Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 18

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥

Transliteration

vidyāvinayasampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini .
śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ ॥

Meaning

The wise see with an equal eye a brahmin endowed with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog and even an outcaste.

Word meanings

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने – endowed with learning and humility
ब्राह्मणे – in a brahmin
गवि – in a cow
हस्तिनि – in an elephant
शुनि – in a dog
च एव – and
श्वपाके – in an outcaste
पण्डिताः – the wise
समदर्शिनः – those who see with equal vision

Anvaya (word order)

पण्डिताः विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे, गवि, हस्तिनि, शुनि, श्वपाके च एव समदर्शिनः (भवन्ति) ।

Explanation

This verse describes the vision of the wise: "The learned see with an equal eye a brahmin endowed with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant, and even a dog and an outcaste." The example is chosen with great deliberateness. At one end is the person society would honour most, a learned and humble priest. Then come animals of varying status: a cow, revered; an elephant, impressive; a dog, commonplace, and a person who eats dogs, despised. The Lord lists them to show that real equal vision does not shrink from the full range.

The key word is "sama-darshinah", those who see the same. It does not mean that the wise treat all things in the same way. A person does not feed a cow the way he would feed a dog, nor does he give an elephant a place in his home. It means that behind all differences of body, birth, learning and species, the wise perceive the same Self, the same Brahman, present in each. Their conduct remains fitted to each situation, but their respect has no ranking.

Shankara explains that the learned see the same Brahman, free of defects and equal in all, abiding in the brahmin and the outcaste alike; the differences belong to the qualities of the body and mind, not to the Self. Ramanuja explains that the wise see the soul in each as of the same nature, knowledge being its essence, and distinct from the body whose form differs due to karma. Madhva also stresses that the wise see the Lord, the same Supreme in all.

Consider an everyday test. A person may be gracious to the boss yet rude to a waiter; may speak kindly to a guest but harshly to a servant; may love the family dog and disregard a stranger. The vision of this verse removes such splits. It does not ask for an artificial sameness of behaviour but for a respect that does not depend on usefulness or status.

It is also an encouraging verse for the humble. The verse says "vidya-vinaya-sampanne", endowed with learning and humility, meaning that real learning is that which gives humility. A scholar who is arrogant has not yet learned what the verse teaches. The idea echoes in 6.9 and 6.32, where the best yogi is one who sees all beings like himself and feels their joys and sorrows as his own, and in 13.28 and 18.20, which describe seeing one imperishable reality in all beings.

Context

Verse 5.17 spoke of the knower's steadfastness and liberation. Verse 5.18 describes his vision. Next, 5.19 says that those whose minds rest in equality conquer the world of birth right here.

Life lesson

Try to see one and the same consciousness in every person, of whatever position, caste or condition. Equal vision naturally increases respect and compassion.

Key terms

Pandita: one who knows the Self, not merely a bookish scholar
Samadarshi: one who sees the same Self in all
Shvapaka: an outcaste; one regarded as lowest in society