ŚB 10.38.22
Devanagari
न तस्य कश्चिद् दयित: सुहृत्तमो
न चाप्रियो द्वेष्य उपेक्ष्य एव वा ।
तथापि भक्तान् भजते यथा तथा
सुरद्रुमो यद्वदुपाश्रितोऽर्थद: ॥ २२ ॥
न चाप्रियो द्वेष्य उपेक्ष्य एव वा ।
तथापि भक्तान् भजते यथा तथा
सुरद्रुमो यद्वदुपाश्रितोऽर्थद: ॥ २२ ॥
Verse text
na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ suhṛttamo
na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā
tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā
sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito ’rtha-daḥ
na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā
tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā
sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito ’rtha-daḥ
Synonyms
na tasya — He does not have; kaścit — any; dayitaḥ — favorite; suhṛttamaḥ — best friend; na ca — nor; apriyaḥ — unfavored; dveṣyaḥ — hated; upekṣyaḥ — neglected; eva — indeed; vā — or; tathā api — still; bhaktān — with His devotees; bhajate — He reciprocates; yathā — as they are; tathā — accordingly; sura-drumaḥ — a heavenly desire tree; yadvat — just as; upāśritaḥ — taken shelter of; artha — desired benefits; daḥ — giving.
Translation
The Supreme Lord has no favorite and no dearmost friend, nor does He consider anyone undesirable, despicable or fit to be neglected. All the same, He lovingly reciprocates with His devotees in whatever manner they worship Him, just as the trees of heaven fulfill the desires of whoever approaches them.
Purport
The Lord says something similar in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.29):
samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend and is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”
Similarly, Lord Caitanya was as hard as a thunderbolt for those who envied Him, and as soft as a rose for those who understood His divine mission.