B.G 9.29

समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः। ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ॥२९॥

samo'haṁ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo'sti na priyaḥ। ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpyaham ॥29॥

[समः (samaḥ) - equal; अहम् (aham) - I; सर्वभूतेषु (sarva-bhūteṣu) - in all beings; न (na) - not; मे (me) - to me; द्वेष्यः (dveṣyaḥ) - one who is hated; अस्ति (asti) - is; न (na) - not; प्रियः (priyaḥ) - dear; ये (ye) - who; भजन्ति (bhajanti) - worship; तु (tu) - but; माम् (mām) - me; भक्त्या (bhaktyā) - with devotion; मयि (mayi) - in me; ते (te) - they; तेषु (teṣu) - in them; च (ca) - and; अपि (api) - also; अहम् (aham) - I;]

I am equal to all beings; there is no one hateful or dear to me. But those who worship me with devotion - they are in me, and I too am in them.

Gīta Bhāshya 9.29

Those who worship the Supreme Person - they too are under His control, but He is under their control. "In Me they reside, and I also in them" expression means - "I am under their control; they are mine; I am theirs."

तर्हि स्नेहादिमत्त्वात् अल्प भक्तस्यापि कस्यचित् बहु फलं ददासि। विपरीतस्यापि कस्यचित् विपरीतं इत्यत आह - समोऽहं इति। तर्हि न भक्तिप्रयोजनं इत्यत आह - ये भजन्तीति॥

tarhi snehādimattvāt alpabhaktasyāpi kasyacit bahu phalaṁ dadāsi। viparītasyāpi kasyacit viparītaṁ ityata āha - samo'haṁ iti। tarhi na bhaktiprayojanaṁ ityata āha - ye bhajantīti॥

[तर्हि (tarhi) - then; स्नेहादिमत्त्वात् (snehādi-mattvāt) - due to possession of affection etc.; अल्पभक्तस्यापि (alpa-bhaktasya-api) - even of one with little devotion; कस्यचित् (kasyacit) - of someone; बहु (bahu) - great; फलं (phalaṁ) - fruit; ददासि (dadāsi) - you give. विपरीतस्यापि (viparītasya-api) - even of one who is contrary; कस्यचित् (kasyacit) - of someone; विपरीतं (viparītaṁ) - contrary (result); इत्यत (ityata) - thus from this; आह (āha) - he says; समः अहम् इति (samaḥ aham iti) - “I am equal…”. तर्हि (tarhi) - then; न (na) - not; भक्तिप्रयोजनं (bhakti-prayojanaṁ) - purpose of devotion; इत्यत (ityata) - thus; आह (āha) - he says; ये भजन्ति इति (ye bhajanti iti) - “those who worship…”.]

Then (a doubt may arise), since you have affection etc., you give great results even to those with little devotion and contrary results to the hostile - thus you're partial. To answer this, it is said “I am equal…” at the beginning of the verse. Then (if equal), is there any point in devotion? This too is answered later in the verse by stating “Those who worship…”.

मयि ते तेषु चापि अहं इति - मम ते तेषां अहं वशः इति। उक्तं च पैङ्गिखिलेषु -

mayi te teṣu cāpi ahaṁ iti - mama te teṣāṁ ahaṁ vaśaḥ iti। uktaṁ ca paiṅgikhileṣu -

[मयि (mayi) - in Me. ते (te) - they. तेषु (teṣu) - in them. च (ca) - and. अपि (api) - also. अहं (ahaṁ) - I. इति (iti) - thus. मम (mama) - My. ते (te) - their. तेषां (teṣāṁ) - of them. अहं (ahaṁ) - I. वशः (vaśaḥ) - under control. इति (iti) - thus. उक्तं (uktaṁ) - it is said. च (ca) - and. पैङ्गिखिलेषु (paiṅgikhileṣu) - in the supplementary texts of the Paingi-branch.]

"In Me they reside, and I also in them" expression means - "I am under their control; they are mine; I am theirs." So, it is said in the Paingi Khila text:

"ये वै भजन्ते परमं पुमांसं तेषां वशः स तु ते तद्वशाश्च।"

"ye vai bhajante paramaṁ pumāṁsaṁ teṣāṁ vaśaḥ sa tu te tadvaśāśca।"

[ये (ye) - those who. वै (vai) - indeed. भजन्ते (bhajante) - worship. परमं (paramaṁ) - the supreme. पुमांसं (pumāṁsaṁ) - person (the Supreme Being). तेषां (teṣāṁ) - of them. वशः (vaśaḥ) - under the control. स (sa) - He (the Lord). तु (tu) - but. ते (te) - they. तद्वशाः (tad-vaśāḥ) - under His control. च (ca) - and.]

