|| 18.67 ||
इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन। न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति।।
idaṁ te nātapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṁ na ca māṁ yo ’bhyasūyati
Word by Word
idam (this) te (by you) na (never) atapaskāya (to one who is not austere) na (never) abhaktāya (to one who is not a devotee) kadācana (at any time) na (never) ca (and) aśuśrūṣave (to one who is not attentive) vācyam (to be spoken) na (never) ca (and) mām (Me) yaḥ (who) abhyasūyati (is envious of).
Translation
This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa gives the rule for sharing this knowledge. He says this confidential Gītā should never be explained to: 1) Someone who lacks self-discipline (‘Atapaskāya’), 2) Someone who has no devotion, 3) Someone who doesn’t want to listen, or 4) Someone who is envious of God. You cannot pour nectar into a dirty or upside-down pot.
This isn’t about being ‘exclusive’; it’s about being ‘effective’. If you try to teach the Gītā to someone who is full of hate for Kṛṣṇa, it will only make them more angry and more sinful. They won’t understand it; they will only mock it. Spiritual knowledge requires a certain level of ‘receptivity’. The student must at least be open and respectful for the seed of wisdom to grow.
It teaches us to be wise in our preaching. We should look for those who are ‘hungry’ for the truth. Don’t waste the Lord’s highest secrets on those who only want to argue or indulge their ego. We should first help people develop basic discipline and respect, and only then reveal the deep mysteries of devotion. The Gītā is a treasure that must be handled with care.