By Mahanidhi Swami
According to Bhanu Swami’s translation and the tikas of Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada, the Bhagavad Gita verses 18.68, 69 pertain to bhaktas who are preaching to other bhaktas. This is an interesting insight, because usually these verses are cited to encourage those preaching and selling books to non-devotees.
For devotees who specialize in preaching to devotees, like myself for example, or especially devotee parents who regularly teach bhakti to their devotee children, these two verses are very encouraging, enlivening and heartwarming.
Just imagine???
Bhagavan Sri Krishna is personally telling that He loves such devotees more than anybody in the world! In addition, Sri Krishna gives param bhakti and His own self to the bhakti teachers.
Please carefully study these Gita verses, and take strength to teach bhakti more and more to your devotee friends, devotee children and family members, and to any devotee whom you chance to meet.
ya idam paramam guhyam mad bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva mam evaisyaty asamsayah
18.68 Without a doubt, one who teaches this supreme secret to My devotees will attain the highest bhakti and attain Me.
Tika Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada: This verse 68 and the next state the results of giving instructions on bhakti. The instructor first attains supreme bhakti (param bhaktim) and then the Lord Himself (mam eva esyati). [see these words in verse above]
na ca tasman manusyeñu kascin me priya krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad anyah priyataro bhuvi
18.69. Among humans there is no one so dear to Me. And there will never be one dearer (priya atara) to Me than he.
Tika Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada: Here Bhagavan Sri Krishna is telling, “There is no other whom I love so much as the person who teaches bhakti.”
Sri Krishna is speaking such wonderful, encouraging and delightful words here. Krishna is saying that He loves the bhakta who teaches bhakti to other bhaktas more than anyone else in the world!!!!
What more could any devotee want in return for his/her seva of preaching Krishna bhakti to other devotees? In other words, in two verses, Krishna says the bhakti teacher receives parama bhakti, Krishna Himself; and moreover that Sri Krishna loves him more than anybody on earth!
Preaching to Devotees ki jai!
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!