Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 67

इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन । न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति

idaṃ te nātapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana | na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṃ na ca māṃ yo'bhyasūyati

Translation

This (which has been taught) to thee is never to be taught to one who is devoid of austerities, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

idam

this

te

(by) thee

na

not

atapaskāya

to (one) without asceticism

na

not

abhaktāya

to (one) without devotion

kadācana

at any time

na

not

ca

and

aśuśrūṣave

(to one) not wishing to be spoken

vācyam

to be spoken

na

not

ca

and

mām

me

yaḥ

who

abhyasūyati

cavils at

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

This śāstra has been taught to you by Me for your good, for the destruction of saṃsāra. Not devoted: without devotion to the Guru and to the Deva. Never: under no circumstances whatever. It should not be declared to him who, devoted and full of austerities as he may be, renders no service. One who speaks ill of Me: he who looks upon Me, Vāsudeva, as an ordinary man, and who in his ignorance declares Me guilty of self-adulation and does not like to be told that I am the Īśvara. By implication we should understand that the śāstra is to be taught to him who does not speak ill of the Lord, who is a man of austerities, who is devoted, and who renders service.