समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः ।ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ॥
samo'haṃ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo'sti na priyaḥ |ye bhajanti tu māṃ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpyaham ||
I am the same toward all beings. No one is hateful to me, and no one is dear. But those who worship me with devotion are in me, and I am in them as well.
Explanation
Krishna explains that God has no favourites: his regard for all beings is equal, with no one hateful (dveṣya) or dear (priya) to him. Yet devotion (bhakti) creates a real closeness, a mutual presence between the devotee and the divine. Traditions differ on the emphasis: devotional schools read this as God's special tenderness toward devotees, while non-dualist readings take it as the way a fire warms only those who come near it.