Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 13

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥

Transliteration

adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca .
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥

Meaning

One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pain and pleasure, and forgiving (such a devotee is dear to Me).

Word meanings

अद्वेष्टा – free from hatred
सर्वभूतानाम् – toward all beings
मैत्रः – friendly
करुणः – compassionate
एव च – and indeed
निर्ममः – free from possessiveness
निरहङ्कारः – free from ego
समदुःखसुखः – equal in pain and pleasure
क्षमी – forgiving

Anvaya (word order)

(यः) सर्वभूतानाम् अद्वेष्टा, मैत्रः करुणः एव च, निर्ममः निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी (भवति, सः मे प्रियः — 12.14) ।

Explanation

From this verse until 12.19, the Lord paints a portrait of the devotee who is dear to Him. It begins with the first strokes: "One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from the sense of 'mine' and from egoism, balanced in pain and pleasure, and forbearing." The opening of this portrait gives the quality of the heart before it gives any quality of ritual.

Each term deserves a pause. Adveshta sarva-bhutanam: without hatred toward any being. It is a high standard, because hatred often lives quietly as dislike, resentment or contempt. Maitrah: friendly, offering goodwill before being asked. Karuna: compassion, the readiness to feel and respond to another's suffering. Nirmamah: free from possessiveness, from the habit of turning everything into "mine". Nirahankarah: free from the ego that says "I am the doer, I am superior". Sama-duhkha-sukhah: equal in pain and pleasure. Kshami: forgiving, patient with others' faults.

The sequence is thoughtful. First comes removal of hatred, then positive friendliness, then active compassion. Under them lie the roots: freedom from "mine" and "I", which are what cause hatred and clinging to begin with. And the equal mind in pain and pleasure ensures that the devotee's goodness is not dependent on comfort. Forgiveness completes the picture, because a world with other people will always offer reasons for offence.

Shankara describes the devotee here as a sannyasin, one who has no enmity, and the commentary treats these as the qualities of the wise who rest in the Lord. Ramanuja stresses that these are the marks of the one who has reached the devotee's state, in which love for the Lord overflows as kindness for all beings. Madhva points out that such a person acts out of knowledge of the Lord's presence in all.

Practically, the verse acts as a gentle test. Ask: Is there a person I secretly dislike? Do I respond to the pain of others with warmth or with indifference? Do I react to small injuries with resentment? Everyone has room to grow, and the verse does not demand instant perfection. It invites a direction. Each day, a small act of kindness, a moment of forgiving, or a refusal to retaliate is a step toward the portrait.

This passage resonates with 6.9 and 6.32 on seeing all beings as oneself, 13.7 to 13.11 on humility and non-violence as knowledge, and 16.1 to 16.3 on the divine qualities, among them compassion, forgiveness and absence of malice. The next verse, 12.14, adds the steadiness of the yogi who is content and firm in his resolve.

Context

Verse 12.12 gave the order of practice and peace. From 12.13 to 12.19 the Lord lists the marks of his dear devotee; this verse begins that list and the sentence ends in 12.14.

Life lesson

Devotion is recognised not by the quantity of worship but by gentleness of conduct. Today try to drop bitterness toward one person, forgive, and loosen the grip of I and mine.

Key terms

अद्वेष्टा: one who bears no hatred
मैत्र-करुण: friendliness for all and compassion for the suffering
निर्मम: free from the sense of mine
क्षमी: one who tolerates and forgives