Sama-darśinaḥ means equal vision. A learned brāhmaṇa, he is most intelligent man in the human society, so, and a dog . . . superficially, externally, there is much difference. Here is a dog, a street dog, and here is a learned brāhmaṇa. But one who is paṇḍita, one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he sees that the paṇḍita and the dog, they are the same, because they are also the same spiritual spark. By his karma, he has become a learned paṇḍita, and by his karma, he has become a dog. But within the different body, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ (BG 2.13), asmin dehe, in this body there is the soul.
That is his vision. Of course, externally, it is not that I shall behave equally with the brāhmaṇa and the dog. That is external behavior. But internally, we should know that both the brāhmaṇa and the dog, they're a spiritual spark. This is called brahma-jñāna. Brahma-jñāna means the knowledge of spiritual self. That is called brahma-jñāna. So when one attains this brahma-jñāna, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Samatā, equal. That is brahma-jñāna.
So in this verse Kṛṣṇa says, er, Arjuna says that yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ (BG 1.44). So when we are killing animals for the satisfaction of our tongue, this is mahat pāpam. Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna says, aho bata mahat pāpam. Mahat pāpam, great sinful act. Great sinful act. If we want to kill anyone, any living entity, for my satisfaction, either my tongue satisfaction or any sense satisfaction, it is mahā-pāpam, great sinful act. Because they are all svajana. You cannot kill, either you take this sense or that sense. But Arjuna is speaking in a limited sense; he is thinking of his own family members. But if one is actually in knowledge, brahma-jñāna, he thinks in the same way that, "The lower animals, they are also our family members. And if I kill him for my satisfaction, my sense satisfaction, it is great sinful act."
Unfortunately, everyone is killing for his sense gratification in the name of religion. In the name of religion, although it is prohibited, still they are killing. Just imagine how much sinful activities they are doing. And how they can be happy? Happiness, of course, a hog also thinks that he is very happy that he is eating stool, living in filthy place, and because he has got the facility of sex life without any discrimination, he may think happy life. But that is not happiness. Happiness is different thing. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). If you want to feel happiness by your these blunt material senses, that is not happiness. Happiness is beyond your material senses. Ātyantikam. That is real happiness. Real happiness means it will never end, and you will never feel satiation that, "I no more want." That is real happiness. Material happiness, there is no such thing that you will feel immediately satiation. After enjoying any material happiness a few minutes, you will feel, "Again another, again another, again another."
So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat (BG 6.21). So real, what is real happiness, that is not felt by these blunt material senses. So what is that sense? That is purified senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When our senses are purified, tat-paratvena, for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, when our senses are employed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, that is purified senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. That is wanted.
So here, in the beginning, Arjuna, he's thinking in terms of his blunt senses. But the same thing he will do. Ātyantikam, atīndriya, purified senses. Just try to understand. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Arjuna is now thinking, yad rājya-sukha-lobhena (BG 1.44): "For the matter of getting kingdom and sense gratification, I am going to kill my kinsmen. So it is great sin." That's a fact. If the warfare in the Kurukṣetra battlefield was for Arjuna's sense satisfaction, then it was a great sin. But actually, it is not being done for Arjuna's satisfaction. It is to be done for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. So therefore the conclusion should be that whatever we do, if we do it for our own sense satisfaction, that is mahā-pāpam, sinful activities. But if we do the same thing for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is spiritual advancement. This is the difference.
So outsider, they think that . . . a karmī is working for his own satisfaction, and a devotee is working for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Although two things are similarly, externally it appears the same thing, but there is great difference. Whatever you do for your own satisfaction, for the satisfaction of your whims, that is mahā-pāpa, great sin. The same thing, when you do for Kṛṣṇa, that is opening your path to liberation, back to home, back to Godhead. This is difference. You have to change the consciousness. What you are doing? For whom you are doing? For yourself or for Kṛṣṇa? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is the perfection of life. In whatever position you are, whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
- ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭha
- varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
- svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
- saṁsiddhiṁ hari-toṣaṇam
- (SB 1.2.13)
Hari-toṣaṇam means to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari. That is perfection. It doesn't matter what you are doing. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. First of all, "Whatever doing," it does not mean whatever nonsense you are doing, that will be accepted. No. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. According to Vedic civilization, there is division of varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So activities must be done according to the varṇāśrama prescription. A brāhmaṇa is ordered to do like this: satyaḥ śamo damas titikṣa ārjavam. You should practice this. A kṣatriya should practice this. And a vaiśya should practice this. So therefore it is called varṇāśrama—the prescribed duties are already there.
Therefore perfect human society means . . . first of all there must be this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. And when they act the duties of that particular position, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. It doesn't matter whether you are śūdra or you are brāhmaṇa, but if you act for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa according to the prescription of your position, then your life is perfect. That is wanted. The whole human civilization should be based on this principle. There must be division.
The division is already there. They should be coordinated, systematized. Not that everyone is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the intelligent man. So we should pick up the intelligent men. They should be trained as brāhmaṇa. Those who are martial, having fighting spirit, they should be selected as kṣatriya. Those who are for increasing money, mercantile mentality, they should be also collected. Similarly, śūdras. And they should be trained, everyone, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiṁ hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).
So here Arjuna is a fighter, he is engaged in fighting. Now he is thinking. That is proper. He is Vaiṣṇava. He is devotee. He is properly thinking that, "For my sense gratification I am going to kill my kinsmen? Oh, what a great sinful activity I am going to do." But actually, Kṛṣṇa is not engaging His devotee to act sinfully. No. That is not Kṛṣṇa's business. Although superficially it appears that Kṛṣṇa is engaging Arjuna to fight in the sinful activities, no, that is not sinful. Whatever Kṛṣṇa does, it is not sinful; it is transcendental, the most pure activity.