April 8th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनञ्च सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम् ।
धर्मोहि तेषामधिको विशेषः धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिस्समानाः ॥
- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
āhāranidrābhayamaithunañca sāmānyametat paśubhirnarāṇām ।
dharmohi teṣāmadhiko viśeṣaḥ dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhissamānāḥ ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Food, sleep, fear, and mating - these are equal in animals and humans. Virtue (dharma) alone is distinctive in them. (Those) devoid of dharma are equal to animals.

Commentary:

Eating when hungry; sleeping according to their biological clocks; fear when threatened; copulating for procreating; - these traits are common to both animals and humans. So, how are we distinguishing ourselves? Just being robed and talking multiple languages doesn't qualify one to claim as species of a higher order! What sets humans apart is their ability to follow a path of virtue (dharma). Their intellect paves the way for them to think through the multitudes of paths they can take. A true human sticks to the one that qualifies as dharma. That ability of decision making in the coherence of dharma is what makes him human. Else, he would be showing the same traits as the rest of the beings, which are called animals. Hence, if one doesn't follow the path of virtue then he is as good as an animal!

The one faculty that sets us apart from other beings is dharma. Do not forgo that for any reason.

Be human, follow dharma.

pada vigrahaH:
आहार-निद्रा-भय-मैथुनं च सामान्यम् एतत् पशुभिः नराणाम् ।
āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṃ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām ।

धर्मः हि तेषाम् अधिकः विशेषः धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥
dharmaḥ hi teṣām adhikaḥ viśeṣaḥ dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
aahaaranidraabhayamaithuna~ncha saamaanyametat pashubhirnaraaNaam ।
dharmohi teShaamadhiko visheShaH dharmeNa hInaaH pashubhissamaanaaH ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

aahaara-nidraa-bhaya-maithunaM cha saamaanyam etat pashubhiH naraaNaam ।

dharmaH hi teShaam adhikaH visheShaH dharmeNa hInaaH pashubhiH samaanaaH ॥