April 25 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 5; Verses 5.18-5.19 (Day 116) Karma Yoga

 April 25 – Day 116

Verse 5.18-5.19

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।

शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥ ५-१८॥ 

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śhuni chaiva śhva-pāke cha paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśhinaḥ (18) 

வித்³யாவினயஸம்ப¹ன்னே ப்³ராஹ்மணே க³வி ஹஸ்தி¹னி |
ஶுனி சை¹வ ஶ்வபா¹கே¹ ச¹ ப¹ண்டி³தா¹: ஸமத³ர்ஶின: ||18|| 

18. Sages look with an equal eye on a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, on a cow, on an elephant, and even on a dog and an outcaste. 

Commentary: The liberated sage or Jivanmukta or a Brahmana has equal vision as he beholds the Self only everywhere.  This magnificent vision of a Jnani is beyond description.  Atman or Brahman is not at all affected by the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts as He is extremely subtle, pure, formless and attributeless.  The sun’s reflection falls on the river Ganga, on the ocean or on a dirty stream.  The sun is not at all affected in any way.  This makes no difference to the sun.  So is the case with the Supreme Self.  The Upadhis (limiting adjuncts) cannot affect Him.  Just as the ether is not affected by the limiting adjuncts, viz., a pot, the walls of a room, cloud, etc., so also the Self is not affected by the Upadhis.

The Brahmana is Sattvic.  The cow is Rajasic.  The elephant, the dog and the outcaste are Tamasic.  The sage sees in all of them the one homogeneous immortal Self Who is not affected by the three Gunas and their tendencies. (Cf. VI. 8, 32; XIV. 24) 

इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः ।

निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद् ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥ ५-१९॥ 

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣhāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ
nirdoṣhaṁ hi samaṁ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ (19) 

இஹைவ தை¹ர்ஜித¹: ஸர்கோ³ யேஷாம் ஸாம்யே ஸ்தி²த¹ம் மன: |
நிர்தோ³ஷம் ஹி ஸமம் ப்¹ரஹ்ம த¹ஸ்மாத்¹ ப்¹ரஹ்மணி தே¹ ஸ்தி²தா¹: ||19|| 

19. Even here (in this world) birth (everything) is overcome by those whose minds rest in equality; Brahman is spotless indeed and equal; therefore, they are established in Brahman. 

Commentary: When the mind gets rooted in equanimity or evenness or equality, when it is always in a balanced state, one conquers birth and death.  Bondage is annihilated and freedom is attained by him.  When the mind is in a perfectly balanced state he overcomes Brahman Himself, i.e., realizes Brahman.

Brahman is ever pure and attributeless and so He is not affected even though He dwells in an outcaste, dog, etc.  So He is spotless.  He is homogeneous and one, as He dwells equally in all beings. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: 

This doctrine of essential equality or ‘sameness’ is difficult for the ignorance-conditioned intellect to grasp. It is not the dull and drab sameness of uniformity in which all skins will be treated to have the same colour, all noses and faces will be standardised by plastic surgery, all men (and all beings) will eat the same food, wear the same clothes and will be treated in identical manner. The sage views all in the same light. He does not forget that they have different duties, places and needs – as cells in different parts of the one body of God. He recognises that the dog and the cow are one in God, and this recognition takes the form in him of attitudes and actions as befit the different roles allotted to them. The application of this doctrine is not as simple as it sounds! For, it is the seeing of sameness that is vital, and any action that substitutes this seeing will lead us astray.

This ‘sameness’ is the nature of God. God is faultless and spotless. We see that also in his nature, the five elements are all pure and purifying. The self is identical with God and thus free from sin. Sin is ignorance. In the dark, you see some animals moving in the backyard. You throw a stone and go to sleep satisfied that they have gone. They were but shadows! But the ‘stone-throwing’ created an impression in your mind. In our lives such actions give rise to tendencies that lead to sin and rebirth. The enlightened soul does not get involved in delusion, sin, and therefore birth and death! Absorbed in ‘sameness’ it realises its eternal oneness with Brahman, the infinite. 

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