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Chapter 5 · Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness · 29 verses

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Soul & knowledgeChapter 5 · Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
5.175.19

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 5.18

Knowledge and equal vision

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।

श‍ुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता: समदर्शिन: ॥ १८ ॥

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

Translation

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Seeing All with Equal Vision

  1. 1Through true knowledge, humble sages see a learned, gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and an outcaste with equal vision.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person sees equally because the Supreme Lord is present as the Supersoul in every heart.
  3. 3Practice looking beyond differences of body or caste, remembering that the Lord is equally kind to every living being.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 5, Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: knowledge and equal vision.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Discern the eternal self from the temporary.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: ātmā, jñāna.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 5.18 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to soul & knowledge?

Practice

Spend five minutes reflecting on what in you does not change.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 5 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 5.14Knowledge and equal visionBG 5.15Knowledge and equal visionBG 2.13The self endures bodily changeBG 4.34The humility of real inquiry

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.