepts of the other.
5. He is oblivious to his body-self, his body is ever engaged in the service of others.
Even though identified with others’ desires, such a one abides in his divine essence and thus conducts his life.
– Who can be the enemy of one who is forgiveness itself?
– Who can be insincere to one who is sincerity itself?
The Lord says, such elevated souls are dear to Him.
