Shloka 18.69
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तमः |भविता न च मे तस्मादन्यः प्रियतरो भुवि ||१८-६९||
na ca tasmānmanuṣyeṣu kaścinme priyakṛttamaḥ . bhavitā na ca me tasmādanyaḥ priyataro bhuvi ||18-69||
Meaning
Nor is there among men any who can perform a service dearer to Me than this, or any man on earth more beloved by Me than he.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna expresses His love for the one who shares this teaching in the strongest terms. No one among humankind renders Him dearer service, and none on earth shall ever be more beloved to Him, than the devotee who lovingly passes on this wisdom.
This extraordinary statement reveals how precious the act of spreading spiritual truth is to the Divine. It is ranked above ritual, austerity, even private devotion, for it multiplies the light, awakening others to the path. The Lord's declaration of such tender affection is also an encouragement: the humble work of helping others toward truth is, in God's eyes, the dearest service of all, binding the loving teacher to Him in the closest bond of love.
In daily life
No service is dearer to the Divine than lovingly helping others awaken to spiritual truth.
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What does ‘भविता न च मे तस्मात्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on service, in other chapters
- Verse 12.10Even if you cannot meditate, make your daily work an offering to God and you will reach perfection.
- Verse 10.1The deepest teachings open up to the one who listens with love and a genuine desire to learn.
- Verse 6.30See the Divine in all things and in everyone, and you will never be separated from God, nor God from you.
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
Swipe left for 18.70 · To study these teachings sincerely is itself an act of worship offered to the Divine.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.69
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.69, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.69, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.69 mean?
Nor is there among men any who can perform a service dearer to Me than this, or any man on earth more beloved by Me than he. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.69 for daily life?
No service is dearer to the Divine than lovingly helping others awaken to spiritual truth.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.69 mean?
न च तस्मात् — nor than he; मनुष्येषु — among men; कश्चित् मे प्रियकृत्तमः — anyone doing dearer service to Me; भविता न च मे तस्मात् — nor shall there be than he; अन्यः प्रियतरः भुवि — another dearer to Me on earth.
Where does verse 18.69 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 69 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.70.