Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 7, Verse 17
Verse 17
The Yoga of Knowledge and Realization
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.
Context & Meaning
Among all who approach the Divine, the jñānī — the one who knows God in truth and loves Him with undivided devotion — is the most beloved. And remarkably, Krishna says this devotee is dear to Him. This is the intimacy of complete knowledge: the lover and the Beloved become precious to each other.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainAdi Shankaracharya
AdvaitaThe jñānī has no separate desire — God is both the means and the end. This non-dual love, in which the devotee's will merges with the Divine will, is the highest state of bhakti.