Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 17

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते । प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः

teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate | priyo hi jñānino'tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ

Translation

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.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

teṣām

of these

jñānī

the wise

nityayuktaḥ

always balanced

ekabhaktiḥ

in one, devotion, whose, he

viśiṣyate

excels

priyaḥ

dear

hi

indeed

jñāninaḥ

of the wise

atyartham

excessively

aham

I

saḥ

he

ca

and

mama

of me

priyaḥ

dear

Śaṅkarācārya's 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 Vāsudeva, 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.