आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन | सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं स योगी परमो मतः || ३२ ||
ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṃ paśyati yo 'rjuna sukhaṃ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṃ sa yogī paramo mataḥ
ātma—self; aupamyena—by comparison; sarvatra—everywhere; samam—equally; paśyati—sees; yaḥ—he who; arjuna—O Arjuna; sukham—happiness; vā—or; yadi—if; vā—or; duḥkham—distress; saḥ—such; yogī—transcendentalist; paramaḥ—the best; mataḥ—considered.
“He who sees, by analogy with himself, equality everywhere — whether in pleasure or in pain — O Arjuna, is considered the highest yogi.”
Ātmaupamyena — 'by analogy with oneself.' Just as I desire pleasure and shun pain, so does every being. The highest yogi extends this understanding universally: he treats others' pleasure and pain with the same empathetic seriousness as his own. This is not mere intellectual acknowledgement but a felt, experiential equal-mindedness. Krishna says this person is 'paramaḥ' — the highest. Empathy rooted in Self-knowledge is the supreme expression of yoga.
Before reacting to another person's behaviour today, pause and apply this principle: 'Just as I want to be happy and free from suffering, so do they.' This basic extension of empathy — 'what it's like to be them' — is the foundation of both ethical life and spiritual vision.