Bhagavad Gita · Bhakti YogaChapter 12, Shloka 13 (12.13)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी
॥ 12.13 ॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī
Translation
"One who hates no living being, who holds friendliness and compassion towards all, who is free of possessiveness and ego, even in pleasure and pain, and forgiving —" (the sentence continues in 12.14)
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. ātmanaḥ duḥkhahetum api na kiñcit dveṣṭi; sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmatvena hi paśyati — he hates not even what causes him pain, for he sees the Self in all; karuṇā kṛpā duḥkhiteṣu dayā; sarvabhūtābhayapradaḥ saṃnyāsī ity arthaḥ — one who gives fearlessness to all; kṣamī … ākruṣṭaḥ abhihato vā avikriyaḥ eva āste — unshaken even when abused or struck.
Acharya Ramanuja. vidviṣatām apakurvatām api sarveṣāṃ bhūtānām adveṣṭā — no hatred even towards those who hate and harm him; teṣu dviṣatsu apakurvatsu ca sarvabhūteṣu maitrīṃ matiṃ kurvan maitraḥ — friendliness even towards them; teṣu eva duḥkhiteṣu karuṇāṃ kurvan karuṇaḥ — compassion for those very people in their suffering.
Shridhar Swami. He links the three qualities to three kinds of people: uttameṣu dveṣaśūnyaḥ, sameṣu mitratayā vartata iti maitraḥ, hīneṣu kṛpāluḥ — no hatred (no envy) towards those ahead of oneself, friendship with equals, and compassion for those who are in difficulty.
Madhusudana Saraswati. He takes 12.13–12.20 as a long list of the marks of the devotee — the qualities of a devotee who is sarvapratibandharahitaḥ (free of all obstacles), which quickly bring the Lord's grace (Shridhar: kṣiprameva parameśvaraprasādahetūn).
Shankaracharya — further. sarvabhūtābhayapradaḥ — one who gives fearlessness to all beings; and kṣamī … ākruṣṭaḥ abhihato vā avikriyaḥ eva āste — free of disturbance even when abused or struck.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.