Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 17
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 7 श्लोक 17

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः।।7.17।।



English Translation - Swami Sivananda
7.17 Of them the wise, ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excels (is the best); for I am exceedingly dear to the wise and he is dear to Me.


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
7.17 Tesam, of them, among the four; jnani, the man of Knowledge, the knower of Reality, is nitya-yuktah, endowed with constant steadfastness as a result of being a knower of Reality; and he also becomes eka-bhaktih, endowed with one-pointed devotion, because he finds no one else whom he can adore. Conseently, that person of one-pointed devotion visisyate, excels, becomes superior, i.e. he surpasses (the others).
Hi, since; I, the Self, am priyah, dear; jnaninah, to the man of Knowledge; therefore aham, I; am atyartham, very much; priyah, dear to him. It is indeed a well known fact in the world that the Self is dear. The meaning, therefore, is that Vasudeva, being the Self of the man of Knowledge, is dear to him. And sah, he, the man of Knowledge, being the very Self of Me who am Vasudeva; is very much priyah, dear; mama, to Me.
If that be so, then the other three-the afflicted and the others-are not dear to Vasudeva? This is not so! What then?


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 7.17Teshaam jnaanee nityayukta eka bhaktirvishishyate;
Priyo hi jnaanino’tyarthamaham sa cha mama priyah.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 7.17teṣhām—amongst these; jñānī—those who are situated in knowledge; nitya-yuktaḥ—ever steadfast; eka—exclusively; bhaktiḥ—devotion; viśhiṣhyate—highest; priyaḥ—very dear; hi—certainly; jñāninaḥ—to the person in knowledge; atyartham—highly; aham—I; saḥ—he; cha—and; mama—to me; priyaḥ—dear