शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥ १८ ॥
vidyāvinayasampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini .
śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ .. 18 ..
In a Brāhmaṇa endued with wisdom and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, as also in a dog and in a dog-eater,* the wise see the same.
A chandala, an outcaste.
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Humility is tranquillity, the condition of a well-disciplined soul. Of the creatures mentioned, the highest is the brahmana who is spiritually regenerated, and highly Sattvic (i.e., in whom the energy of Sattva predominates). Next comes the cow, not spiritually regenerated, and Rajasic (i. e., in which the energy of Rajas predominates) Last come the elephant, &c., which are purely Tamasic (the energy of Tamas predominating). In all of them the sages see the same, the One who is immutable in Himself and quite untouched by Sattva and other energies, or by the tendencies born of those energies, whether Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
The sage is liberated while still on earth.
(Objection):—They (the sages just spoken of) are sinful persons, whose food should not be eaten by others. For, the Law says :
“Where one’s equals are honored in a different manner, and where persons who are not one’s equals are honored in the same manner as oneself, a dinner must not be eaten.” (Gautama’s Institutes, xvii. 20.)