Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 32

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन ।
सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं स योगी परमो मतः ॥

Transliteration

ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṃ paśyati yo.arjuna .
sukhaṃ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṃ sa yogī paramo mataḥ ॥

Meaning

O Arjuna, the yogi who, by comparison with himself, sees the pleasure and pain of all beings as his own is regarded as the highest.

Word meanings

आत्मौपम्येन – by comparison with oneself, by analogy with oneself
सर्वत्र – everywhere, in all beings
समम् – equally
पश्यति – sees
यः – who
अर्जुन – O Arjuna
सुखम् – pleasure
वा – or
यदि वा – or else
दुःखम् – pain
सः – he
योगी – yogi
परमः – highest
मतः – is regarded

Anvaya (word order)

अर्जुन, यः आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं समं पश्यति, सः योगी परमः मतः ।

Explanation

This is a beautiful concluding verse to the teaching on meditation, and it contains the essence of the Gita's ethics. Krishna defines the 'highest yogi' not by supernatural powers or long trances but by compassion.

The key is atmaupamyena — by analogy with oneself. Just as pleasure is dear to me and pain unwelcome, so pleasure is dear and pain unwelcome to every being. One who feels this truth not merely with the intellect but with the heart experiences another's pain as his own and rejoices in another's happiness as his own. Shankara states plainly: as pleasure is agreeable to me, so it is to all beings; as pain is disagreeable to me, so it is to all — seeing thus, he does nothing harmful to anyone, that is, he is non-violent.

This vision is the practical form of the equal vision of 6.29. There the yogi sees one Self in all; here he brings that vision into conduct. One who lacks this sensitivity cannot be called the highest yogi, however much he meditates. And one who has it will naturally work for others' good and cause no one pain.

Ramanuja offers another reading as well: the yogi regards his own and others' pleasure and pain with equal detachment, knowing that the Self has no real connection with them. The two readings complement each other — evenness within, compassion without.

Context

Verses 6.29–31 described the yogi's equal vision and his abiding in the Lord; this verse completes that vision as compassion. Next (6.33) Arjuna voices his doubt about the restlessness of the mind.

Life lesson

Before you do something to someone, ask yourself, 'How would I feel if this were done to me?' This simple question is the practice of atmaupamya, which makes us kind, just and non-violent.

Key terms

Atmaupamya: seeing others by analogy with oneself
Parama yogi: the highest yogi
Compassion: feeling another's pain as one's own