The 250th anniversary of American independence is an ideal moment to reflect on the words that give the most famous sentence that framed the American experiment its moral meaning: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
Adopted on July 4, 1776, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, declared that all people are born with equal rights and that these fundamental rights cannot be taken away.
Anniversaries are more than occasions for fireworks, parades, and patriotic songs. They are opportunities for introspection: So, after 250 years of independence and the pursuit of equality, where does America stand?
What did we promise, where have we failed, and what must we still achieve?
In The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, historian Walter Isaacson treats the sentence like a sacred civic mantra, asking readers to reflect on the significance of these words: “we,” “truths,” “self-evident,” “created,” “equal,” “rights,” “liberty,” and “happiness.” He reminds Americans that democracy is not just a voting system but a moral discipline.
The words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” remain morally inspiring. But it was written at a time when slavery was accepted, women were denied political rights, and Native Americans were treated unjustly.
That may be why it matters and why those words have endured. A great sentence is sometimes not only a statement of ideals, but a call to greatness. It becomes great when later generations respond to its call for equality and to build a society better than the one that first gave those words life.
But is it the greatest sentence ever written? How does it measure up to the profound meaning of “Tat Tvam Asi,” a mahāvākya (“great saying”) from the Upanishads, that expresses a fundamental philosophical truth of Vedanta: the individual soul is one with the universe’s cosmic reality – ‘Thou Art That.’
As an Indian American, examining equality through the lens of Hindu philosophy, the phrase “all men are created equal” is imbued with deeper meaning when expanded to say: all men and women, indeed all beings, share the same essence. Our equality is rooted in the same spiritual reality.
The Bhagavad Gita, for example, teaches that the truly wise view all beings as equal, whether it’s a learned person, an individual on the lower rungs of society, a cow, an elephant, or a dog; the Sanskrit phrase paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ means ‘the wise see with equal vision.’
Spiritually learned people, says the Bhagavad Gita, see all living beings as eternal souls, not as bodies or labels. That foundation of equality is not based on whether we look alike, think alike, earn alike, or perform alike. We are equal because the same divine light shines through each of us, even though we are different instruments, living different lives.
For example, electricity can illuminate a chandelier, bedside lamp, streetlight, or flashlight. Each fixture differs in shape, cost, brightness, and location, but the same electricity powers them all. Human beings differ in body, mind, talent, wealth, education, and social status, but the divine consciousness within each person comes from the same sacred source.
So while an American civics lesson teaches that all individuals have the same rights, social status, and opportunities as others in society, in Vedanta’s spiritual terms, equality means one divine essence exists in myriad forms and is known by various names.
Nearly 250 years after its founding, in the melting pot that is America, people from many countries, cultures, and backgrounds are striving alongside each other to achieve the promise of equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence.
A key part of that journey is recognizing that the paths to equality may differ but need not be divisive. It’s a critical distinction. Equal does not mean identical.
Human beings are inherently different, psychologically, biologically, and socially.
The Bhagavad Gita’s broader teaching is that human beings are not carbon copies of one another. Each person has a different svabhāva, or inner nature differing in temperament, capacity, motivation, and aptitude. Vedanta explains this through samskāras, vāsanās, and guṇas, qualities born of nature that manifest in different human roles and responsibilities.
For any society to flourish, it needs a foundation that gives all kinds of individuals opportunities to thrive. This truth is not always self-evident. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that true equality becomes clear when the mind is freed from ahaṃkāra, or ego.
An enlightened mind is free from prejudice based on race, gender, religion, wealth, appearance, nationality, language, accent, education, or social status. To an ego-driven person, hierarchy feels natural. To an enlightened person, equality is self-evident.
America’s great sentence must be understood both politically and spiritually. The law can ensure legal equality and prevent discrimination. But if understood spiritually, its words can dissolve contempt and produce compassion. Equality is a responsibility that society must continue to uphold through justice, education, opportunity, and respect.
Martin Luther King Jr. called the Declaration a “promissory note” that America had failed to honor fully for Black Americans. In 2026, the best tribute to the Founders would be an honest fulfillment of their highest promise.
