Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Verse 18

Bhagavad Gita 5.18

Real wisdom erases rank and reveals sameness.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

विद्याविनयसंपन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
ज्ञानी महापुरुष विद्याविनययुक्त ब्राह्मणमें और चाण्डालमें तथा गाय, हाथी एवं कुत्तेमें भी समरूप परमात्माको देखनेवाले होते हैं ॥
English
The wise see the same reality in a learned, humble brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste.

What this verse means

A truly wise person does not rank living beings by status, species, or social position. The same reality is seen in all of them.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield, Krishna is still answering Arjuna's collapse. After teaching the clear vision of the true self, he shows what that vision looks like in daily perception: a wise person sees the same reality in a learned brahmin, an animal, and someone society rejects.

Why this verse still matters

You walk past a hospital corridor, a luxury lobby, and a street corner in the same hour. The outer labels change fast; this verse asks whether your seeing changes at all.

The takeaway

Respect becomes effortless when you stop sorting beings into higher and lower.

Word-by-word translation

विद्याविनयसंपन्ने (endowed with learning and humility) / ब्राह्मणे (in a brahmin) / गवि (in a cow) / हस्तिनि (in an elephant) / शुनि (in a dog) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / श्वपाके (in an outcaste) / च (and) / पण्डिताः (the wise) / समदर्शिनः (equal-seeing)

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