श्रीभगवानुवाच मिथो भजन्ति ये सख्य: स्वार्थैकान्तोद्यमा हि ते । न तत्र सौहृदं धर्म: स्वार्थार्थं तद्धि नान्यथा ॥ १७ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca mitho bhajanti ye sakhyaḥ svārthaikāntodyamā hi te na tatra sauhṛdaṁ dharmaḥ svārthārthaṁ tad dhi nānyathā
- śrī-bhagavān uvāca
- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
- mithaḥ
- mutually
- bhajanti
- reciprocate
- ye
- who
- sakhyaḥ
- friends
- sva-artha
- for their own sake
- eka-anta
- exclusively
- udyamāḥ
- whose endeavor
- hi
- indeed
- te
- they
- na
- not
- tatra
- therein
- sauhṛdam
- true friendship
- dharmaḥ
- true religiosity
- sva-artha
- of their own benefit
- artham
- for the sake
- tat
- that
- hi
- indeed
- na
- not
- anyathā
- otherwise
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: So-called friends who show affection for each other only to benefit themselves are actually selfish. They have no true friendship, nor are they following the true principles of religion. Indeed, if they did not expect benefit for themselves, they would not reciprocate.