FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.29.2a

సర్వేషామేవ జన్తూనాం సతతం దేహపోషణే । అస్తి ప్రజ్ఞా సమాయత్తా కో విశేషస్తదా నృణామ్ ॥ ౧అ ॥ లబ్ధ్వేహాన్తే మనుష్యత్వం హిత్వా దేహాద్యసద్గ్రహమ్ । ఆత్మసృత్యా విహాయేదం జీవాత్మా స విశిష్యతే ॥ ౨అ ॥
sarveṣām eva jantūnāṁ
[sarveshaam eva jantoonaam]
satataṁ deha-poṣaṇe
[satatam deha-poshane]
asti prajṣā samāyattā
[asti prajshaa 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]
sarveṣām — all eva — certainly jantūnām — of animals satatam — always deha-poṣaṇe — to maintain the body asti — there is prajṣā — 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 prajṣā samāyattā
asti
there is
prajṣā
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.

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
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