Bhagavad Gita 5.18

The wise see the same in a learned humble person, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who cooks a dog.

विद्याविनयसंपन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥

vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini |
suni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah ||

The wise see the same in a learned humble person, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who cooks a dog.

When a person is admitted to a psychiatric ward or struggles with severe mental illness, society often strips them of their dignity. People begin to look at them through the harsh, judgmental lens of fear and stigma, treating them as a "lesser" being. This famous verse teaches the ultimate antidote to that stigma: sama-darsinah (equal vision). A truly wise person looks at a highly respected, successful individual and a severely mentally ill patient in a hospital bed and sees the exact same fundamental human value. Stigma is not just a social problem; it is a profound failure of this spiritual vision. However, spiritual equality does not replace medicine. Seeing everyone with equal respect does not mean ignoring a real illness. Community love alone cannot treat a serious illness. True care needs both: the respect of sama-darshinah (seeing all with an equal eye) and the skill of a trained psychiatrist.