SB 4.29.1a — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.29.1a

सर्वेषामेव जन्तूनां सततं देहपोषणे । अस्ति प्रज्ञा समायत्ता को विशेषस्तदा नृणाम् ॥ १अ ॥ लब्ध्वेहान्ते मनुष्यत्वं हित्वा देहाद्यसद्ग्रहम् । आत्मसृत्या विहायेदं जीवात्मा स विशिष्यते ॥ २अ ॥

sarveṣām eva jantūnāṁ

[sarveshaam eva jantoonaam]

satataṁ deha-poṣaṇe

[satatam deha-poshane]

asti prajñā samāyattā

[asti prajnaa samaayattaa]

ko viśeṣas tadā nṛṇām

[ko visheshas tadaa nrinaam]

labdhvehānte manuṣyatvaṁ

[labdhvehaante manushyatvam]

hitvā dehādy-asad-graham

[hitvaa dehaady-asad-graham]

ātma-sṛtyā vihāyedaṁ

[aatma-srityaa vihaayedam]

jīvātmā sa viśiṣyate

[jeevaatmaa sa vishishyate]

Word-for-word

sarveṣām — all eva — certainly jantūnām — of animals satatam — always deha-poṣaṇe — to maintain the body asti — there is prajñā — intelligence samāyattā — resting on kaḥ — what viśeṣaḥ — difference tadā — then nṛṇām — of the human beings labdhvā — having attained iha — here ante — at the end of many births manuṣyatvam — a human life hitvā — after giving up deha-ādi — in the gross and subtle body asat-graham — an incorrect conception of life ātma — of spiritual knowledge sṛtyā — by the path vihāya — having abandoned idam — this body jīva-ātmā — the individual spirit soul saḥ — that viśiṣyate — becomes prominent.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

sarveṣām eva jantūnāṁ

sarveṣām

all

eva

certainly

jantūnām

of animals

satataṁ deha-poṣaṇe

satatam

always

deha-poṣaṇe

to maintain the body

asti prajñā samāyattā

asti

there is

prajñā

intelligence

samāyattā

resting on

kaḥ

what

ko viśeṣas tadā nṛṇām

viśeṣaḥ

difference

tadā

then

nṛṇām

of the human beings

labdhvehānte manuṣyatvaṁ

labdhvā

having attained

hitvā dehādy-asad-graham

ātma-sṛtyā vihāyedaṁ

iha

here

ante

at the end of many births

jīvātmā sa viśiṣyate

manuṣyatvam

a human life

hitvā

after giving up

deha-ādi

in the gross and subtle body

asat-graham

an incorrect conception of life

ātma

of spiritual knowledge

sṛtyā

by the path

vihāya

having abandoned

idam

this body

jīva-ātmā

the individual spirit soul

saḥ

that

viśiṣyate

becomes prominent.

A desire to maintain body, wife and children is also observed in animal society. The animals have full intelligence to manage such affairs. If a human being is simply advanced in this respect, what is the difference between him and an animal? One should be very careful to understand that this human life is attained after many, many births in the evolutionary process. A learned man who gives up the bodily conception of life, both gross and subtle, will, by the enlightenment of spiritual knowledge, become a prominent individual spirit soul, as the Supreme Lord is also.

Purport

It is said that man is a rational animal, but from this verse we can also understand that rationality exists even in animal life. Unless there is rationality, how can an animal maintain its body by working so hard? That the animals are not rational is untrue; their rationality, however, is not very advanced. In any case, we cannot deny them rationality. The point is that one should use one’s reason to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for that is the perfection of human life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Personal Guidance

Maintaining body, wife, children is observed even in animal society; if humans only achieve that, what's the difference? Human dignity comes from the use to which we put the surplus capacity — not from the basic maintenance itself.

Reflection Questions

Which capacity unique to my human form am I not using?
Where is my life essentially animal-grade with extra paint?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io