सुभाषितम् Subhashit

Original text (with corrections)

आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनञ्च

सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम्।

धर्मों हि तेषामधिको विशेषस्

धर्मविहीना: पशुभि: समाना:।

Version without sandhis

आहार-निद्रा-भय-मैथुनम् च

सामान्यम् एतत् पशुभि: नराणाम्।

धर्म: हि तेषाम् अधिक: विशेष:

धर्म-विहीना: पशुभि: समाना:।

Interlinear, literal translation

आहार- food, निद्रा- sleep, भय- fear, मैथुनम् sex च and

सामान्यम् common एतत् this पशुभि: with animals नराणाम् of humans.

धर्म: Conscience हि only तेषाम् theirs अधिक: additional विशेष: special

धर्म-विहीना: conscience-less पशुभि: with animals समाना: equals.

Natural translation

Food, sleep, fear, sex--these are common to animals and humans. Conscience is the only thing special among humans; those without conscience are no different from animals.

Comment:

धर्म (dharma) in old Sanskrit texts does not mean religion; that is a contemporary usage. In old Sanskrit texts, it always means conscience, righteousness, the sense of what is right and what is not.

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