Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 - Sanyasa Yoga - Sloka 18

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

Same sightedness Ensues from Knowledge 18-19

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 5 -Sanyasa Yoga - Sloka 18

Vidhya vinaya sampanne brahmane gavi hastini I

Shuni cha eva shvapakecha panditah samadarshinah II sloka 18

विध्या विनय संपन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।

शुनि च एव श्वपाकेच पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ।। श्लोक १८

Men of self knowledge are same sighted on a Brahmana imbued with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste.

Sunlight falls equally on all things. It makes no difference between the sacred Ganga and the sewage water. The knower of teh Brahman cognizes the Brahman only everywhere. The distinction which the worldly make among beings, is born of ignorance. To them an ideal Brahmana is one who is to be revered. An outcaste is one to be shunned. Among men the former is topmost in rank and the latter the last. Similarly among animals the cow is to be revered, the elephant admired and the cur kept aloof. But the man of self knowledge does not see into the assumed differences among men, animals, birds and other creatures. He cognizes the same Omniscience present in all these forms. The jnani sees truly while the world sees erroneously.