Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingTranslation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaThis (that I have taught) should never be taught to one who is devoid of austerities, one who is not a devotee, one who does not render service, or one who cavils at Me.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
यह ज्ञान ऐसे पुरुष से नहीं कहना चाहिए, जो अतपस्क (तपरहित) है, और न उसे जो अभक्त है; उसे भी नहीं जो अशुश्रुषु (सेवा में अतत्पर) है और उस पुरुष से भी नहीं कहना चाहिए, जो मुझ (ईश्वर) से असूया करता है, अर्थात् मुझ में दोष देखता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from VaamshiiWord by word
padārthaThemes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA“This is never to be spoken by you to one without austerity, nor to one without devotion, nor to one who does not wish to hear, nor to one who cavils at Me (mām abhyasūyati)” (18.67). The teaching is guarded not by secrecy for its own sake but by fitness — it cannot be received by the carping, the faithless or the unwilling (recall 9.1, “to you who do not cavil”). But to the fit it must be given freely: “he who, with supreme devotion to Me, teaches this deepest secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me; none among men does dearer service to Me than he” (18.68–69). And the rewards of engaging it are graded generously (18.70–71): he who studies this dialogue worships Him by the “sacrifice of knowledge” (jñāna-yajña); and even he who merely hears it with faith and without cavil is freed, and attains the auspicious worlds of the righteous. Thus the teaching is at once protected from the scoffer and offered to everyone sincere — even the humble listener is not left out.