Gita 12.17 Conserve your emotional energy by focus on service

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pleases Krishna. Thank you.

Bhagavad Gita 12.17. Krishna is continuing to describe here, in this section from text 13 to 20, the qualities of those who are dear to him, the qualities that endear a devotee to him. Bhaktimaan ih same pe. So, bhaktimaan, like we have dhanvaan, a person who possesses wealth.

Jnanavaan, one who possesses knowledge. So, bhaktimaan similarly means one who is fully full of devotion, filled with devotion. Bhaktimaan ih same priyaha, which a person is dear to me.

Yona rishyati na dveshti. So, one who does not delight nor does, one who does not rishyati, will become jubilant, delight and dveshti is become resentful. So, one who does not delight nor become resentful.

Yona rishyati na dveshti, na shochati na kankshati. And one who does not lament or crave. What is the difference between these two? Actually, the first line 17.17a, Yona rishyati na dveshti refers to things that have happened, when something happens, when one delights when it is good and resents when it is bad.

So, that is with respect to what is happening. And shochati and kankshati can be referring to the past and the future. So, one doesn't lament for that which has gone wrong and that has happened in the past and that has gone wrong and one doesn't crave for something in the future, kankshati.

Instead, one just keeps moving on steadily, striving to serve Krishna to the best of one's capacity. That this is good, this is bad, this is auspicious, this is inauspicious. One gives up such considerations.

Such a bhakta is dear to me. So, Krishna is stating here that he is very pleased with a devotee who works for serving him, with a devotee who strives to serve him wholeheartedly by the practice of bhakti. This means that normally, if we look with material vision, we feel this is good, this is bad.

But with a devotional vision, when we understand that Krishna is in control, then we see that ultimately whatever Krishna is doing, that is meant for our ultimate good. So, rather than letting ourselves get caught by considerations of good or bad, we focus simply on the principle of service. That Krishna, you are my master, I am your servant and I want to serve you.

Whatever be the situation that I am in, whatever bad things may have happened in the past, whatever bad things even I may have done in the past. So, if a devotee sees that actually Krishna is my ultimate well-wisher and Krishna will take care of things for me, I just need to take care of the point of what I can do for serving him now, then we can focus, we can actually focus our emotional energy in a positive, purposeful and productive way. Nowadays, we talk a lot about conservation of energy, because the fossil fuels are not unlimited.

And when they get exhausted, the whole economy can come crashing down. There is fear of that and there are of course, efforts to try to deal with that also. At the same time, it is important to recognize that just as we conserve, say, fuel energy or different kinds of physical energies, our emotional energy is also an energy and we need to conserve it.

And how do we conserve our emotional energy? By seeking to avoid unnecessary emotional stimulation. Ultimately, the present is the only time that we have for doing anything. When our focus is too much on what is happening to us, this is so good, this is so bad.

In both cases, we may become jubilant or we may become resentful. Either way, we are, by letting our emotions get too much invested in what is happening, we lose the focus from what we can do. And that way, we could have brought positive changes in our life, done something constructive.

And we do not do that because our emotional energy was consumed in responding to what happened, rather than in choosing to do the best thing in the present. Now, of course, we will act in response to what has happened. And our action will be shaped by that.

But if our emotion is consumed simply in meditating or in thinking about what has happened, then we get distracted from doing something positive. Similarly, if there has been something wrong that has happened in the past, it's not that we are meant to be heartless. We can't live like stones.

If something bad has happened, naturally, we'll feel bad about it. But we don't let that consume all our emotional energy. And we all have desires, we have aspirations, we would like things to work out to be better in the future.

But then the future is going to come from the present. We just waste our time in dreaming, nothing constructive is going to come. So in that way, thinking about the past and the future, and lamenting about the past or craving for the future, that can also dissipate our emotional energy.

And overall, thinking this is good and that is bad, if we let that consume us, that can also dissipate our emotional energy. Instead, we focus simply on the point that I'm a servant of Krishna, and I'm meant to serve Krishna, whatever be the situation I'm in, I'm meant to serve. So let me try to serve to the best of my capacity in the present situation that I am in.

With that attitude, we can move forward steadily and we can actually attain Krishna. We can become united with Krishna in our absorption, in our contribution through practical service to Him. And such a devotee whose focus is on service to Krishna, such a devotee is dear to me, not distracted by what has happened, whether it is good or bad, what is happening that is good or bad, not distracted by what has happened, lamenting over it, not craving for something that will happen in the future.

And overall, not letting oneself be consumed by thoughts of good or bad, but just focusing on service, that will endear us to Krishna. Thank you.