Gita for Life · For students
Comparing yourself with others
Rank lists, test scores in the group chat, a friend who always seems a step ahead. Comparison can quietly steal your peace. The Gītā doesn’t tell you to stop caring about your studies; it shows you what to compare, and what not to.
In short
Comparing ranks all day makes you either proud or miserable, and rarely better at your work. The Gītā asks you to do your own duty sincerely, be content with what honest effort brings, see every talent as Kṛṣṇa’s gift, and treat classmates as friends, not rivals.
Run your own race, and cheer your friends on in theirs.
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Content with honest work, free from envy
dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ Bhagavad-gītā 4.22
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa describes a person who “is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady both in success and failure.” Such a person works but is never entangled.
Read 4.22 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady both in success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that such a person neither begs nor borrows. He works honestly as far as he can and is satisfied with whatever his own honest labour brings. That is why he stays steady in both success and failure.
“He neither begs nor borrows, but he labors honestly as far as is in his power, and is satisfied with whatever is obtained by his own honest labor.”
Lesson
Your job is honest, full effort. Be satisfied with what that effort brings, and keep improving. Envy doesn’t add a single mark to your score; it only takes away your peace and your focus.
Example
Your roommate scores 20 marks more in the weekly test. Envy says, “Why him?” Contentment says, “I gave my honest best; what can I learn from this paper?” The second voice leads to better marks next week; the first only to a bad mood.
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Your path is yours: run your own race
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ Bhagavad-gītā 3.35
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa says: “It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties,” because “to follow another’s path is dangerous.”
Read 3.35 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that one should do one’s own prescribed duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness rather than imitate the duties meant for others. Everyone has to purify the heart step by step, not all at once.
“One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness rather than those prescribed for others.”
Lesson
Every student has a different starting point, a different pace and a different path. Copying a friend’s timetable, coaching or stream just because it worked for them can pull you off your own track. Look honestly at your own preparation and improve it step by step.
Example
Nisha’s friend studies 14 hours a day, so Nisha tries it too and is worn out within a week. Then she makes her own plan: fewer hours, more practice papers, fixed sleep. She is still behind her friend in some subjects, but she is moving forward on her own road.
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A friend’s talent is a spark of Kṛṣṇa’s splendour
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ Bhagavad-gītā 10.41
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa says: “Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”
Read 10.41 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that anything glorious or beautiful, anywhere, should be understood as a small part of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence. Anything extraordinary represents His opulence.
“Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world.”
Lesson
When a classmate is brilliant at maths, sings beautifully or tops the test, that gift comes from Kṛṣṇa. Seeing it this way turns envy into appreciation. Your own abilities are His gifts too, so there is no reason to feel proud, and no reason to feel worthless.
Example
In the test results, your friend Kabir tops physics. Instead of a jealous silence, you say, “Great job! Can you show me how you solved question 12?” You have honoured Kṛṣṇa’s gift in him, and you have learned something too.
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Be a friend, not a rival
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ Bhagavad-gītā 12.13–14
What the verse says
The first quality Kṛṣṇa names in a devotee who is dear to Him is that he “is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities.”
Read 12.13–14 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me—he is very dear to Me.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a pure devotee is never disturbed in any situation and is not envious of anyone. He is kind to everyone, even to someone who behaves like an enemy.
“A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone.”
Lesson
In a competitive batch it is easy to see everyone as a rival: you hide your notes and feel secretly glad when others do badly. That turns the hostel into a lonely place. Kṛṣṇa loves a heart that is a friend to all. Share notes, explain a doubt, and be happy when others do well.
Example
Before a test, a batchmate asks you to explain a topic you know well. Part of you thinks, “Why help my competition?” You explain it anyway. Teaching it makes you understand it better, and you have made a friend.
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A rank is not a person
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ Bhagavad-gītā 5.18
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa says that the humble sage, “by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision” a learned brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and even an outcaste.
Read 5.18 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that bodies are different, but a learned person looks beyond these differences: the soul in every body, and the Supersoul with it, are of the same spiritual quality. That is why he sees everyone equally.
“The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality.”
Lesson
A rank measures one test on one day. It does not measure who you are. Topper or not, every student in your batch is an eternal soul with Kṛṣṇa in the heart. Don’t look down on anyone with lower marks, and don’t look down on yourself.
Example
When results come out, some students stop talking to the “low-rank” ones, and some of the low-rankers start hiding. Equal vision means you sit with both at lunch, because a marksheet is not a person.
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The right way to compare
ātmaupamyena sarvatra Bhagavad-gītā 6.32
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa calls someone a perfect yogī who, “by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress.”
Read 6.32 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
He is a perfect yogī who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress, O Arjuna!
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that such a person understands everyone’s happiness and distress from his own experience. He is the sincerest friend of all, wants good for others and not only for himself, and does not envy anyone.
“He is the best yogī because he does not desire perfection in yoga for his personal benefit, but tries for others also. He does not envy his fellow living entities.”
Lesson
Here is the one comparison the Gītā asks for: “If I were in their place, how would I feel?” The friend who did badly feels what you would feel. The friend who did well worked hard, as you do. Use comparison to understand and to help, not to rank yourself.
Example
After a tough paper, you notice a quiet batchmate sitting alone. You remember how your own bad day felt. You sit beside him and say, “That was a hard paper. Want to go through it together?” That is comparison the way Kṛṣṇa likes it.
Comparing to compete, or comparing to care?
| The comparing mind | What the Gītā teaches | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| “Why did they get more marks than me?” | “I gave my honest best; I’ll learn and improve.” | 4.22 |
| “I should copy whatever the topper does.” | “My path is mine; I’ll improve it step by step.” | 3.35 |
| “Their talent makes me feel small.” | “Every talent is a spark of Kṛṣṇa’s splendour.” | 10.41 |
| “Everyone in my batch is my competition.” | “I can be a friend to all.” | 12.13–14 |
| “My rank shows what I’m worth.” | “Every student is a soul; a rank is not a person.” | 5.18 |
| “I’m glad they did worse than me.” | “How would I feel in their place? How can I help?” | 6.32 |
Our reflections, each based on the verse named beside it.
Ask yourself
- Whose results do I keep checking, and how do they make me feel?
- Am I following my own plan, or copying someone else’s?
- Whose talent can I sincerely praise this week?
- Is there a batchmate I could help with something I know well?
- Do I see people, including myself, as more than a rank?
The essence
Compare less, care more. Do your own duty with honest effort, be content with what it brings, see every talent as Kṛṣṇa’s, and use comparison only to understand and help others.
If comparing yourself with others leaves you feeling worthless or hopeless, please talk to someone: a parent, a teacher, your warden or a friend. You can also call Tele-MANAS, the national mental-health helpline, on 14416: it is free, open 24×7 and available in many languages.
The headings, explanations, lessons, examples, table and questions are ours, written to help you apply the verses. The Sanskrit lines, the verse translations and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s quoted words are from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is as published on vedabase.cc, unaltered.
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