The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly urges (05.18, 06.09, 12.18, 13.28, 18.54) its readers to have an equal disposition towards all living beings. In fact, the Gita emphatically declares that only those who see everyone equally are true seers, implying thereby that those who don’t see equally have a vision deficiency.

Yet we see that Arjuna, the Gita’s original student fought for Yudhisthira and fought against Duryodhana. Did he forget the Gita’s call to treat everyone equally?

No, not at all.

Equal disposition doesn’t mean identical action.

A doctor may be benevolently disposed towards all patients, yet doesn’t give the same treatment to everyone – the treatment is customized according to what is needed for each patient.

Similarly, realized spiritualists are benevolently disposed towards all living beings – they see everyone as patients suffering from spiritual amnesia, souls who have forgotten their eternal life with Krishna. Though the overall ailment is the same, its specific variations are varied. So everyone needs to be treated differently.

The Bhagavad-gita offers the treatment plan of devotional service centered on cultivating remembrance of Krishna. Realized devotees want to assist Krishna in treating and healing everyone, but not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for being treated.

For realized devotees, those people who are a part of the hospital staff, that is, those who are devotees wanting to assist in executing Krishna’s recovery plan, become the close friends. Yudhishthira was such a person for Arjuna. On the other hand, those who are so sick that they are delirious, that they don’t even understand that they are sick, need to be treated differently. Duryodhana was delirious with the intoxication of greed and envy – Arjuna administered him an appropriate surgical treatment.

By cultivating a spirit of service towards Krishna, we get the intelligence to translate our equal vision into not identical but reciprocal action.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Text 28

One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body is ever destroyed, actually sees.