"Those who worship the Supreme Person - they too are under His control, but He is under their control."

इति।

iti।

[इति (iti) - thus; ]

-stated thus.

तद्वशा एव ते सर्वदा। तथापि बुद्धिपूर्वाबुद्धिपूर्वकत्वेन भेदः। उद्धवादिवत् शिशुपालादिवच्च। तच्चोक्तं तत्रैव-

tadvaśā eva te sarvadā। tathāpi buddhipūrvābuddhipūrvakatvena bhedaḥ। uddhavādivat śiśupālādivacca। taccoktaṁ tatraiva -

[तद्वशा (tad-vaśā) - under their control; एव (eva) - indeed; ते (te) - they; सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always. तथापि (tathāpi) - however; बुद्धिपूर्व (buddhi-pūrv) - with concious intellect; अबुद्धिपूर्वकत्वेन (abuddhi-pūrvakatvena) - without the concious intellect; भेदः (bhedaḥ) - difference. उद्धव-आदि-वद् (uddhava-ādi-vad) - like Uddhava and others; शिशुपाल-आदि-वच्च (śiśupāla-ādi-vacca) - like Śiśupāla and others. तच्चोक्तं (tac-coktaṁ) - this is stated; तत्रैव (tatraiva) - there itself.]

Everyone, always, anyway, is under His control. However, there is a difference due to the nature of intellect: one is with knowledge, the other is without knowledge, comparable to Uddhava and Śiśupāla, respectively. Hence, it is stated in this context:

"अबुद्धिपूर्वाद् यो वशस्तस्य ध्यानात् पुनर्वशो भवते बुदि्धपूर्वम्"

"abuddhipūrvād yo vaśastasya dhyānāt punarvaśo bhavate budidhapūrvam"

[अबुद्धिपूर्वाद् (abuddhi-pūrvād) - due to prior ignorance; यो (yo) - he who; वशः (vaśaḥ) - is under control; तस्य (tasya) - his; ध्यानात् (dhyānāt) - due to meditation; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; वशो (vaśo) - control; भवते (bhavate) - becomes; बुद्धिपूर्वम् (buddhi-pūrvam) - with concious intellect.]

"He who is under your control with ignorance, by meditation, again comes under your control with concious knowledge."

इति ॥२९॥

iti ॥29॥

[इति (iti) - thus;]

- stated thus.

Gīta Tātparya 9.29

He is the giver of results according to thier devotion, therefore the Lord is equal. "they are in Me" means - "they are in Me because of their love and affection".

नास्य भक्तोऽपि यो द्वेष्यो न चाभक्तोऽपि यः प्रियः। किन्तु भक्त्यनुसारेण फलदोऽतः समो हरिः॥

nāsya bhakto'pi yo dveṣyo na cābhakto'pi yaḥ priyaḥ। kintu bhaktyanusāreṇa phalado'taḥ samo hariḥ॥

[न (na) - not; अस्य (asya) - his; भक्तः (bhaktaḥ) - devotee; अपि (api) - also; यो (yo) - who; द्वेष्यः (dveṣyaḥ) - is to be hated; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; अभक्तः (abhaktaḥ) - non-devotee; अपि (api) - also; यः (yaḥ) - who; प्रियः (priyaḥ) - is dear. किन्तु (kintu) - but; भक्त्य (bhaktyā) - with devotion; अनुसारेण (anusāreṇa) - according to; फलदः (phaladaḥ) - giver of results; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; समः (samaḥ) - equal; हरिः (hariḥ) - Lord.]

"He does not hate His devotees, nor does He love his non-devotees. He is the giver of results according to their devotion, therefore the Lord is equal."

इति पाद्मे।

iti pādme।

[इति (iti) - thus; पाद्मे (pādme) - in the Padma.]

- stated thus in the Padma Purāna.

प्रीत्या मयि ते ॥२९॥

prītyā mayi te ॥29॥

[प्रीत्या (prītyā) - with love; मयि (mayi) - in me; ते (te) - they.]

The expression "they are in Me" means - "they are in Me because of their love and affection".