When the Soul Finds Its Home in Krishna (Part-3)

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च य: | हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो य: स च मे प्रिय: || 15||

"That person from whom no living being feels trouble, and who, in turn, is not disturbed by the world —who stands steady, free from the storms of joy and grief, fear and agitation—such a one is most dear to Me."

In this verse, Krishna offers a picture of the harmless and unshakable soul. Such a person moves through life like a calm lake — their presence never disturbs the waters around them. No sharp word, selfish action, or restless ambition in them causes pain to others. And just as they do not stir waves in others, so too they remain unshaken by the ripples sent their way by the world.

Neither praise swells them nor criticism shrinks them. The laughter of fortune does not intoxicate them, and the frown of misfortune does not break them. Fear has no claws in their heart, and anxiety finds no nest in their mind.

To Krishna, such a soul is precious because they carry an inner stillness that becomes a shelter to all around them. Their very being is like a sanctuary — they neither wound nor are wounded, for they live anchored in the quiet depth of the Divine.

अनपेक्ष: शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथ: | सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्त: स मे प्रिय: || 16||

"My devotee who stands free from worldly expectations, whose life is pure, whose actions are skilful, who remains unattached and untroubled, who renounces all restless ventures —such a one is very dear to Me."

Here, Krishna paints the portrait of the quiet master of life. This is not someone driven by the restless chase for gain, recognition, or control. They walk through the world's marketplace without letting its noise dictate their pace. They are unbound by dependence on circumstances or approval, for their anchor lies elsewhere — in the steady depth of the Divine.

Their purity is not just of body but of thought and motive. Their skill (dakṣa) is not mere technical ability, but the wisdom to act with clarity, precision, and proper timing. They can engage in life fully, yet without becoming tangled in its nets.

They are udāsīna — not indifferent in a cold way, but serene in the understanding that life’s ups and downs are passing clouds. Pain may visit, but it finds no permanent lodging in their heart. And because they are free from the fever of “I must achieve,” they live without the constant strain that drives most human endeavour.

To Krishna, such a soul is like a still flame — bright, steady, untouched by the winds — and therefore, deeply beloved.

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ् क्षति | शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्य: स मे प्रिय: || 17||

"He who neither exults in joy nor burns with aversion, who neither laments for the past nor hungers for the future, who lets go of both the ‘favourable’ and the ‘unfavourable’ —such a devotee, steadfast in love, is dear to Me."

In this verse, Krishna describes the equilibrium of the heart that comes from true devotion. Most human lives swing like a pendulum — between delight when fortune smiles, and despair when loss comes. But here is a soul who has stepped off that swing. They are not cold or emotionless, but they are anchored in something more profound than passing waves.

They do not rejoice in a way that makes them cling, nor grieve in a way that makes them sink. They are free from craving what might be and from the weight of regret over what has been. Krishna goes even further — this devotee has released the labels of “good” and “bad” that most of us stamp on life’s events. By letting go of the mental scoreboard of gain and loss, they are open to what is, without resistance or excessive attachment.

Such a person’s devotion is not dependent on circumstances being comfortable or favourable. Their love for the Divine flows the same in sunshine or storm — and it is this constancy, this unconditional heart, that makes them deeply beloved to Krishna.

सम: शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयो: | शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु सम: सङ्गविवर्जित: || 18||

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् | अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर: || 19||

That one who meets friend and foe with the same steady gaze, who is unmoved by honour or insult, by heat or cold, by joy or sorrow, and who walks free of binding attachments —

who remains the same in praise or blame, who guards a noble silence, who is content with whatever comes, who calls no single place a permanent home, whose mind is steadfast and whose heart is devoted —such a person is most dear to Me.

In these two verses, Krishna paints the portrait of a soul beyond the tug of opposites.

Most people’s mood shifts with the world’s weather — a kind word lifts them, a harsh word wounds them; warmth soothes, cold troubles; honour swells the ego, dishonour stings. But here is someone who moves through all these dualities like a calm traveller passing through changing landscapes.

Enemies and friends find in them the same evenness. Praise does not intoxicate them, and criticism does not unseat them. They do not seek comfort in a fixed dwelling, because their true home is inward, in the presence of the Divine.

They practice a quiet strength — not the silence of avoidance, but the silence of one whose heart is at rest. Contentment is not something they chase; it springs naturally from their detachment from possession and expectation.

Such a person’s devotion is not conditional, nor is it a bargain with life. Whether the world offers roses or thorns, their love for Krishna remains steady and bright. It is this constancy — this refusal to be ruled by circumstance — that makes them, in the Lord’s eyes, precious beyond measure.

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते | श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रिया: || 20||

Yet those who walk this deathless path of righteousness, as I have spoken it, who serve it with unwavering faith, who make Me their highest aim and treasure —such devoted souls are, beyond measure, dear to Me.

With this verse, Krishna concludes His description of the beloved devotee. After painting the qualities of the one who is dear to Him — free from envy, steady in joy and sorrow, gentle, content, and detached — He now reveals the binding thread that holds all those traits together: faithful dedication to the eternal way of devotion.

He calls this teaching dharmāmṛta — the “nectar of righteousness” — for it is not a rigid rulebook but a life-giving essence, sweet and nourishing to the soul. Those who take it not as theory, but as a lived path, and who walk it with full trust, are the ones who truly embody bhakti.

To make Him the parama — the highest—is not merely to place Him above other priorities; it is to let every thought, word, and action flow toward Him like rivers to the sea. Such people do not waver between the world and God; they are anchored in the Divine, and their faith is the wind in their sails.

To Krishna, these souls are not just dear — they are atiiva priya, immeasurably dear. For their hearts are His, and His heart is theirs.

Part- 2

Part-1