yasmān nodvijate loko
lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair
mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 12.15
He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
A few of a devotee’s qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way as to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance. Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Krishna consciousness and engaged in devotional service, such material circumstances cannot move him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn’t, he is sorry and envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy, he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully execute something he becomes dejected. A devotee who is always transcendental to all these disturbances is very dear to Krishna.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Moreover, it is said:
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. SB 5.18.12
By this statement it is understood that also other qualities which please the Lord automatically appear by the constant performance of bhakti to me. Please hear about these. Five verses describe these qualities. The qualities mentioned here-being freed from material jubilation, anger, fear and anxiety – are mentioned again in verse 17 in order to show the difficulty in becoming free from those elements.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
12.15 That person who is engaged in Karma Yoga does not become the cause of ‘fear to the world’; he does nothing to cause fear to the world. He has no cause to ‘fear the world,’ i.e., no action on the part of others can cause him fear because of the certainty that he is not inimical to the world. Therefore he is not in the habit of showing favour towards someone and intolerance towards others; he has no fear of some or repulsion for others. Such a person is dear to Me.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
5 From whom the world gets no disturbance and to whom is never disturbed by the world, to who is free from mundane pleasure is free from attachment and to who is free from elation is free from desire and to who is free from jealousy is free from envy at another’s gain. Fear is terror coming from apprehension from danger. Anxiety is the agitation of the mind because of it. Lord Krishna’s devotee who is free from all these things is very dear to Him.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
One who is not an annoyance or disturbance to anyone or anything and who also does not feel any annoyance or disturbance from anybody or anything, being antagonistic to no one is equal to all and thus freed from the mental fluctuations of elation, intolerance, fear and anxiety is very dear to the Supreme Lord Krishna.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
12.15 Sah ca, he too; yasmat, owing to whom owing to which monk; lokah, the world; na udvijate, is not disturbed, not afflicted, not agitated; so also, yah na udvijate, he who is not disturbed; lokat, by the world; muktah, who is free; harsa-amarsa-bhaya-udvegaih, from joy, impatience, fear and anxiety;-harsa is elation of the mind on acquiring a thing dear to oneself, and is manifested as horripillation, shedding of tears, etc.; amarsa is non-forbearance; bhaya is fright; udvega is distress; he who is free from them-, is priyah, dear; me, to Me.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
12.15-20 Yasmat etc. upto Me priyah. One who has no fixed thought : One who has no resolution, [in his mundane life] like ‘This alone must be done by me’. He, who enjoys, with contentment, both pleasure and pain as they come, and has his mind completely absorbed in Supreme Lord – that person happily (or easily) attains the Supreme Isolation (Emancipation)
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
yasman nodvijate loko
lokan nodvijate ca yah
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair
mukto yah sa ca me priyah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
yasmāt — from whom; na — never; udvijate — are agitated; lokaḥ — people; lokāt — from people; na — never; udvijate — is disturbed; ca — also; yaḥ — anyone who; harṣa — from happiness; amarṣa — distress; bhaya — fear; udvegaiḥ — and anxiety; muktaḥ — freed; yaḥ — who; saḥ — anyone; ca — also; me — to Me; priyaḥ — very dear.
