yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||12.17||
The one who does not get elated, is not hostile, does not grieve, does not desire, who has completely given up good and bad (karma), who has devotion, is beloved to Me.
yo na hṛṣyati - the one who doesn't get elated and na śocati - doesn't get grief.
na dveṣṭi - the one who doesn't hate and na kāṅkṣati - doesn't wish or long. These are pairs of opposite which associate with likes and dislikes. Being a jñānī doesn't mean he/she doesn't have likes and dislikes at all. He/she might still have favourites or doesn't like the feeling of pain on the body. But these likes and dislikes are not binding him/her with regards to the mental well being. Unlike most of us including Arjuna who is grieving over the death of his dear people, even he understands whatever is born must have destruction also, because of bondage the grief is there. It doesn't mean a jñānī will not shed tears at all, but the feeling doesn't rob away his/her discrimination power.
śubhāśubhaparityāgī - one who completely gives up what is auspicious and inauspicious, he/she doesn't accumulate śubha-karma - action which gives desires condition (punya) and aśubha-karma - action which gives undesired condition (pāpam). He/she might do some good actions but they might be prompted from other people's desire (parecchā-prārabdha) like teaching or writing which is done for other's good. And they will not produce any result for the jñānī. There is also no reason for him/her to do such śubha-karma to produce happiness since he/she recognised sukha-svarūpa - the nature of happiness. bhaktimān yaḥ - the one who has devotion, sa me priyaḥ - he/she is beloved to me, is myself alone.
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ |
śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ||12.18||
The one who is the same with reference to an enemy and a friend, so too, honour and disgrace; the same with reference to cold, heat, pleasure and pain (and) free from
attachment ...
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca - one who is the same with reference to an enemy and a friend. Even though a jñānī doesn't see anybody as enemy, but others might see him/her as their enemy, just like how Duryodhana always sees Lord Krsna as enemy. But Lord Krsna treated both Duryodhana and Arjuna the same, by granted their requests before the war started. tathā mānāpamānayoḥ - similarly he/she is the same when receives māna - respect or apamāna - disrespect.
śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ - in cold and hot, pleasant and unpleasant situation, he/she is the same, unlike samsārī who constantly complains what is not on his/her hand like weather, situations etc. saṅgavivarjitaḥ - one who is free from any kind of attachment. There are many kind of possible attachment, even a renunciate can be attached to his/her bagging bowl.
Next is the concluding verse describing the person who has wisdom, which is knowledge of ātmā.
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit | aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimān me priyo naraḥ ||12.19||
...the one who is equal to censure and praise, disciplined in speech, satisfied by whatever (he gets), who has no place to call his own, whose knowledge is firm, and who has devotion is beloved to Me.
In previous verse Lord Krsna showed that the wise person is the same in respect and disrespect, here he says that a jñānī is the same with regards to assault demeaning words and in praise - tulyanindāstutiḥ. Praise and censure of a wise person by someone who is ignorant is meaningless, because whatever praise one may give, it is just a fraction of his/her wholeness. maunī - one who is disciplined in speech. Maunī literally means one who doesn't talk, if it is so, there would be no teaching of ātmā-jnānam. His/her speaks are measured and what is said, is meant. This can also be practiced as sādhana for us when talking should be fruitful and judicious - neither too much nor too little. santuṣṭo yena kenacit - with any given thing he/she is happy. aniketaḥ - one who has no dwelling place. Here indicates a renunciate. This doesn't mean that he should have no roof over his head but that there is no place which he/she called his own.
All these words reveal the person but lastly Lord Krsna says the real devotee - bhaktimān is sthiramatiḥ - one whose understanding of ātmā is firm. Since the nitya-ātmā which is not subject to change is the subject of the mati - intellect, therefore the intellect is as firm as the object. The true nature of ātmā is the very true nature of the mind and therefore once the mind is awake to the truth of ātmā, it doesn't under go any change.
bhaktimān naraḥ - that person is a devotee. The popular meaning of naraḥ is simply person, but its derived meaning is the one who doesn't die (na rīyate iti narah), a designation for brahman. Because of his knowledge of ātmā, this person has became naraḥ. me priyo - he/she is beloved to me, is myself alone.