Adveshta Sarva Bhutanam (Bhagavad Gita 12.13)
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानाम्
Also known as: adveshta sarva bhutanam maitrah karuna eva cha · adveshta sarvabhutanam · bhagavad gita 12.13
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✦ Meaning
Bhagavad Gita 12.13 begins Krishna's beautiful description of the qualities of a true devotee who is dear to him. Such a devotee hates no being, is friendly and compassionate to all, free from possessiveness and ego, even-minded in joy and sorrow, and forgiving. The verse is a portrait of the ideal spiritual character.
Origin & Story
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 13 · Veda Vyasa (Lord Krishna's teaching) · Itihasa (Mahabharata)
In the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhakti Yoga, Lord Krishna answers Arjuna's question about the best path and glorifies loving devotion. He concludes by describing the qualities of the devotee who is most dear to him; this verse opens that celebrated passage, portraying the compassionate, egoless and forgiving heart of a true bhakta.
✦ As told in scripture
It is said that such a devotee — without enmity, full of compassion, free of ego and ever forgiving — becomes so dear to the Lord that God himself dwells in their heart; to grow into these qualities is therefore held to be the surest way to win his love.
The Mantra
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अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī
Meaning:He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Adveshta Sarva Bhutanam (Bhagavad Gita 12.13)
Describes the qualities of the true devotee dear to God — a guide for inner transformation.
Cultivates universal friendliness, compassion and freedom from hatred toward all beings.
Helps dissolve ego (ahankara) and possessiveness (mamata), the roots of suffering.
Inspires equanimity in pleasure and pain and the great virtue of forgiveness (kshama).
Recited and contemplated daily as a prayer to embody the character of a sincere bhakta.
How to Chant Adveshta Sarva Bhutanam (Bhagavad Gita 12.13)
Recite the verse slowly and reflect on each quality it describes — non-hatred, friendliness, compassion, freedom from ego and possessiveness, equanimity and forgiveness — resolving to cultivate them. It is contemplated as a mirror for one's own conduct and a prayer to become a devotee dear to the Lord.
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