SB 11.29.14 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

इति सर्वाणि भूतानि मद्भ‍ावेन महाद्युते । सभाजयन् मन्यमानो ज्ञानं केवलमाश्रित: ॥ १३ ॥ ब्राह्मणे पुक्कसे स्तेने ब्रह्मण्येऽर्के स्फुलिङ्गके । अक्रूरे क्रूरके चैव समद‍ृक् पण्डितो मत: ॥ १४ ॥

Verse text

iti sarvāṇi bhūtāni mad-bhāvena mahā-dyute sabhājayan manyamāno jṣānaṁ kevalam āśritaḥ brāhmaṇe pukkase stene brahmaṇye ’rke sphuliṅgake akrūre krūrake caiva sama-dṛk paṇḍito mataḥ

Synonyms

iti — in this way ; sarvāṇi — to all ; bhūtāni — living beings ; mat — bhāvena — with the sense of My presence ; mahā — dyute — O greatly effulgent Uddhava ; sabhājayan — giving respect ; manyamānaḥ — so considering ; jṣānam — knowledge ; kevalam — transcendental ; āśritaḥ — taking shelter of ; brāhmaṇe — in the brāhmaṇa ; pukkase — in the outcaste of the Pukkasa tribe ; stene — in the thief ; brahmaṇye — in the man who respects brahminical culture ; arke — in the sun ; sphuliṅgake — in the spark of the fire ; akrūre — in the gentle ; krūrake — in the cruel ; ca — also ; eva — indeed ; sama — dṛk — having equal vision ; paṇḍitaḥ — a learned scholar ; mataḥ — is considered .

Translation

O brilliant Uddhava, one who thus views all living entities with the idea that I am present within each of them, and who by taking shelter of this divine knowledge offers due respect to everyone, is considered actually wise. Such a man sees equally the brāhmaṇa and the outcaste, the thief and the charitable promoter of brahminical culture, the sun and the tiny sparks of fire, the gentle and the cruel.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O brilliant Uddhava! The person who respects all beings as Brahman and contemplates this, who sees equally the brāhmaṇa and the outcaste, the thief and the giver of charity to brāhmaṇas , the sun and the sparks of fire, the gentle and the cruel, is a true jṣānī. The jṣānī (jṣānam āśritaḥ) should respect all beings, thinking that they are all Brahman (mad-bhāvena), and contemplate that (manyamānaḥ). Such a person is considered learned (paṇḍitaḥ mataḥ). The word kevalam modifies the verb āśrayaḥ not the noun jṣānam, since jṣāna alone without bhakti is condemned. The phrase means “He takes shelter of jṣāna intensely,” rather than “he takes shelter of only jṣāna.” Or the meaning can be “He takes shelter of Brahman without a second.” O effulgent Uddhava! You shine even greater than that because of your pure bhakti! The jṣānī should see equally those opposite by birth—the brāhmaṇa and outcaste; those opposite by actions---the thief who steals from a brāhmaṇa and the person who gives charity to the brāhmaṇa; objects of opposite size—the sun and a spark; those things opposite in quality—the gentle and the cruel. He should see all these as me, the one form of Brahman. He is a jṣānī (paṇḍitaḥ). Others, who see difference, are not jṣānīs.

Purport

A series of opposites is set forth here — namely the high-class brāhmaṇa and the low-class aborigine, the thief who steals from respectable persons and the respecter of brahminical culture who gives charity to brāhmaṇas, the all-powerful sun and the insignificant spark, and finally the kind and the cruel. Ordinarily, the ability to distinguish between such opposites qualifies one as intelligent. How, then, can the Lord state that ignoring such obvious differences establishes one as a wise man? The answer is given by the words mad-bhāvena: a wise person sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead within everything. Therefore, although externally perceiving and dealing with the varieties of material situations, a wise man is more impressed by and concerned with the overwhelming unity of all existence, which is based on the presence of the Supreme Lord within everything. As explained here, a truly wise person is not limited to superficial material discrimination.