Gita 12.17
Bhakti Yoga
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति | शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ||१७||
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati | śubhāśubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||17||
In essence: One who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil - that devotee full of devotion is dear to Me.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Not rejoicing, not grieving - this sounds like becoming emotionally dead."
Guru: "Look at the last quality: bhaktimān - full of devotion. The heart is full, not empty. The devotee doesn't rejoice in small gains because they live in ocean-like joy of divine love. They don't grieve over losses because they possess what cannot be lost. It's not suppression but transcendence."
Sadhak: "Renouncing good and evil - doesn't this lead to immorality?"
Guru: "Śubha-aśubha here means what ego judges as fortunate or unfortunate for itself. The devotee still knows dharma from adharma, right from wrong. But they don't calculate 'what's in it for me?' every moment. Beyond personal good and bad lies universal good - that's what the devotee serves."
Sadhak: "How can I not desire? Even wanting liberation is desire."
Guru: "Na kāṅkṣati means freedom from compulsive craving. Preferences may exist; they just don't grip. Even the desire for liberation eventually burns itself up - it's the fire that consumes the wood and then the fire. Initially use desire for liberation to overcome worldly desires; eventually, release even that."
Sadhak: "This seems like an impossible standard."
Guru: "It's a direction, not an immediate destination. Each time you notice yourself rejoicing excessively and come back to center, progress happens. Each time grief arises and you remember the Divine, freedom grows. The impossible becomes possible through practice and grace."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Notice your first evaluation of the day. Mind immediately judges: 'good sleep' or 'bad sleep,' 'nice weather' or 'bad weather.' Catch this evaluation habit. Practice neutrality: 'This is what is.' The day starts with practice of moving beyond śubha-aśubha.
Observe the four movements: rejoicing when things go well, hating when opposed, grieving over losses, desiring what you don't have. Don't suppress - just observe. Ask: 'Can I experience this without identifying with it?' Create space between stimulus and reaction.
Before sleep, release evaluations of the day. Not 'good day' or 'bad day' but simply 'day.' Offer all experiences - pleasant and unpleasant - to the Divine equally. This practice of śubhāśubha-parityāga at day's end prepares for deeper freedom.