तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः
teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino'tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ
TRANSLATION
Of these, the man of knowledge, being ever with Me in Yoga and devoted to the One only, is the foremost; for I am very dear to the man of knowledge and he too is dear to Me.
PURPORT
Of these four, ‘the man of knowledge’ is the foremost. Why? Because of being ever with Me in Yoga and devoted to the One only. To the man of knowledge the attainment of Myself being the only end in view, he is ever with Me. As for the others, they contemplate on Me only until the fulfilment of their desires. But to the man of knowledge, there is single-minded devotion to Me only. Unlike him, the others, want only the objects of their desire and they are devoted to Me only as a means for gaining them. Hence he, the man of knowledge, alone is the foremost. Further I am very dear to the man of knowledge. Here the term ‘artha’ in relation to the expression ‘athyartham’ denotes ‘what cannot be expressed adequately.’ That is, even I, the omniscient and omnipotent, is unable to express how much I am dear to the Jñanin, since there is no such limit as ‘this much’ for this love. Such is the meaning. As in the case of Prahlada, the foremost among men of knowledge, it is said: ‘But he with his thoughts firmly fixed on Krishna while being bitten by the great serpents, felt no pain from the wounds, being immersed in rapturous recollections of Him’ (V.P., 1.17.39). I reciprocate this love infinitely.