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Hitopadesha, Mangala-charanam, verse 25
What it means
Eating, sleeping, fear, and sexual instinct are common to both animals and human beings. Dharma(Righteousness) is their distinguishing quality; those who live without dharma are no different from animals.
A reflection
What Makes Us Human?
We often think of being human as something guaranteed by birth. But this verse asks us to look beyond the body. Hunger, sleep, fear, desire—none of these make us uniquely human. They are shared by every living creature. What distinguishes us is the ability to live with awareness, responsibility, compassion and a sense of what is right. Dharma, then, is not merely a set of rules; it is the conscious choice to rise above instinct. Perhaps being human is not simply about having a human body, but about choosing how we live within it.