7-17

तेषाम् ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्तः एकभक्तिः विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनः अत्यर्थम् अहम् स च मम प्रियः ॥ १७ ॥

teSAm jJAnI nityayuktaH ekabhaktiH viziSyate |
priyo hi jJAninaH atyartham aham sa ca mama priyaH || 17 ||

तेषाम् [teSAm] Among them, ज्ञानी [jJAnI] the one who knows , नित्ययुक्तः [nityayuktaH] whose thoughts are always with Me, एकभक्तिः [ekabhaktiH] who is devoted to Me alone विशिष्यते [viziSyate] is special. अहम् [aham] I am प्रियः [priyaH] dear ज्ञानिनः [jJAninaH] to this wise person, अत्यर्थम् हि [atyartham hi] in a way that is entirely beyond description. सः [saH] He is मम प्रियः च [mama priyaH ca] dear to Me as well.

Once we know the Lord, other objectives seem insignificant.

Among them, the one who knows is special. He is always with the Lord and is devoted to the Lord alone. As the Lord says - To the one who knows , I am the only one he wants to achieve. This person has an eternal bond with Me. In case of the other two types of people, the bond with Me lasts only till their aspirations are met. Further, the one who knows is devoted to Me alone, while the other two are devoted to Me by the achievement of their desires.

Moreover, I am extremely dear to the one who knows . Here, the word ‘extremely’ has been used in the sense of being ‘beyond description’. This love is so great, it is beyond description even to Me, the Lord who knows everything and has all capabilities. This is because such Love does not have any limit.

It is said of Pralhad in विश्णु पुराण १-१७-३९ [vizNu purANa 1-17-39] :

सत्त्वसक्त मतिः कृष्णे दश्यमानो महोरगैः । न विवेदात्मनो गात्रम् तत् स्मृत्य आह्लाद सम्स्थितः ॥ [sattvasakta matiH kRSNe dazyamAno mahoragaiH | na vivedAtmano gAtram tat smRtya AhlAda samsthitaH ||]

It means - ‘Pralhad, having his focus on Lord Krishna alone, went without even noticing his body when he was being bitten by huge snakes, since he was situated in the joy that is generated by keeping the Lord in mind’

In the same way, he is dear to Me as well.