Gita Verses on Love, Compassion and Selfless Love

प्रेम, करुणा और निःस्वार्थ भाव

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The Gita's highest teaching is love — not attachment, but pure, unconditional bhakti. These verses illuminate the divine nature of selfless love and compassion for all beings.

This guide brings together 6 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on love, compassion and selfless love, drawn from chapters 5, 6, 9, 11 and 12.

The Gita's deepest love is not attachment but a wide goodwill rooted in seeing the same divine spark in every being. From that recognition flows a compassion that doesn't bargain or pick favourites.

  1. मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।

    man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣhyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

    Fix your mind on Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me; bow down to Me; having thus united your whole self to Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me.

    तू मेरा भक्त हो जा, मेरेमें मनवाला हो जा, मेरा पूजन करनेवाला हो जा और मेरेको नमस्कार कर। इस प्रकार मेरे साथ अपने-आपको लगाकर, मेरे परायण हुआ तू मेरेको ही प्राप्त होगा।

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

    adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī

    He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.

    सब प्राणियोंमें द्वेषभावसे रहित, सबका मित्र (प्रेमी) और दयालु, ममतारहित, अहंकाररहित, सुखदुःखकी प्राप्तिमें सम, क्षमाशील, निरन्तर सन्तुष्ट, योगी, शरीरको वशमें किये हुए, दृढ़ निश्चयवाला? मेरेमें अर्पित मनबुद्धिवाला जो मेरा भक्त है, वह मेरेको प्रिय है।

  3. मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः।

    mat-karma-kṛin mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣhu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava

    He who does all actions for Me, who regards Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears no enmity towards any creature, he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

    हे पाण्डवन ! जो मेरे लिये ही कर्म करनेवाला, मेरे ही परायण और मेरा ही भक्त है तथा सर्वथा आसक्तिरहित और प्राणिमात्रके साथ निर्वैर है, वह भक्त मेरेको प्राप्त होता है।

  4. आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन।

    ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśhyati yo ’rjuna sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ

    He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees reality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, is regarded as the highest Yogi.

    हे अर्जुन ! जो (ध्यानयुक्त ज्ञानी महापुरुष) अपने शरीरकी उपमासे सब जगह अपनेको समान देखता है और सुख अथवा दुःखको भी समान देखता है, वह परम योगी माना गया है।

  5. यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।

    yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ

    He by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear and anxiety — he is dear to me.

    जिससे कोई प्राणी उद्विग्न नहीं होता और जो किसी प्राणी से उद्विग्न नहीं होता, तथा जो हर्ष, अमर्ष, भय और उद्वेग से मुक्त है — वह मुझे प्रिय है।

  6. भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्।

    bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśhvaram suhṛidaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śhāntim ṛichchhati

    He who knows Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains peace.

    भक्त मुझे सब यज्ञों और तपोंका भोक्ता, सम्पूर्ण लोकोंका महान् ईश्वर तथा सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंका सुहृद् (स्वार्थरहित दयालु और प्रेमी) जानकर शान्तिको प्राप्त हो जाता है।

✦ More verses on this theme ✦

✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about love and compassion?

Krishna describes love as a steady devotion — toward him and toward all beings — held without ego, jealousy or fear. The highest yogi is the one whose heart feels others' joy and sorrow as its own.

Which Gita verses are about selfless love?

Gita 9.34 (mind absorbed in me), 12.13 (no hatred, friendly and compassionate to all), 11.55 (devotion, no hate toward any being), 6.32 (treats all alike), 12.15 (causes no anguish), and 5.29 (friend of all beings) are central.

How do I practise Gita-style compassion daily?

Hold each person you meet, even briefly, as a vessel of the same life that runs through you. That single shift quietly softens irritation and opens room for genuine kindness.

Authoritative sources

Official sites of the scriptural traditions and publishing trusts behind the editions and commentaries cited on this page.