भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् | सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति || २९ ||
bhoktāraṃ yajña-tapasāṃ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntim ṛcchati
bhoktāram—the beneficiary; yajña—sacrifices; tapasām—and penances; sarva-loka—of all planets; mahā-īśvaram—the Supreme Lord; su-hṛdam—the benefactor; sarva-bhūtānām—of all living entities; jñātvā—knowing; mām—Me; śāntim—relief from material pains; ṛcchati—achieves.
“Knowing Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all worlds, and the loving friend of all beings — one attains peace.”
Krishna concludes Chapter 5 with a triple revelation: He is the ultimate beneficiary of all spiritual practice (bhoktaram) — meaning the ego-sense of 'I am the doer of this sacrifice' must be surrendered. He is the supreme ruler of all realms (sarva-loka-maheshvaram) — meaning there is a divine order underlying all existence. And most intimately, He is the suhrdam — the well-wishing friend — of all beings, without exception. Knowing this triple truth, the seeker attains shanti: the lasting peace that passes understanding.
The deepest source of peace is the recognition that the universe is not indifferent to you — at its heart, it is friendly, even loving. When you feel alone, unsupported, or at the mercy of hostile forces, return to this verse: 'I am the well-wishing friend of all beings.' Trust this, and peace naturally follows.