ye tu dharmyāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ
"But those who worship this immortal dharma as declared, endowed with faith, regarding Me as the supreme goal—those devotees are exceedingly dear to Me."
What This Means:
Krishna concludes: those who follow this path of devotion with faith, keeping God as their supreme goal—they are not just dear, but 'exceedingly dear' to Me. This is the pinnacle of the devotee-God relationship.
Going Deeper:
The chapter's powerful conclusion: 'dharmyāmṛtam idam'—this immortal dharma (the path of devotion just described). 'Śraddadhānāḥ'—endowed with faith. 'Mat-paramāḥ'—having Me as supreme. 'Atīva me priyāḥ'—exceedingly dear to Me. The superlative 'atīva' (extremely) shows that while all devotees are dear, those who embody these qualities have the most intimate relationship with the Divine.
How To Apply This:
This chapter gives a complete roadmap: if you can't do the highest, do the next best; if not that, the next. Everyone can make progress. Choose one quality from this chapter to cultivate this month—let the teaching become practice.
Key Sanskrit Terms: