Text 22
na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ suhṛttamo
na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā
tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā
sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito ’rtha-daḥ
na tasya — He does not have; kaścit — any; dayitaḥ — favorite; suhṛttamaḥ — best friend; na ca — nor; apriyaḥ — unfavored; dveṣyaḥ — hated; upekṣyaḥ — neglected; eva — indeed; vā — or; tathā api — still; bhaktān — with His devotees; bhajate — He reciprocates; yathā — as they are; tathā — accordingly; sura-drumaḥ — a heavenly desire tree; yadvat — just as; upāśritaḥ — taken shelter of; artha — desired benefits; daḥ — giving.
The Supreme Lord has no favorite and no dearmost friend, nor does He consider anyone undesirable, despicable or fit to be neglected. All the same, He lovingly reciprocates with His devotees in whatever manner they worship Him, just as the trees of heaven fulfill the desires of whoever approaches them.
The Lord says something similar in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.29):
samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend and is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”
Similarly, Lord Caitanya was as hard as a thunderbolt for those who envied Him, and as soft as a rose for those who understood His divine mission.