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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 7.17
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रिय: ॥ १७ ॥
teṣāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham
ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
The best devotee has full knowledge and always serves the Lord with pure devotion. The Lord and this devotee are very dear to each other.
Prabhupāda explains that a fully purified person understands that he is God’s eternal servant, different from his material body.
Associate with pure devotees to become free from material desires and develop pure devotion.
Wise (Jnani) is the best, because he is:
In full knowledge of the Absolute Truth, and free of material desires
Engages in pure devotional service; Lord is very dear to him and he is dear to the Lord
When one is in pure knowledge of the transcendence of the Supreme Lord, material contamination cannot touch him (study purport)
Texts 7.16 & 7.17
“Who is the best of the four pious people?”
Texts 7.17 & 7.18
After hearing Text 7.17 one may conclude that the three karma-
mishra-bhaktas are insignificant and only a jnani is important. Anticipating this, Krishna speaks Text 7.18
Four kinds of men never surrender and four kinds of men do surrender
Of those who surrender, the Jnani with no material desire is best but rare
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 7.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?
Offer one act today with devotion.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.