भजन्त्यभजतो ये वै करुणा: पितरौ यथा । धर्मो निरपवादोऽत्र सौहृदं च सुमध्यमा: ॥ १८ ॥
bhajanty abhajato ye vai karuṇāḥ pitarau yathā dharmo nirapavādo ’tra sauhṛdaṁ ca su-madhyamāḥ
- bhajanti
- they devotedly serve
- abhajataḥ
- with those who do not reciprocate with them
- ye
- those who
- vai
- indeed
- karuṇāḥ
- merciful
- pitarau
- parents
- yathā
- as
- dharmaḥ
- religious duty
- nirapavādaḥ
- faultless
- atra
- in this
- sauhṛdam
- friendship
- ca
- and
- su-madhyamāḥ
- O slender-waisted ones
My dear slender-waisted gopīs, some people are genuinely merciful or, like parents, naturally affectionate. Such persons, who devotedly serve even those who fail to reciprocate with them, are following the true, faultless path of religion, and they are true well-wishers.